Taxi Driver's Licences

Taxis and private hire cars and the door to door service they provide are essential for people with disabilities. They are a key mode of transport for people who are blind and partially sighted, who are unable to drive and often face barriers when using public transport.

During the pandemic, it remains the case that service providers, including transport providers, have a duty under equality legislation to make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities. And of course, providing such support also represents good customer service.

Guide Dogs Scotland have written guidance for taxi and private hire drivers to make them feel confident when helping passengers with sight loss Guide Dogs Scotland Taxi and PHC Guidance [89.3KB]

Anyone who has held a driving licence issued by DVLA for a continuous period of twelve months can apply for a taxi driver's licence.

Application forms which have guidance notes attached to them, a list of fees and a copy of the conditions can be found in the downloads section at the bottom of this webpage. You should read the guidance notes carefully before completing your application form. You must ensure that you use the most up to date application form as out of date versions cannot be accepted.

All applications are copied to the Cab Inspector at the Taxi Examination Centre. Mandatory background checks will be carried out on all applicants by Police Scotland and applicants' details will be retained on computer.

Applications for new hire car driver licences can be posted to the Licensing Team, West Lothian Council, Civic Centre, Livingston EH54 6FF along with cheques or postal orders for payment of any fee required and copies of all required supporting documentation. If you are unable to post your application and fee please contact the Licensing Team by email. 

Please be aware that at present there are delays in the processing of applications due to changes in working conditions and in particular with medical assessments and you should read the section above in relation to that.

Renewal applications for both vehicle and driver's licences must be lodged online using our Online Licensing Applications and Fee Payments form. Fees are payable by debit or credit card and customers must supply an email address.

Existing licence holders can download a word version of the application form to complete and then upload, you will be asked to tick a box as part of the online process to sign the form instead of having to physically sign it. If you incur problems in making renewal applications online you can email the team at licensingservices@westlothian.gov.uk

Please note that renewal applications must continue to be submitted prior to the expiry of licences to enable the licence to continue in effect after the date of expiry and whilst the renewal application is processed and determined. Therefore, all licence holders should be aware that failure to lodge timeous renewal applications results in the licence ceasing to have effect on its date of expiry. The licensing team will send an email to remind you of when your licence is due to expire, however this is a courtesy and the onus is on you as the licence holder to make a renewal application prior to the expiry of a licence.

However, in line with changes made to licensing law in the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 the council may treat late applications for renewal as being made timeously on good cause shown if they are submitted within 3 months after the expiry of the licence.

If you want to apply to renew a licence within the 3 month period after its expiry date you can still make the application using the online system, you must also upload a letter explaining why your application is being lodged late. Late applications are considered by the Chief Solicitor and the licence remains expired until a decision has been made by the Chief Solicitor whether to accept the late application as a renewal.

Please note topographical tests are temporarily suspended and there is currently no indication as to when these can resume.

You must pass a topographical test to demonstrate your knowledge of West Lothian, the cost of the test is included in the application fee for a taxi driver's licence. The test is based on the information contained in the West Lothian map published by the council and on the applicant's knowledge of the local places and businesses. Tests are carried out by the City of Edinburgh Council for West Lothian Council and take place every few weeks at Edinburgh City Chambers. 

The test comprises four sections and has a total of 100 questions. One mark is given for each correct answer. In the first section applicants are asked to identify which towns a number of housing areas or estates are situated in. The second section requires the applicant to state the nearest main road to a number of named streets. The third section requires applicants to identify the streets in which various pubs and clubs are located. The final section asks where the nearest main road is to a number of miscellaneous premises such as businesses, health centres, schools and entertainment venues. Main roads are shown coloured brown/gold on the map. Each section accounts for roughly 25% of the total mark. The pass mark is 80%. One resit is allowed if an applicant does not achieve 80%. A copy of the current West Lothian map is issued on receipt of an application.

Applicants are allocated one hour to complete the test.

Applicants who require a reasonable adjustment in terms of the Equality Act 2010, should contact the Licensing Team in writing by email or letter prior to making arrangements to sit the test.

If the test is failed on two occasions your application will require to be refused by the Chief Solicitor using her delegated powers. You will be able to reapply for another licence after a year has passed after the refusal.

If you answer yes to any of the questions in the application regarding health or if you are aged 45 or over when you apply for a taxi driver's licence you will be referred to the Council's appointed medical advisor who will assess your fitness against the group 2 standards. If you are unsure of the DVLA group 2 standards and how this would affect you applying for a taxi driver's licence, you should discuss this and your medical history with your own GP before applying.

Information on what to expect and what's expected of you during the medical assessment can be found in this leaflet  Medical Leaflet (revised) December 2020 [37.5KB]

If you consider that you may qualify for an exemption from assisting wheelchair passengers on grounds of your disability you should contact the Licensing Team who will arrange for you to be examined by Council's appointed medical advisor who will want to see information about your medical condition from your GP.

Optima Health undertake medical assessments on behalf of the council, however while they are able to carry out medical assessments for new applicants you should note that due to the ongoing health situation that there may be significant delays in an appointment being arranged.

You should arrive in good time for your appointment and at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time.

You will need to take a number  of items with you to your appointment. Please read the information below carefully as failure to bring the necessary items may lead to the examination being cancelled or you being certified as unfit.

• If you are a current licence holder you must bring your West Lothian Council taxi or private hire car driver's licence (these are printed on yellow or pink card) and the identity card (ID) issued with your licence, these should be handed to the receptionist before the assessment

• If you are a new applicant you must bring either your passport or photocard DVLA driving licence, this will be checked by the receptionist prior to the assessment

• If you are currently prescribed any medications by your GP you must bring these with you or a copy of your prescription

• If you wear glasses or contact lenses for driving you must bring these with you plus a copy of your eye prescription

• You should bring with you any supporting medical information in relation to any conditions from your own health care professional, see the guidance notes to the application for further information

You should contact the Licensing Team as soon as possible if you are unable to bring any of the above items with you.

If you cancel this appointment or fail to attend on time you will be responsible for paying a missed medical fee, and a further appointment will not be arranged until that fee is paid.

The council has agreed to temporarily relax the requirement for currently licensed hire car drivers to hold an up to date certificate of medical fitness if required under the DVLA group 2 guidelines for those drivers who can certify that they are fit to drive.

The Licensing Team will attempt to contact all affected drivers to ask them to self-certify. If any of your contact details have changed, we would ask that all drivers waiting to hear about medicals contact the team to update any changes as a matter of urgency.

Instead of attending a medical assessment, all drivers who are continuing to operate as hire car drivers and have a scheduled medical appointment or whose current certificate of fitness is due to expire in the coming months will be contacted by the Licensing Team and asked to certify that:

1. They have no new medical conditions that would affect them driving a licensed hire car vehicle, including any of the conditions listed in the application form and any other conditions; and
2. They are currently managing any pre-existing conditions which they suffer from in line with medical advice, and
3. They are following government guidance on coronavirus and will cease driving for the required period as required by that guidance, and
4. They acknowledge that if they suffer from, or are diagnosed with any new medical condition which may affect their fitness to drive a licensed vehicle (see the list of conditions in the hire car driver application form) they must report that information immediately to the Licensing Team (in terms of condition 58 of the taxi driver's licence conditions and condition 54 of the private hire car driver's licence). The Licensing Team will review that information and decide what steps are required to be taken in light of the information disclosed. Any driver requiring to disclose such information to the Licensing Team must do so by using the online form.
5. They understand that when medical assessments are able to resume they will be contacted by the Licensing Team to arrange a medical appointment to undergo an assessment with a view to obtaining an up-to-date medical certificate of fitness

If drivers do not respond to contact from the Licensing Team or cannot answer yes to all the certification questions, consideration will be given to suspending those licences until further medical assessments can take place.  

If drivers are not intending to drive a hire car at present they should post their ID badge and licence to the Licensing Team at the Civic Centre (the office is currently closed to the public) and indicate whether this is a temporary surrender of their documents or if they want to permanently surrender their licence.

New Applicants

It is Council policy that new applicants for hire car driver's licences must be certified fit to drive a hire car for a minimum period of one year. You should therefore discuss your medical history and the application of the Group 2 standards with your GP prior to submitting your application as additional tests may require to be arranged by your doctor before you can be certified as fit to drive a hire car. You should bring any additional information which your own doctor obtains to the medical assessment.

If you fail to be certified fit to drive for a minimum period of one year your application will be refused. Normally you cannot reapply for the same type of licence for a period of 12 months from the date the application was refused, however if your medical condition changes you can submit an application along with a letter giving reasons why there has been a change in your circumstances and  your application should be accepted.

Existing Licence Holders

If you are an existing licence holder and if any of the following occurs your licence will be immediately suspended:

• If you fail a medical; or
• report a change to your medical history which may mean that you no longer comply with the DVLA group 2 standards

You can contact the Licensing Team to arrange a further medical appointment once you have been advised by your GP that in their view you now meet the DVLA group 2 standards and that you are in a position to resume driving a hire car. Please ensure that you discuss the DVLA group 2 standards with your doctor as they may not be aware that these are applied to hire car drivers in West Lothian. Depending on your medical history if no evidence is available from your GP the council's medical advisors may be unable to certify you fit immediately and may need to request follow up reports. These reports can only be requested following a medical assessment and with your consent.

Yes, for all new hire car driver's applications and in some circumstances for those who apply to renew existing hire car drivers licences lodged after 1 December 2016, the Council is required to carry out a right to work check. See paragraph 7 of the guidance notes attached to the application form for further details. There is detailed information about right to work checks  Guidance note - right to work check for applicants for taxi and PHC driver's licences [89.42KB] In dealing with your application the council must follow the Guidance for Licensing Authorities in Scotland to Prevent Illegal Working in The Taxi And Private Hire Car Sector issued by the Home Office Home Office Guidance on Right to Work Checks

Failure to complete the right to work check within 3 months of your application being lodged will mean that your application will be treated as incompetent and cannot be processed further. You should be aware that in those circumstances and as your application has otherwise been fully processed no refund of your application fee will be payable.

The right to work check is being carried out virtually and information on how to make an appointment will be provided to applicant's once your application has been vetted.

See paragraph 3 of the guidance notes attached to the application form. There is detailed information about declaring convictions  Guidance note - disclosure of convictions in applications for taxi and PHC driver's licences [176.02KB]

If you are a current licence holder and you are charged with any crime or offence of any nature including road traffic offences, or are issued with any fixed penalty you should contact the Licensing Team immediately to provide us with details of the offence.

You will be contacted by the Licensing Team once your application has been vetted by Police Scotland to update you regarding the process of your application. Police Scotland has 28 days in which to respond to your application.   

Following any required topographical test, right to work check or medical, applications which do not attract any adverse comments/objections are granted by the Chief Solicitor under delegated powers.

If you do not have a right to work in the UK your application cannot be processed further.

If you require a medical and are not certified fit by the council's medical advisors your application will require to be refused by the Chief Solicitor using her delegated powers. You will be able to reapply for another licence after a year has passed after the refusal or sooner if there is a material change in your circumstances.

If the topographical test is failed on two occasions your application will require to be refused by the Chief Solicitor using her delegated powers. You will be able to reapply for another licence after a year has passed after the refusal.

All other applications where adverse comments/objections are received require to be referred to the Licensing Committee for determination. You will be advised if your application is being referred to the Licensing Committee. The Committee meets on a monthly basis.

We have twelve months in which to determine your application however the majority of applications are determined within 60 days.

• New Applicant's - if your application is granted you will be emailed a copy of the licence and ID badge and asked to acknowledge receipt of that. The licence and ID badge will also be posted to your current home address
• Renewal Application's - if your application is granted a copy of the licence and ID badge will be emailed to you

A taxi driver's licence is normally issued for a period of 3 years for both the grant or renewal of a licence, however in certain circumstances as noted below this may be for a shorter period:

• Applications that have been considered by the Licensing Committee - the Committee have powers to determine how long a licence can be granted and on some occasions this may be for a period less than 3 years

• Where a person's immigration permission to live and work in the UK is time-limited - a hire car drivers licence can only be issued for a period which will not exceed the period of permission to be in the UK

The standard conditions for taxi driver's licences and the conditions of fitness for taxis can be found in the downloads section of this page. A breach of any of these conditions could lead to a licence holder being reported to the Licensing Committee which has power to suspend or revoke a licence. In addition you should be aware that a breach of a condition is a criminal offence.

Please note that condition 9 of the taxi driver's licence conditions requires that drivers prior to driving a licensed vehicle suitable for transporting passengers travelling within wheelchairs must undertake training in the use of approved restraint systems for the carrying of wheelchairs. As all taxis are wheelchair accessible this means that all drivers must undertake such before driving a taxi. Training is available from Lothian Community Transport

Training on disability awareness and wheelchair access training for hire car drivers is available from Lothian Community Transport

If you are a current licence holder and are considering varying any of your hire car conditions, to do this you need to make a variation application using this form  Application to Vary a Hire Car Licence Condition [61.19KB] and pay the administration fee to amend your licence. A list of fees can be found at the bottom of this page.

Once your application form and fee are received a copy of this will be sent to Police Scotland and the Taxi Examination Centre. If no adverse comments are received the licence can be varied by the Chief Solicitor if she is content to use her delegated powers.

However if any adverse comments are received or the Chief Solicitor is not prepared to use her delegated powers the application would then need to be referred to the next suitable Licensing Committee for a decision to be taken. If your application needs to go to the committee the whole process may take three to four months. You will be invited to attend the meeting to explain to the committee why you believe your application should be granted.

As the conditions form part of council policy the onus is on the licence holder to satisfy the committee that there are good reasons why the particular condition should be disapplied in their case.

If you are applying for a new licence or to renew an existing licence and wish to request that any of the standard conditions be varied you can request that at the time you make your application without making a separate variation application. You should include a letter with your application form explaining what condition you wish varied and the reasons for that. The procedure is the same as for variation applications and if delegated powers are not used to vary the standard conditions the application would then need to be referred to the next suitable Licensing Committee for a decision to be taken on the grant or renewal of the application including your request for the conditions to be varied. 

You should be aware that if your application requires to be referred to the Licensing Committee that this will delay the determination of your application.

You should notify us as soon as you can if your details change or any of the information given in your application becomes out of date due to a change in your circumstances.

If you no longer wish to hold your licence you can surrender it to the council at any time by returning your licence together with a letter stating that you wish to surrender it. If you surrender your licence it will cease to have effect.

It is important that you let the Licensing Team know immediately if you change your address, phone number or email address so we can contact you about any licensing issues including when your next medical is due.

If you require a duplicate licence or ID badge or wish to notify the team of any other change to your circumstances, please email the licensing team.

If you are a current licence holder and you are charged with any crime or offence of any nature including road traffic offences, or are issued with any fixed penalty you should contact the Licensing Team immediately to provide us with details of the offence.

These must be in writing either by letter or email to licensingservices@westlothian.gov.uk and give all the information you can about the driver or the vehicle. Please include brief details of the complaint giving the date, time and location of the incident.

All complaints which are received in writing, either by letter or email can be referred to the Taxi Examination Centre (TEC) for investigation. However, if your complaint involves an allegation that the licence holder has committed an offence you must report this first to Police Scotland by calling 101 or attending at a police station. Once you have a crime reference number you should make your complaint to the Licensing Team and include the crime reference number.

Complaints where an offence has been committed can still be forwarded on to TEC and will be monitored until the Police Scotland investigation is concluded, in the event where no action is taken by Police Scotland the detail of the complaint can still be considered from a licensing perspective.

Complaints cannot be investigated unless received in the required format.

Further information in relation to hire car enforcement can be found here Hire Car Enforcement

Complaints regarding unlicensed drivers should be made to Police Scotland by calling 101.