Introduction
As the proprietor of a licensed vehicle, you have a responsibility to ensure it is kept safe, clean, and comfortable, as you will be using your car to transport some of the city’s most vulnerable people to where they need to go.
Before you apply
Please read all information provided in this guide carefully and fully.
It is also recommended to consult the Taxi Licensing Policy as this contains further information around the legislation you will be required to follow as well as licence conditions you will be expected to adhere to.
Make and Model Requirements
The Council will licence most vehicle makes and models providing they have four doors, can seat between four and eight passengers (each with a seatbelt) and are a right-hand drive.
It is Council policy that the engine size and power must be the equivalent of 1600cc/74kw/94bhp. Fully electric and hybrid vehicles are not subject to any power or battery size requirements.
If you are unsure whether the Council would licence a particular vehicle make or model and would like to be sure before purchasing it, you can contact taxi@milton-keynes.gov.uk to check.
For more details on the required specifications for licensed vehicles, please see Section A of the Taxi Licensing Policy.
Vehicle Age, Fuel Type and WAVs
To ensure that every vehicle meets modern safety and comfort standards, the Council has imposed the following age limits on vehicles that can be licensed.
- Fully Electric (zero emission) – No age limit
- Hybrid – 14 years of age or under
- Petrol – 13 years of age or under
- Diesel – 12 years of age or under
Documents to provide
MOT
If your vehicle is 1 year old or has travelled over 500 miles, an MOT will be required and must be dated within 31 days of your application submission (for new vehicles), or within 31 days of licence expiry (for renewals).
New vehicles that are under one year old and have less than 500 miles on the odometer are not required to have an MOT.
If your MOT contains any advisories (including recalls) you will be contacted after application with a request to have them repaired.
Insurance
You will be required to submit an insurance certificate that is valid at the time of application. We will not accept any applications where the insurance start date is after the application submission date.
The certificate must cover you for private or public hire and reward, and any licensed drivers need to be covered on the policy.
V5/Invoice
You will be asked to submit pages 1 and 2 of your V5C logbook. If you do not yet have this (for example, if you have just purchased the vehicle), you need to submit a payment invoice/receipt that shows the vehicle belongs to you. The green new keeper slip alone will not be accepted.
DBS
All vehicle proprietors should provide a valid DBS when applying to licence a vehicle. If you have a badge you should already have an Enhanced DBS with an update service subscription and you can use this again. Otherwise, you can provide a Basic DBS dated within 31 days of application. If you are applying on behalf of a company (such as a rental or temporary hire company), we will require a valid DBS for the director/manager of the business.
Change of Vehicle/Owner
If you intend to purchase a new vehicle and transfer the remainder of your existing licence on to it, you can do so providing the new vehicle meets all the same standards and requirements.
Similarly, if you are a licensed driver and have purchased a vehicle that is already licensed, you can transfer it into your name.
The application form has options for both of these, please select the right one when applying.
Application Process
Once you have all required documents you can proceed to make your application using the online portal on the previous page.
If a complete application is received and accepted, you will then be emailed a link to make payment. Once we have received the fee your plate will be printed and posted, usually within 1-3 working days.