Website and telephone payments Sunday 19 May
Our website and telephone payment systems are unavailable between 9am and 2pm on Sunday 19 May. You will not be able to pay for any council services on our website or over the phone during this time.
Find out how to apply for or renew a private hire vehicle licence.
Private hire vehicles are licensed to perform pre-booked work only, they cannot ply for hire or use taxi ranks.
Unlike hackney carriages, all private hire vehicles must be pre-booked through a Private Hire Operator licensed by the same authority.
A vehicle licensed as a private hire vehicle continues to be a private hire vehicle at all times unless suspended or lapsed. Therefore, a private hire vehicle may be driven only by a person who holds licence issued by the same authority.
New and renewal applications may be made in respect of any suitable vehicle under the age of 10 years. The age of the vehicle will be determined from the date of first registration as stated on the vehicle registration document.
No age limit will be applied to Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, but they must have European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval. This will be shown on either the vehicle’s V5 registration document, additional chassis number on the vehicle or by a Certificate of Conformity.
No licence application will be granted unless the vehicle has passed the test to the satisfaction of the appointed garage.
Download the Private Hire Vehicle inspection form (pdf / 174 KB)
No private hire vehicles will be granted a licence if it is licensed in another district due to the problems of meeting the variance in conditions applied in different districts and the enforcement of those conditions in cases of non-compliance (such as signs, suspensions or revocations).
Any DVSA-accredited MOT testing station in the North Yorkshire Council area. You must download the vehicle inspection form (pdf / 174 KB) and provide it to the garage carrying out the testing.
If your vehicle is already licensed by Harrogate please check with the Harrogate licensing team, as you may have already paid for your test upfront. If so, you should have your vehicle tested at Simon Graeme Auto Service Centre, Grayston Plain Lane, Hampsthwaite, Harrogate, HG3 2LY.
In Scarborough – council in-house testing. You can book online via our MOT services page.
In Craven – Midgley Motor Cars, Airedale Business Park, Keighley Road, Skipton, BD23 2TZ.
All private hire vehicles licences are issued for 12 months:
New vehicle application | £350 |
Renewal application | £290 |
Transfer | £55 |
Change of registration | £55 |
At present the licence fee for both new and renewal applications in respect of wheelchair accessible vehicles has been waived.
Find out more about taxi fees and fares.
You pay directly to the MOT garage if you live in the Selby area.
You can pay online if you live in the Hambleton area.
For all other areas, contact us to pay in person or over the phone, please note we do not accept cash payments.
Whichever payment method you use, please use your licence number if renewing, or the full registration if not, and your full name as the reference and let us know you have paid.
At all times whilst licensed, a private hire vehicle shall display:
You can find generic guidance on applying vinyl signs to your vehicle here (pdf / 2 MB).
First, read our Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy (pdf / 675 KB) to make sure that your vehicle meets all the requirements of a private hire vehicle, in particular the private hire vehicle specification.
Applications will not be processed by the licensing authority unless we are in receipt of:
Download the appropriate application form here:
Applications should be submitted to your local office or to the local office email address, as shown on the applications forms. If applying by email, we may still need to see you in person with some of your documents.
You will need to supply the following with your application form:
We will aim to process valid applications within 5 working days of receipt of all required documents.
For renewals, applications should be made at least two weeks before the expiry date of the current licence to allow reasonable time for the application to be processed. Any application for the renewal of a licence will not be accepted after the date of expiry.
Licence plates will be issued directly to the applicant via a third-party supplier using Royal Mail second class post. It is therefore not possible to collect licence plates from your local office.
Existing licence holders will be given grandfather rights. This means any vehicle licensed prior to 1 April 2023 by any of the predecessor authorities to North Yorkshire Council may remain licensed on renewal until 10 years old or until such time as it would have been permitted by the terms of the relevant predecessor authority’s existing policy (whichever is later). New and replacement vehicles will be subject to the requirements of the new policy.
If the authorised officer has any concerns about an application for the grant of a Private Hire Vehicle licence, it will be referred to the General Licensing and Registration Sub-Committee for a decision. If the application is refused by the Sub-Committee, an appeal against the refusal must be made to the Magistrates’ Court. Any appeal must be made within 21 days following notice of a decision.
Read our hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy (pdf / 675 KB)
Read the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 on the Government website
Read the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 on the Government website
Find out about taxi fees and fares here
Contact us to report a licensing issue.