Guidance for Taxi Licence

Who should apply?

Individuals who want to operate a Taxi Licence within the Glasgow City Council boundary can apply for a licence by completing an Application Form.

What should accompany the application?

Application for Renewal of a Taxi Licence 

If the application is for the renewal of a licence the Certificate of insurance (covering taxi/private hire use) for the vehicle concerned must accompany it.

*Important Information regarding Registration and Insurance Documentation

Please note that the documents for both the grant and renewal of a licence must be either (a) in the name of the applicant or if the applicant is a non-natural person, in the name of the company or partnership or (b) in the name of the person named as the day to day manager or (c) in the name of all the named directors/partners etc. "trading as" Company or partnership.

Are there different types of applications relating to Taxi Licence?

Depending on your circumstances you can apply for one of three types of application.  If you do not currently hold a licence with this Licensing Authority you can apply for the following:

Provided your renewal is lodged before the expiry of your current licence you can continue to operate whilst the application is being considered.

If you forget to renew your licence or are unable to do so due to unforeseen circumstances you should contact the Licensing Section by emailing licensingenquiries@glasgow.gov.uk as soon as you become aware that your licence has expired.

How much is the application fee?

Payment must be made via BACS Transfer

How to make payment?

Applications can only be lodged online and preferred payment should be made by BACS Transfer (electronic banking) to the Licensing Board Account. 

When making payments please quote your licence reference number if you are a current licence holder or provide your Surname/Postcode if you are a new licence holder as detailed below:-

Account Name: Glasgow City Council - Licensing
Account No. 00116224
Sort Code: 83-44-00
Reference: TV xxxxx or Surname/Postcode e.g Smith/G1 1DU)

Please note that your application will not be formally lodged until payment has been received.  The fees are non-refundable. 

How do I apply? 

To apply for a Taxi Licence you should complete the online application form which can be found here.

How will my application be processed

A 28 day consultation period begins when payment is received and your application is formally lodged. For grant and renewal applications, any person can object to your application at this stage. For temporary applications there is no right to object however, Police Scotland can submit a letter to the Licensing Authority if they have concerns that the applicant is not a fit and proper person to hold such a licence. 

During the 28 day consultation period your application will be sent to Police Scotland.  The Police will report on your application and may object or make a representation to the application if they do not consider you a 'fit and proper person' to hold, or continue to hold, a licence.  Police Scotland may also charge you with an offence if you have made a false statement on your application form or failed to declare criminal convictions.

Once the 28 day consultation period is complete, the Licensing Section will review your application. 

In addition to the 28 day consultation period, your vehicle will require to undergo and pass an inspection prior to any licence being granted. 

You should be aware of the Limitation of Taxi Licences Policy. Once the number of taxi licences within the city of Glasgow reaches 1420 there will be no significant demand for taxis which is unmet. Once the number of taxi licences reaches 1420 there will be a rebuttable presumption against the grant of further taxi licences and as such all applications for the grant of a taxi licence will be referred to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee for determination. You will receive an email requesting your attendance at the meeting and explaining the reason you are being asked to attend. If you receive an email advising you to attend a meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee you should note that, while you are not legally required to attend such a meeting, if you do not attend, the Committee may make a decision in your absence. The Licensing Section will contact you, in writing, after the meeting to advise you of the Committee's decision. The Limitation of Taxi Car Licence Policy can be viewed here.

The Licensing and Regulatory Committee will also take into consideration whether any adverse comments (for example from Police Scotland) have been received to your application and whether your vehicle has passed inspection at the Taxi and Private Hire Inspection Centre. Please note you will be provided with any adverse comments to your application with the email advising you of the hearing date. 

Are there any other Licensing Authority policies I should be aware of when making my application? 

Yes, a full list of the Licensing Authority's current policies which may be relevant to your Taxi Licence application are detailed below. 

• In terms of Section 10(3) to the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, once the number of taxi licences within the city of Glasgow reaches 1420 there will be no significant demand for taxis which is unmet. "Limitation of Taxi Licences Policy". This policy can be viewed here.
• The policy regarding the display of advertising on or in a taxi and changes of colour to a taxi. The advertising policy can be viewed here. 
• The vehicle to be licensed must be of an approved type. The approved types are listed below:        
  • Carbodies Fairway
  • Carbodies FX4
  • Fiat TW200
  • Fiat TW220
  • Ford Pro Cab
  • LEVC TX
  • LTI TX1
  • LTI TX11   
  • LTI TX4   
  • Mercedes M8      
  • Mercedes Vito   
  • Mercedes Vito Compact      
  • Mercedes VitoTravel Liner
  • Mercedes Vito Tourer
  • Metrocab Series II
  • Peugeot E7
  • Peugeot Euro 7
• The criteria for a taxi is that the vehicle must have M1 whole vehicle type approval; the minimum engine power output is 73 bhp (brake horsepower) [equivalent to 74PS (pferdestarke) or 54.4 kw (kilowatts)]; the minimum width of the back seat is 48"/122cm; and the vehicle has a minimum of four doors.
• From 1 January 2020, all advertising livery must be removed from the bodywork of a taxi aged 10 years or more prior to its annual inspection.
• If you are granted a licence and you then require to substitute your vehicle, the replacement vehicle must be a newer vehicle than that which is currently licensed.
• In terms of section 10(2) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, all taxi vehicles are required to meet the following emissions standard by June 2023:- 

(i) Euro IV for petrol vehicles; and 
(ii) Euro VI for diesel vehicles; 

• From 1 January 2025 there will be a risk based inspection programme for all taxi vehicles as  follows:
  • Vehicles 3 years and under only requiring one annual inspection;
  • Vehicles 3 years to 6 years would require 2 inspections per year; and
  • Vehicles 7 years and over require 3 inspections annually.
  • From the 1 January 2023, the Committee agreed to allow taxi licence holders the option of installing a fixed side-step on taxi vehicles. This was as an alternative to the electric retractable step. 
• These minimum requirements are detailed below: 
  • M1 vehicle type approval/ISO approved;
  • Can cover just the rear side door or the full sill length including front side doors;
  • Have hi-vis yellow marking along the front edge;
  • Have non-slip foot plate surface;
  • Have "profiled/angled" lead edge at front and rear;
  • Not protrude further than the existing vehicle manufacturer supplied door mirror; and
  • Minimum width of step footplate should be 6"/150mm.

What happens if my application is granted?

If there was an objection from Police Scotland in relation to your application, then the licence will be provided to you after a period of 28 days from the date the Licensing and Regulatory Committee decide to grant your licence.  For renewals, the Licensing Section will send you your new taxi licence and for grant applications, the Licensing Section will notify you to collect your licence and your taxi identification plates. 

Only the licence holder or someone named on the application form can uplift identification plates.  Proof of identification will be required when uplifting your taxi identification plates, licence etc.  The following forms of identification will be acceptable:-

• the licence holder's taxi driver's identification badge; or  
• the licence holder's passport; or
• two other formal means of identification showing the licence holder's name and home address i.e. driving licence, council tax demand notice or gas/electricity/telephone/credit card bill or statement.

Are there any conditions attached to my licence?

Your licence will be granted with conditions attached. The Licensing and Regulatory Committee may attach conditions to the licence as it sees fit, with each application being dealt with on its own merit. Style taxi licence conditions can be found here.

If my application is granted, will I have to present my vehicle for any further inspections?

Subject to 7(h) above, vehicles will currently require to undergo two inspections per year at six-monthly intervals - the Annual Inspection and the Intermediate Inspection.  You will receive letters or emails from the Licensing Section notifying you when these are due and detailing the procedure to be followed.

Vehicle inspections carried out by the test centre should not be regarded as a means of finding out what is required to make a vehicle roadworthy.  Licence holders should ensure that their vehicles are in a suitable, roadworthy condition at all times and that the vehicles and anything attached to the inside or the outside of the vehicle complies with the Licence Conditions detailed above before the vehicle is presented for testing.

If a vehicle does fail an inspection then the remedy will usually be to have any defects attended to as soon as possible before presenting the vehicle for a re-test.

In the event of any dispute with the Council's Taxi and Inspection Centre at 425 Polmadie Road the matter should be taken up with Inspection Centre Manager in the first instance.  If the matter is not resolved at that stage, the Inspection Centre Manager will be able to advise you of the complaints procedure to be followed.

What happens if my application is refused?

In the event of an application for grant or renewal of a licence being refused by the Licensing and Regulatory Committee, a written statement of reasons for the decision may be obtained on an email request for reasons being made to licensingenquiries@glasgow.gov.uk or in writing to the Licensing Section, Glasgow City Council, City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow within 28 days of the decision.  

If you intend to appeal against the Licensing Authority's decision, your appeal requires to be made to the Sheriff Court, Carlton Place, Glasgow.  If you wish guidance in making an appeal you should either contact your own Solicitor, if you have not already done so by that stage, or you may contact the Sheriff Clerk, Sheriff Court House, 1 Carlton Place, Glasgow, G5 9DA.

Where can I get further information?

If you are unclear about any of the above please do not hesitate to ask a member of the Licensing Section's staff for assistance or clarification on Phone 0141- 287 5354.