Apply for a taxi vehicle licence

Vehicle licence criteria

In order to apply for a licence the vehicle must meet the following criteria:

1. All new vehicles or vehicles new to licensing must as a minimum meet the Euro 6 standards for emissions at time of licensing - as of 1 January 2018 all taxis presented for licensing for the first time must be zero emissions capable
2. Vehicles already licensed by us must be less than 12 years old at time of licensing
3. The vehicle must meet the design standards set out in our conditions of fitness document. Please read "Taxi - conditions of fitness", which can be found on our Legislation and policy page
4. All taxis must have a taxi meter. For further details please see our document "Taximeter specification" on our Legislation and policy page
5. All taxis must have the facility to accept card and contactless payments via an approved fixed card payment device installed in the passenger compartment, which must be capable of producing a printed receipt on demand

Booking your taxi vehicle inspection

You must make a booking to have your vehicle inspected. The method through which you book your vehicle inspection will depend on the licensing and ownership status of your vehicle.

New to licensing:

• If you are the owner or registered keeper of a ZEC taxi that has never been licensed in London and wish to make a booking online, you will either need to create an online account or use your existing account if you already have one.
• You can also book your inspection by calling 0343 222 5555 (call charges may apply)
• During the booking process, you will need to provide information about your vehicle. Please ensure you have your V5/log book readily available for this.

Renewals:

• You can book your inspection by calling 0343 222 5555 (call charges may apply) or if you are the owner or registered keeper of a single vehicle you can book your inspection slot through your online account
• If you have applied or renewed your Taxi driver licence online, you will have an online account already set up. Please log in to your account and your vehicle licence will already be listed under the vehicle or licences section. You do not need to create another account
• If you cannot see your vehicle licence through your online account please call 0343 222 5555
• If you do not already have an existing online account you can create one by going to our account page. You will be required to provide unique information regarding your vehicle licence which can be found on your renewal letter or obtained by calling 0343 222 5555

Please note applicants will only ever be asked to pay the cost of an application/licence, please see table below for fees. We do not offer a fast-track service and will never charge more than the advertised costs.

If you have been approached by a third-party offering a fast-track service at an additional cost, this is fraudulent and you can report it to us at tphreport@tfl.gov.uk.

Retests and Refunds

• If you would like to book a retest (within 28 days of the first inspection) you can do so by calling 0343 222 5555 or using your online account
• If you would like to request a partial refund you need to call 0343 222 5555

Documents required at your inspection:

You will need the following original documents as they need to be presented when you take your vehicle in for inspection:

1. Vehicle Registration Certificate (V5), or if recently purchased, a bill of sale and V5C/2 is required
2. Certificate of insurance (must be displayed in the vehicle)
3. The existing taxi licence including plates (if applicable)
4. Emission equipment - fitment sign off declaration where applicable
5. Vehicle Excise Licence (road tax)
6. Certificate of Taximeter Installation issued within 30 days of licensing inspection
7. Any relevant document relating to the vehicle as appropriate, including any modification certificate and information relating to chassis/body replacement if applicable
8. An MOT certificate issued within the last 14 days

Aftermarket vehicle modifications

There is an approvals process in place that must be followed for any aftermarket modification carried out to a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle. Therefore, prior approval is required from the vehicle policy manager before modifications are carried out. This is to ensure the modification is legal, safe and/or appropriate, avoiding any unnecessary expenditure and possible delays in the vehicle licensing process.

In general terms, all vehicles licensed should remain as per manufacturer specification, however, we will consider modifications where they are deemed necessary, such as disability and driver/passenger safety.

Window tint

The licensing criteria in relation to aftermarket tinting of the glazing for taxi and private hire vehicles is:

Taxi = 75% of light must be transmitted through the glazing (i.e. maximum total tint value for all glazing = 25% tint value.)

PHV = 75% of light must be transmitted through the front windscreen (i.e. maximum total tint value = 25% front windscreen); 70% of light must be transmitted through the front side windows (i.e.; maximum total tint value for front side windows = 30% tint value.)

The tint value for taxis is laid out in paragraph 18.3 of the Conditions of Fitness (CoF) and states the maximum value of tint permitted to be applied to the glazing on a licenced London taxi is 25%.

The manufacturer's tint value should be taken into account if additional tint is being considered, as the overall tint value should not exceed the total tint value permitted.

The tint applied should also allow clear view into the driver compartment at all times, therefore, the use of "chameleon" tint type products is not permitted.

Exemptions

To comply with air quality standards, all taxis must be within a certain age limit to be licensed. Since 1 November 2019 all taxi age limit exemptions have been removed except for the disabled driver adaptation exemption. TfL will retain the general discretion to grant exemptions in exceptional circumstances, where we consider it reasonable to do so. This includes personal circumstances. All applications for an exemption will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Find out more about the disabled driver adaptation exemption here:

Age limit exemption forms

Additional information 

Taxi and private hire vehicle policy

Policies, advice and guidance on licensing taxi and private hire vehicles in London.