Renew your taxi driver badge
If your current driver licence badge is due to expire, you must submit a renewal application within 10 working days of the expiration date of your licence. No reminder will be sent.
To renew your badge, you'll need:
- current DVLA photo card licence
- passport-sized photo (head & shoulders shot)
- driving licence details share your driving licence details (please ensure you supply your summary and not just the code)
- DBS check (a link will be sent to you about a month before your badge is due to expire from Know Your People). You must also now sign up to the DBS update service
- child sexual exploitation certificate (see below for how to book this if you haven't attended before)
- proof of right to work in the UK, such as a British passport, residence permit or visa - if you are not a British citizen, you must also supply a right to work check code. More information on this is available on GOV.UK - Prove your right to work to an employer
- HMRC taxi driver tax check code. For more information about why we need this, and how to obtain your code, please visit Complete a tax check for a taxi, private hire or scrap metal licence - GOV.UK
If you don't provide current and up-to-date documents for the above, your application will be rejected.
Renew your taxi drive badge online
Disclosure and Barring Service check
To renew your licence, you must agree to a criminal background check. This check will be carried out by our partner company, First Advantage. When you renew, First Advantage will send you a link to complete an online form via email. The email will come from Know Your People. It is important that all contact information provided to us is up to date and accurate to avoid unnecessary delays.
Under the Department for Transport’s Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Guidance, Licensing Authorities are required to ask Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers to carry out an enhanced DBS check every 6 months. To facilitate this, you must sign up to the DBS update service and store your DBS certificate safely in case we need to view it.
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) training
If you haven't already, you'll need to take the CSE training course with our training provider CYP First. You need to book the training and pay a fee.
Training availability
We currently run training approximately every 6 weeks. You must pay for your training as part of your renewal application. Failure to do so will delay, and may result in the refusal of your application. We will contact you to advise you of the dates that are available.
Paying for training
Select Licensing from the list and then CSE Training from the last list.
Your driving licence
You need to share your driving licence details with us.
Share your driving licence details
If you have 6 points or more on your licence, you will need to do a driving assessment. This assessment must be conducted through our Transport team. Once you have passed the assessment, let us know by email: taxilicensing@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
How to pay for your assessment
Pay online for your assessment
Select Licensing from the list and then driving assessment payments from the last list.
Once payment has been received, we'll contact you to arrange a date and time for your assessment.
Medical certificate
If you're over 45, you will need to have a medical check done by your GP every 5 years. If you're over 65, you need a medical check every year.
View or download medical certificate (PDF)
Conditions attached to Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver Badges
View or download conditions (PDF)
Questions we're often asked
My licence has expired. Can I still renew it?
Unless there is an exceptional reason why you couldn’t renew on time, we're unlikely to accept your application. If there are exceptional circumstances, we assess each case individually. You may be asked to provide evidence to support your case. Please email taxilicensing@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk with your reasons and evidence for renewing late (response time may vary). Your reasons will be sent to the Head of Public Protection for consideration.
Can I go to another medical practice to get my medical certificate signed?
As long as the examiner has full access to your medical records we would accept your certificate. Your medical practitioner will be required to sign your certificate confirming that they have had access to your medical records.
What if I have already taken a child sexual exploitation course with another council?
If you got a certificate from CYP First, we'll accept this. Unfortunately, we won't accept anything else.
I have a DBS certificate with another council; can I submit this as part of my renewal?
If you are signed up to the Disclosure Barring Service's update service and have registered an enhanced DBS certificate, which both:
- includes either "taxi driver" or "private hire driver" under occupation
- states "other workforce"
We may consider this.