Requirements in order to obtain a taxi licence in London

Author: Transport for London

Basic requirements to apply for a taxi licence in the London, United Kingdom.

Each applicant for a taxi licence in London is required to satisfy five basic requirements.

You have to be old enough.

To be of good character.

To be fit, both physically and mental.

To have a thorough knowledge of London.

To be able to drive a taxi competently and safely.

AGE LIMIT!

By law you cannot hold  a London taxi cab driver’s licence until you are 21 years of age. There is no upper age limit at this time and, provided you meet the criteria that follow, you may be issued with a taxi cab driver’s licence.

CHARACTER!

Every taxi driver applicant is the subject of a criminal record check before being issued with a cab driver’s licence. If you have had any convictions you are advised to disclose all of them on your application form. A conviction does not necessarily preclude you from holding a licence - it depends what the conviction was for and the sentence imposed - but you must disclose all convictions and any charges/summonses outstanding against you. Failure to disclose current convictions is likely to result in the refusal of your application.

FITNESS!

Every taxi driver applicant is required to have a medical report form, issued by the Public Carriage Office, completed by the doctor who has held their medical records for the previous 12 months.

The medical report covers 7 major areas, these are:

Cardiovascular i.e. heart

Endocrine system i.e. diabetes

Epilepsy

Nervous system (including progressive illnesses)

Psychiatric illness

Vision

Musculoskeletal i.e. body

The following medical conditions may prevent you from holding a taxi cab driver’s licence.

Epilepsy.

Insulin dependent diabetes.

Monocular vision or poor vision either with our without glassess.

A progressive illness.

History of alcohol or drug abuse.

Physical disability which might impair the ability to drive a taxi safely or assist disabled/wheelchair passengers.

Heart problems (e.g. heart attack, heart surgery)

Neurological or neurosurgical disorders (e.g. strokes, blackouts, head injuries)

Certain prescribed medications.  Back To Top

THE KNOWLEDGE

You must have a thorough knowledge of London, including the location of streets, squares, clubs, hospitals, hotels, theatres, government and public buildings, railway stations, police stations, courts, diplomatic buildings, important places of worship, cemeteries, crematoria, parks and open spaces, sports and leisure centres, places of learning, restaurants and historic buildings; in fact everything you need to know to be able to take passengers to their destinations by the most direct routes.

You may be taxi licensed either for the whole of London or for one or more of the 16 suburban sectorsThe "All London" licence requires you to have a detailed knowledge of the 25,000 streets within a six mile radius of Charing Cross with a more general knowledge of the major arterial routes throughout the rest of London. If you wish to work as a taxi driver in central London or at Heathrow Airport you need an "All London" licence.

Alternatively, you may choose to study for a suburban taxi licence. Outside the six mile radius London is divided into sixteen sectors. You can select one of these and will be required to have a detailed knowledge of your chosen sector along with a more general knowledge of Central London. You may add additional sectors once licensed.

Assessment is by means of an initial written test which determines whether you have reached the required standard to commence "appearances." These are a series of one to one oral examinations conducted by a qualified Knowledge of London Examiner. The examiner grades each applicant according to his or her performance. The higher the grade on each appearance, the quicker the applicant can expect to receive a licence. Some applicants pass the Knowledge with as few as 10 or 12 appearances while others take longer.