Updated taxi licensing guidance for authorities aims to raise standards across the industry
The Institute of Licensing (IoL) has released new guidance for licensing authorities to help assess the suitability of applicants and licence holders in the taxi and private hire sectors.
The updated document replaces the 2018 guidance, which had been widely adopted by local authorities and incorporated into the Department for Transport’s (DfT) statutory standards published in 2020.
The guidance serves as a resource for authorities developing or revising their licensing policies, offering a framework to determine whether individuals are fit to hold taxi and private hire licences. Many councils have already aligned their policies with the guidance, which has also been cited in legal cases as both a standalone reference and as part of local policy.
Following an initial consultation in 2022, the IoL’s Suitability Working Group conducted a comprehensive review, focusing on key issues such as violence, traffic offences, and risky behaviours. The group’s work was supported by criminology expert Professor James Treadwell, who contributed to the rewriting of Chapter 2, now titled Offenders, Offending, Re-offending and Risk of Harm.
The updated guidance reflects feedback from a second consultation, which closed in September 2024, and was officially launched at the IoL National Training Conference in November.
