Bedford taxi and private-hire licensing

RESEARCHED AUTHORITY

Bedford

Bedford Council · Sources checked 13 September 2026

Driver licensing

Official route/source found

New applicants need a combined licence and twelve months DVLA driving experience. Standard renewal three years, submitted at least six weeks before expiry. D4 medical at entry, five-yearly from45 and annually from65.

• Combined driver application

Vehicle licensing

Official route/source found

Private-hire vehicles normally display prescribed roof/door signs and rear plate; exemption requests assessed individually. Online grant/renewal followed by arranged vehicle test.

• Vehicle licensing

Operator licensing

Official route/source found

Individual/company application forms required with supporting evidence. Renewals include booking records. Original right-to-work and DBS evidence must be verified before processing.

• Operator licensing

Licensing fees

Official route/source found

April2026: three-year driver new£419/renew£382; vehicle up-to-twelve-month£298; five-year operator new£2,853/renew£2,247.10. Driver suitability test£48.60.

• April 2026 fees

Taxi tariff

Official evidence found; detail still to confirm

Tariff content checked 23 October 2026. The currently linked fare-card PDF has a render/text discrepancy: two independent page renders leave the initial included-distance space blank, while the text layer contains a quarter mile. The readable £3.60 flag, subsequent 10p per 97.7 yards, later distance stage, waiting and supplements do not resolve that initial allowance. A design imprint is not a legal commencement date. No calculator model is enabled pending a clear operative card.

• Council fare evidence
• Additional council evidence
• Additional council evidence

Mandatory qualifications

Official route/source found

Driving assessment, safeguarding, disability awareness, wheelchair assessment and driver suitability/local-knowledge assessment required.

• Combined driver application