RESEARCHED AUTHORITY
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
BCP Council · Sources checked 13 September 2026
- Driver licensing
- Official route/source found
The council's current March 2026 guide sets a four-stage online process. Applicants must be at least 21; speak English; prove right to work; have held UK Group B entitlement for more than 12 months at the current address; hold the approved classroom-based Level 2 professional taxi/private-hire certificate; and obtain an enhanced Taxi Driver – Other Workforce DBS registered on the Update Service. Stage 1 requires passport, immigration share code where applicable, driving licence and DVLA check code, recent address evidence, DBS, Level 2 certificate and photograph. Stage 2 is the BCP knowledge test, with up to four attempts within 12 months. Stage 3 requires post-application safeguarding training from a listed provider, a registered-practice DVLA Group 2 medical and an approved practical driver-competency assessment. After all stages and final payment, the driver licence is issued for three years. Applications unfinished after 12 months close and cannot be restarted for another 12 months.
- Vehicle licensing
- Official route/source found
Renewal requires MOT, Southcote Road/Hatchpond mechanical inspection certificate, all V5 pages, hire-and-reward insurance and basic DBS for non-driver proprietors. Insurance must remain valid at least two weeks after renewal; expiring insurance/MOT/mechanical certificates within that fortnight must be replaced before issue. Wheelchair vehicles also require applicable LOLER certification and named-driver loading/securing/unloading training evidence.
- Operator licensing
- Official route/source found
Operators need a base within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and a five-year licence. Apply by email with the application, driver and vehicle details, basic DBS evidence where required, three identification documents for each director or individual, right-to-work evidence, public liability cover for publicly accessible premises and application fee. Existing BCP-licensed drivers may not need another DBS. The issue fee follows approval. Private hire vehicles and drivers dispatched directly must be BCP licensed.
- Licensing fees
- Official evidence found; detail still to confirm
The live council fee page lists the current driver, vehicle and operator charges, including £200 for a new-driver application with first knowledge test, £380 for a three-year driver issue/reissue, £200 for a one-year private-hire vehicle licence and £160 for a new-operator application.
- Taxi tariff
- Official evidence found; detail still to confirm
The council publishes six maximum hackney tariff bands. Tariff 1 is 06:00–22:00 for up to four passengers, with £4 initial charge, £6.66 first-mile figure, £2.86 per later mile and waiting at 20p per 38 seconds; use the council page for all higher bands and extras.
- Mandatory qualifications
- Official evidence found; detail still to confirm
Before applying, a driver must hold the council-specified Level 2 certificate “Introduction to the role of professional private hire and taxi driver” from one of the listed providers; the live route also requires the BCP knowledge test.
Withheld or still needing confirmation
- Detailed vehicle eligibility and inspection conditions are not reproduced here; use the current council vehicle route.
- This driver-field confirmation covers the current new-applicant process; qualification refresher and renewal requirements remain separately classified.
- Enrichment only; new-vehicle eligibility and complete operator conditions remain gaps.
- Preserve prior verified fields. The page refers to DBS Update Service evidence alongside basic checks; applicants should confirm applicable evidence rather than assume basic DBS certificates can join that service. Complete operating conditions remain subject to policy review.