RESEARCHED AUTHORITY
Chelmsford
Chelmsford Council · Sources checked 13 September 2026
- Driver licensing
- Official route/source found
Dual driver applicants must be at least21, have two years UK/European driving entitlement including one UK year, and no more than six current points. Enhanced DBS Update, medical and right-to-work evidence apply. Licences last three years.
- Vehicle licensing
- Official route/source found
Private-hire first licensing normally requires under four years, replacement under six and renewal no older than twelve, subject to exemptions. Euro6 and mechanical inspection are required; inspections recur six-monthly and MOT annually after age three. Supply ownership evidence, insurance, inspection and proprietor documentation, plus basic DBS per owner unless covered by the licensed-driver Update Service exception. Licence duration is one year.
- Operator licensing
- Official route/source found
Five-year operators need a manned Chelmsford base, public liability insurance and written booking records. Basic DBS is required per director/partner subject to the licensed-driver Update Service exception; the page also sets annual checks for non-driver holders and company directors/partners. Booking/dispatch staff require basic DBS and an ex-offender policy.
- Licensing fees
- Official route/source found
The application fee is £237 on the page updated20August2026. Training and other external charges are additional.
- Taxi tariff
- Official evidence found; detail still to confirm
Official page updated 6 August 2026 contains conflicting distance figures, so exact estimates are withheld. It lists weekday/Saturday daytime flag £4 for 625 yards, nights/bank holidays £5 for 700 yards, Sunday daytime £5 for 410 yards and festive £6.20 for 495 yards. Daytime then says 20p per 71 yards but also £2.55 per mile, which do not agree. Waiting bands list 20p per 17.5/14.1/11.6 seconds and festive 40p per 19.8 seconds. Additional passenger 30p; listed luggage items 20p; soiling maximum £65.
- Mandatory qualifications
- Official route/source found
Complete initial training and geographical test, or eligible refresher training. Medicals repeat every three years or annually over65; the examiner needs medical history if not the GP.
Withheld or still needing confirmation
- Full vehicle/operator rules and fare card not extracted.
- Enrichment only; preserve prior confirmed summaries and fees. Full policy exceptions must be checked before purchasing a vehicle.
- Source distance pulses and printed per-mile equivalents conflict; do not choose one silently.
- Five-plus passenger tariffs and festive precedence require reconciliation before automated calculation.
- Last-updated date is not a legal commencement date.