RESEARCHED AUTHORITY
Exeter
Exeter City Council · Sources checked 13 September 2026
- Driver licensing
- Official route/source found
Recent council licensing decisions apply the fit-and-proper-person test to hackney-carriage and private-hire driver applicants, with public safety as the paramount concern and decisions made on the balance of probabilities.
- Vehicle licensing
- Official route/source found
New PH vehicles must be under four years; those aged three to four require a full inspection report and completed advisory/essential repairs. Annual renewal normally continues to eight, with a full report for eight-to-nine; the page says vehicles over nine cannot be plated. Provide MOT under three months with advisory-work evidence, V5 and insurance valid at commencement; plate collection includes officer inspection. PH fee is £345 from1April2026. New hackneys must be under three, Euro6 side-access WAV or qualifying electric/plug-in ULEV at most75g/km CO2, with red/black city wrap and in-cab CCTV. ULEV grants depend on the50%WAVfleet threshold and alternate allocation; applicants need an Exeter dual licence and twelve months recent main-occupation driving within five years. Hackney fee £445 from1April2026.
- Operator licensing
- Official route/source found
The council’s published operator policy requires a private-hire operator licence, an application on the prescribed form with the fee, a fit-and-proper-person decision, and an operating base within the Exeter City Council area. The policy describes the normal licence term as five years.
- Licensing fees
- Official route/source found
For 1 April 2026–31 March 2027, adopted through Council's 25 February budget resolution: HC vehicle £445, PH vehicle £345. HC/PH drivers £145 for one year or £330 for three. PH operator £180 for one year or £690 for five. Transfer £75, additional knowledge test £57 including VAT, replacement plate £40, missed appointment £57 including VAT. The licensing recommendation was expressly incorporated into the budget resolution; these are licensing charges, not metered passenger fares.
- Taxi tariff
- Official evidence found; detail still to confirm
The adopted decision sets commencement at 1 December 2025, after consultation without further tariff changes. The reviewed fare table starts daytime at £3.80 for the first 176 yards, then 30p per started 176 yards; night starts £4.60 with 38p increments; festive starts £5 with 45p increments. The night worked example prints £11.80 where literal pulses total £11.82, so night-rate arithmetic remains explicitly unresolved.
- Mandatory qualifications
- Official route/source found
Applicants must provide twelve months' UK driving entitlement, medical assessment, right-to-work evidence and a taxi driving-assessment pass. The current page names Blue Lamp Trust, Devon Driver Training Centre and Diamond as assessment options. Following submission the council arranges DBS, disability/safeguarding training, knowledge testing and a Taxi Plus licence check. Medicals may be obtained through the applicant's GP or D4Drivers with a GP medical summary. Enhanced DBS must be enrolled in its Update Service. Knowledge-test pass marks must be achieved in all categories in the same sitting. The page contains current April 2026 charges although its footer still displays a May 2018 update date.
Withheld or still needing confirmation
- Current application steps, vehicle standards, fees, final fare card and mandatory qualification evidence remain to be verified.
- Ordinary vehicle term and new-versus-renewal distinction are not supplied in this summary; check before applying.
- Night worked-example conflict: printed £11.80 versus literal £11.82.
- This summary does not enumerate all timing, waiting and extra-charge conditions; consult adopted card.
- PH page incorrectly labels insurance as hackney coverage; confirm appropriate PH cover rather than copy the category error. Individual age-exemption applications need separate council decision.
- Preserve previous verified fields.