Surrey Heath taxi and private-hire licensing

This guide publishes only fields supported by the cited official sources. Anything unresolved is visibly withheld rather than inferred.

RESEARCHED AUTHORITY

Surrey Heath

Surrey Heath Borough Council · Sources checked 13 September 2026

Driver licensing
Official route/source found

The council adopted its2026–2031 policy effective1April2026. The driver renewal page requires ageover21, a full licence held at least12 months, DVLA access code and the relevant renewal tax-check code.

Vehicle licensing
Official route/source found

Published private-hire guidance requires first licensing underfive years, V5C, hire insurance, approved mechanical inspection and MOT where agedthree or more. Petrol/diesel vehicles overten are not renewed; wheelchair-accessible and zero-emission vehicles may continue subject to safety standards. Full2026 policy must be checked for exceptions.

Operator licensing
Official route/source found

Applicants need a Surrey Heath operating base with planning permission or lawful-use certificate, and public-liability cover if the public can enter it. The business name must not contain 'taxis' or 'cabs'. Submit photo ID, a Basic DBS issued within one month for each applicant, right-to-work evidence and driver/vehicle lists with the online application and payment. Keep accepted-booking, vehicle and driver records available to authorised officers. Normal licences last five years. Published fees are £865 for multiple vehicles or £425 for a sole operator over five years; annual options are £220 and £113 respectively.

Licensing fees
Official route/source found

Published private-hire fees: three-year driver£325; vehicle£287; vehicle transfer£232; plate-exemption certificate£157. This is a partial fee set, not a complete fee schedule.

Taxi tariff
Official evidence found; detail still to confirm

Current official HTML states effective 1 April 2022 and includes uncompleted parts. T1 Monday–Saturday 07:00–23:00: £3.60 first 1,210 yards/32 seconds, then 20p per 110 yards/32 seconds. Sunday T2 07:00–23:00: £3.80 first 880 yards/25.6 seconds, then 20p per 88 yards/25.6 seconds. T3 nights and public/bank holidays: £3.90 first 660 yards/32 seconds, then 30p per 110 yards/32 seconds. T4 doubles T1 during specified festive windows. Waiting repeats each band's time increment. First-mile examples are £4.60/£5.80/£6.90/£9.20. Extras: 20p additional passenger, 20p luggage beyond one outside compartment, prebooking £1, soiling exterior £20/interior £100; assistance dogs free. Christmas T4 runs 24 December 23:00–26 December 07:30. The New Year row incorrectly says 31 January to 1 January and remains unresolved; tariffs cannot change mid-hire.

Mandatory qualifications
Official route/source found

The approximately one-hour knowledge test covers highway/general law, borough places, safeguarding and conditions/policy. Booking costs£60; late arrival or cancellation with insufficient notice may require a new fee.

Withheld or still needing confirmation
  • Operator detailed requirements not extracted.
  • Some HTML still links2021–2026 policy; current adopted2026 policy takes priority.
  • Numeric fare is reviewed separately by calculator agent; NYE wording typo must remain excluded.
  • Preserve prior verified fields. The page also mentions possible Enhanced checks generally; the explicit application checklist calls for Basic DBS. Full ongoing conditions and fee effective date are not independently established.
  • New Year T4 calendar typo must not silently be corrected.
  • Initial distance/time combination interpretation needs meter-specific modelling.

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