Vehicle licensing
Current statutory ruleLicence required for vehicle operation
This is the vehicle licence and does not replace a driver licence or a booking-office licence.
- Taxi Licence Required: Yes
- Private Hire Car Licence Required: Yes
- Statutory Section: Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 section 10
Current statutory ruleStatutory grant and renewal test
Edinburgh specifications add local detail; this national rule alone does not establish that a particular vehicle will be accepted.
- Authority Must Be Satisfied Vehicle Suitable In Type Size And Design: Yes
- Authority Must Be Satisfied Vehicle Safe For Use: Yes
- Qualifying Insurance Or Security Must Be In Force: Yes
Current official sourceLocal operating characteristics and grant duration
This describes the vehicle route only; a driver still needs the separate appropriate driver licence.
- Grant Years: 1
- May Ply For Hire: Yes
- May Be Hailed In Street: Yes
- May Use Taxi Rank: Yes
- Identifiers: illuminated roof sign; yellow council plates at front and rear
Current official sourceLocal operating characteristics and grant duration
Pre-booking does not itself identify a booking office or prove access to any commercial dispatch system.
- Grant Years: 1
- Journeys Must Be Pre Booked: Yes
- May Ply For Hire: No
- May Be Hailed In Street: No
- May Use Taxi Rank: No
- Prohibited Display Words: taxi; cab; for hire
- Identifiers: Pre booked hire only front-door stickers; council plates at front and rear
Current official sourceVehicle application fees gbp
These are council application fees and durations only; they say nothing about the commercial cost of operating, renting or obtaining dispatched work.
- Effective From: 2026-04-01
- Valid Schedule: 2026/27
- Taxi Vehicle: New One Year: 853; Renew Existing Vehicle One Year: 463; Renew With Variation For New Vehicle One Year: 540
- Private Hire Car Vehicle: New One Year: 853; Renew Existing Vehicle One Year: 463; Renew With Variation For New Vehicle One Year: 540
Current official sourcePublished miscellaneous taxi phc fees gbp
The schedule publishes these under a common miscellaneous heading; this record does not assume every item applies to every application type.
- Brackets Per Application: 37
- Inspection Cancellation: 140
- Vehicle Retest: 72
- Six Month Additional Compliance Check: 72
- Change Of Manager Per Application: 140
- Change Of Vehicle Other Than At Annual Inspection: 223
- Duplicate Certificate Of Compliance: 0
- Duplicate Id Badge: 74
- Duplicate Licence: 74
Current official sourceApplicant types and day to day manager
The council pages describe the applicant as the vehicle owner; this structure does not establish a driver or dispatch affiliation.
- Applicant Types: individual; company; limited company; partnership
- Company Or Partnership Must Supply Existence Evidence: Yes
- Company Or Partnership Must Supply Director Or Partner Details: Yes
- Company Or Partnership Must Name Day To Day Manager: Yes
- Day To Day Manager Considered Joint Licence Holder: Yes
- Day To Day Manager Named On Licence Document: Yes
Current official sourceNew vehicle application submission and inspection evidence
The two-week statement concerns return of incomplete applications, not a determination target for a complete application.
- Submission Mode: electronic council submission form
- Minimum Acceptance Items: fully completed and signed application form; correct application fee
- Supporting Documents Required: Yes
- Inspection Documents In Applicant Name: Vehicle Registration Certificate V5C; vehicle insurance document
- Inspection Equipment: 1kg fire extinguisher
- Incomplete Application Return Target Weeks: 2
Current official sourceNew vehicle emissions and taxi accessibility
The wheelchair and side-loading statements are taxi-specific; they are not asserted here for every private hire car.
- New Taxi And Private Hire Euro Standard: Euro 6
- New Taxi Must Be Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- New Taxi Must Be Side Loading: Yes
Current official sourceInspection before grant and frequency
The current April 2026 guidance supplies the six-month rule for vehicles older than ten years.
- Council Inspection Additional To MOT: Yes
- Inspection Before Grant: Yes
- Inspection Location: Licensing Hub, 33 Murrayburn Road, Edinburgh EH14 2TF
- Standard Frequency: annual
- Older Than Years: 10
- Older Vehicle Frequency: every 6 months
Dated official source still linkedDated linked vehicle licence holder conditions
These are sourced to the latest full conditions document linked by the checked pages, amended in 2021; current April 2026 guidance independently supplies newer inspection detail.
- Maintain Valid Council Vehicle Licence: Yes
- Display Current Council Plates: Yes
- Registration And Insurance Held In Licence Holder Name: Yes
- Annual Council Inspection And Certificate Of Compliance: Yes
- Additional Inspection On Council Notice: Yes
Booking-office licensing
Current official sourceLicensing threshold
This separate premises licence does not license a vehicle, a driver, or access to a commercial radio or dispatch provider.
- Licensed Object: premises used to take public bookings for taxis or private hire cars
- Licence Required At Vehicle Count: 4
- No Licence Where Vehicle Count Never Exceeds: 3
- Booking Means: any means of communication
Current official sourceApplication identity management and premises fields
The application asks about a booking system but does not publish supplier onboarding, commercial availability, price or job volume.
- Applicant Types: individual; company; limited company; partnership
- Company Or Partnership Existence Evidence Required: Yes
- Director Or Partner Details Required: Yes
- Day To Day Manager Details Required Where Appointed: Yes
- Day To Day Manager Named On Licence Document: Yes
- Premises Fields: trading name; premises address; contact details; proposed operating hours; estimated taxi and private hire car count; booking-system type
- Layout Plan Required For New And Renewal: Yes
Current official sourceApplication submission notice processing and duration
The four-to-six-week figure is limited to the majority of applications with no representations or objections and is not a guarantee.
- Submission Mode: electronic council submission form
- Payment Methods: debit card; credit card
- Site Notice Display Days: 21
- Statutory Minimum Days Before Decision: 28
- Majority Unopposed Processing Estimate Weeks: Minimum: 4; Maximum: 6
- Sub Committee Cases Take Longer: Yes
- Grant Years: 1
- Renewal Must Be Made Before Expiry: Yes
Current official sourceTax conditionality
This precise conditional rule is corroborated by HMRC and the April 2026 council form and guidance; conflicting blanket wording on the council directory page is retained as a separate gap.
- Effective From: 2023-10-02
- Tax Check Required For: renewal; same licence type held with another licensing authority; same licence type expired less than one year before application
- Genuinely New Applicant Action: confirm tax registration or responsibilities; no tax check code where the same licence type has never been held or ceased at least one year earlier
- Tax Check Code Length Characters: 9
- Tax Check Code Validity Days: 120
- Applicant Must Complete Own Check: Yes
Current official sourceNational individual applicant right to licence rule
This is national licensing-authority guidance; the exact evidence route used locally by Edinburgh is not stated in the checked local pack.
- Applies To New Renewed Or Extended Applications: Yes
- Applies To Persons Subject To Immigration Control: Yes
- Separate Legal Entity Examples Outside Individual Check: limited company; limited liability partnership
- Time Limited Permission Caps Licence Duration: Yes
Current official sourceMandatory booking conditions
The current Edinburgh conditions PDF reproduces the mandatory requirements but does not identify a commercial booking-system supplier.
- Record Every Booking: Yes
- Record Vehicle Registration Number: Yes
- Record Driver Name At Hire: Yes
- Reasonable Steps For Licensed Vehicle: Yes
- Reasonable Steps For Appropriately Licensed Driver: Yes
Current official sourceBooking office application fees gbp
These are council application fees only; GOV.UK gives a general usual term of three years, while Edinburgh explicitly publishes a one-year local grant and fee.
- Effective From: 2026-04-01
- Valid Schedule: 2026/27
- New One Year: 1496
- Renewal One Year: 1046