Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 for PHV

What it is

The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, sections 10 to 23, is the Scottish law governing taxi and private hire car licensing. It sets out the "fit and proper person" test, the licensing regime, fees, conditions and appeal routes to the sheriff court. It is the Scottish equivalent of the English 1976 Act plus Deregulation Act 2015 mix, but it works differently. Councils like Glasgow City Council, City of Edinburgh Council and Aberdeen City Council each run their own schemes, set their own fees and processes, and decide their own local policies within the 1982 framework. There is no Scottish equivalent of English cross-border hiring.

How it applies to gig workers

If you drive for Uber, Bolt or a local Scottish operator in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen, the 1982 Act is the law that actually licenses you. The process pattern looks similar to England: Disclosure Scotland check (equivalent to DBS), Group 2 style medical, local knowledge or topographical test, and mandatory training. Edinburgh requires a foundation level training course for new drivers covering the regulatory framework, local licence conditions, road safety and emergency response. From November 2023, existing Edinburgh drivers renewing must complete a 3-day intermediate course, with refresher training every three years. Aberdeen requires HMRC's online tax check before applications from 2 October 2023. Glasgow's published driver pages are thin; most detailed fee numbers sit in committee reports or require a phone call to the licensing team.

Cross-border is the critical difference from England. A Glasgow PHC badge does not let you drive Uber or private hire in Edinburgh or Aberdeen. A Wolverhampton or Birmingham PHV badge does not give you legal right to accept Scottish taxi or PHC jobs under the 1982 Act, because those jobs require a local Scottish licence. Uber and similar platforms have to match jobs to the licensing regime, so cross-border moves between Scottish cities, or from England to Scotland, are not an option. A driver licensed in Glasgow aiming at £42,000 turnover in the 2025-26 tax year cannot shortcut to Edinburgh work by keeping the Glasgow badge; they must go through Edinburgh's separate scheme with its own fees, tax check, training and committee sign-off.

Appeals under the 1982 Act go first through the council's own licensing committee and then to the sheriff court, usually within a 28-day time limit set in the Act or local policy. That is different from England, where PHV driver refusals and revocations go to the magistrates' court within 21 days. The practical reality in Scotland is that most driver-side 2025-26 fee numbers for Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen are not clearly published online. GigKiln marks those as "not published, FOI required" rather than inventing figures. Drivers who want to enter the Scottish trade should phone the licensing team, request a written fee schedule and a timescale estimate, and save both before applying.

What you should do about it

• Decide which Scottish city you will actually work in before you apply — there is no useful cross-border work under the 1982 Act.
• Phone Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen licensing and ask for the current driver fee schedule, test format and processing time in writing.
• For Edinburgh, book the foundation level training course early; it is mandatory for new applicants.
• For Aberdeen, complete the HMRC online tax check before applying; applications without it will be bounced.
• If the council refuses, suspends or revokes your licence, get union or legal advice within 28 days to appeal to the sheriff court.

Last reviewed

19 April 2026

Internal links this page emits:

• England's Deregulation Act 2015
• TfL SERU test
• Group 2 medical explained
• FOI template for Scottish councils
• topographical assessment

Primary source used:

• C:\Users\thest\Documents\GigKiln\Research\Gap\G8.1c-scotland-london.md