PHV licensing by council: the UK guide
Private hire licensing is a council-by-council postcode lottery in the UK. London uses TfL with SERU, topographical and Group 2 medical. Outside London, every licensing authority sets its own fees, medical standards, English tests and DBS frequency. Wolverhampton, Sefton and Rossendale have become national licensing hubs because their rules and fees beat their neighbours' — the Deregulation Act 2015 made that possible. This hub lists every licensing council we have a guide for, grouped by region, with the fee range, medical standard and English-test requirement on each council page.
North West
Liverpool City Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
Manchester City Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
North East
Newcastle City Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
Yorkshire
Leeds City Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
Sheffield City Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
West Midlands
Birmingham City Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
City of Wolverhampton Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
East Midlands
Nottingham City Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
South West
Bristol City Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
Scotland
Aberdeen City Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
City of Edinburgh Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
Glasgow City Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.
Wales
Cardiff Council private hire licensing 2025-26: fees, tests, medicals, DBS, cross-border rules and appeals. Full plain-English council reference.