Driver Licence
If you wish to work in Sunderland as either a hackney carriage driver or private hire driver (or both) you will need to obtain a licence from us.
All licences are granted in line with our Statement of Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing Policy 2023 (pdf), and new applicants should familiarise themselves with the requirements of this policy before taking the first steps to become licensed.
To try and reduce the length of time the application process will take, we suggest that you complete the DBS section of your application as soon as possible, as this can take on average 4-6wks for the search to be returned to you (but in some instances this may take considerably longer), and you will need to submit evidence of the DBS as part of your application.
To apply for a licence to drive either a private hire or a hackney carriage vehicle you must have held a full driving licence for one year, you must also:
If you do not have a licence and would like to apply for one, please follow our new driver application process.
If you are an existing driver and would like to renew your licence, please renew your application online, you will need the reference number that was sent in your renewal reminder letter.
In some instances, a decision to grant, renew, suspend or revoke a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire vehicle drivers' licence will be made by the Licensing and Regulatory Committee. The committee will use the Statement of Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing Policy 2023 (pdf) to assist them.
If you already have a hackney carriage or private hire drivers licence you can report:
Licensed Drivers are required to notify the council in writing within 48 hours of the following matters:-
- their arrest and release, with the council being advised as to : the reason for their arrest, the name of the arresting Police force; the date of their arrest; the date of their release and whether they have been released under investigation;
- the date they were charged and/or convicted of a criminal offence, including details of the criminal charge, the date of their first court hearing, (if any), the date of their sentencing and details of the sentence imposed, as appropriate. For the avoidance of any doubt, if a Licensed Driver is convicted of a criminal offence and then pursues an appeal against conviction, or sentence, the notification provisions still apply;
- the date that they have accepted a caution and confirmation of what criminal offence the caution related to; and
- the acceptance of a Fixed Penalty Notice, which may, or may not, result in penalty points being placed on their DVLA licence.
These self-reporting requirements apply seven days a week, ie. the 48-hour period includes weekends, bank holidays and public holidays. In order to report a matter the following link must be used:
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