Renfrewshire Council

If you want to operate a taxi in Renfrewshire, you must have a licence.

A taxi can be both pre-booked or hailed in the street.

How to apply for a taxi licence

We now accept taxi licence applications online, including the use of electronic signatures.

You can apply, upload and sign for your supporting documents and pay for the licence online.

Apply online for a taxi licence

You can see the Council's policy on electronic licensing applications in Appendix 1 of the report to  the Regulatory Functions Board meeting on 15 September 2022.

What documents you need

You'll need to provide these documents with your application:

• a bill of sale (if an application to change your vehicle has been made in the last six weeks or if the application is for a new grant) or a vehicle registration document. Either of these must be in the name of the licenceholder. If there is a leasing agreement in place, the lessee's name should appear
• a vehicle inspection pass certificate from the Council's inspection centre at Underwood Road, Paisley. Guidance on taxi vehicle inspections can be found under related documents
• an MOT certificate, if the vehicle is more than 12 months old
• a comprehensive insurance certificate and schedule showing public hire use (for renewal applications). This must be in the name of the licenceholder. If there is a leasing agreement in place, the lessee
• a leasing agreement (if applicable)
• evidence of entitlement to work in the UK
• a check on previous convictions for applicants seeking a new licence, who were born or have been resident outside the UK for six months or more.

See the taxi licence guidance notes [382KB]  for information about

• vehicle inspection
• documentation
• applications
• prior refusal of a licence application
• appeals, conditions, duration and issue of licence.

How much it costs

See the civic application fees page for taxi licence and driver fees.

What the criteria are

Renfrewshire Council has various policies for vehicles. The Civic Enforcement Officer can provide more details.

The main policies affecting you when making an application are:

• type of vehicle used must be on our approved vehicle list;
• must be coloured white;
• must be less than eight-years-old from the date of first registration; and
• must be subject to six monthly inspections from the time they are five-years-old from date of first registration.

How long your application will take

All applications made under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 must be considered within three months. A decision must be made within nine months.

Who is consulted about your application

A copy of your application will be sent to Police Scotland. They will carry out their own investigations and report back to the licensing section.

If there's an objection or representation to your application

If an objection or representation is received the application must be considered at a Regulatory Functions Board meeting. You will be formally invited to attend. A copy of the letter will be sent to you with the citation.

What conditions are attached to your licence

A copy of the conditions will be sent to you once your taxi licence has been granted.

You are required to have a full understanding of these conditions. These conditions form part of your licence and must be kept.

How long the licence lasts for

Applications for the grant of a licence generally last for a year. Applications to renew an existing licence are normally granted for a two-year period.