Can you get a taxi or private hire licence with a criminal record?
By the ELS editorial team. Checked against official sources on . How we check our guides
Often yes, but it depends on the offence and how much time has passed. The Department for Transport recommends minimum periods that councils should treat as a starting point. Some convictions, such as sexual offences or crimes involving exploitation, mean a licence will not be granted. For others the clock usually starts when any sentence ends. Each council must still look at every case on its merits.
Key takeaways
- Councils decide whether you are 'fit and proper' on the balance of probabilities. Statutory guidance says that if the decision-maker is only 50/50, you should not get a licence.
- Most waiting periods run from the end of any sentence. They are 10 years for violence or drug supply, 7 years for dishonesty, weapons, discrimination or drink and drug driving, and 5 years for drug possession or using a hand-held phone while driving.
- Convictions for crimes resulting in death, exploitation or sexual offences mean a licence will not be granted.
- Councils publish their own convictions policy, which can be stricter. Read your council's policy before you apply.
How councils decide
The council must be satisfied that you are a fit and proper person to hold a licence. The Department for Transport's statutory standards say this decision is made on the balance of probabilities. You should not be given the benefit of the doubt. If the decision-maker is only 50/50, you should not hold a licence. Conduct that did not lead to a conviction can also be taken into account.
The standards ask councils to have a clear policy on criminal records and recommend minimum periods for different offences. These are a starting point, not an automatic rule. Applicants are entitled to fair and impartial consideration, and each case must be considered on its merits.
Sources: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, section 51 (Licensing of drivers of private hire vehicles) (opens in a new tab) (legislation.gov.uk, Section 51(1)(a))[1]; Statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards (opens in a new tab) (Department for Transport, 5.4 Fit and proper test; 5.5 Criminal convictions and rehabilitation)[2]
Recommended minimum periods
The table summarises the Department for Transport's recommendations. Where a period applies, the standards say a licence will not be granted until at least that time has passed since any sentence was completed.
Source: Statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards (opens in a new tab) (Department for Transport, 10. Annex – assessment of previous convictions)[2]
| Offence type | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Crime resulting in death | Not licensed. Also applies to crimes intended to cause death or serious injury |
| Exploitation | Not licensed. Includes slavery, child sexual abuse, grooming, and psychological, emotional or financial abuse |
| Sexual offences | Not licensed. Also no licence while on the sex offenders register or a barred list |
| Violence against the person | At least 10 years after the sentence is completed |
| Supply of drugs, or possession with intent to supply | At least 10 years after the sentence is completed |
| Possession of a weapon | At least 7 years after the sentence is completed |
| Dishonesty | At least 7 years after the sentence is completed |
| Discrimination | At least 7 years after the sentence is completed |
| Drink driving or driving under the influence of drugs | At least 7 years after any sentence or driving ban is completed |
| Possession of drugs | At least 5 years after the sentence is completed |
| Using a hand-held phone or device while driving | At least 5 years after the conviction or the end of any sentence or ban, whichever is later |
Motoring offences
The standards accept that offences can be committed unintentionally, and say a single minor traffic offence would not stop a licence being granted. Multiple motoring convictions may suggest you are not a safe road user suitable to drive professionally.
If you are already licensed, any motoring conviction may suggest you are not taking your professional responsibilities seriously. Even so, a single minor offence may not mean losing your licence.
Source: Statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards (opens in a new tab) (Department for Transport, 10.9 Motoring convictions)[2]
Licensing offences count too
Councils also take a serious view of breaking taxi and private hire law itself. Wolverhampton's guidelines say a first plying for hire offence will normally lead to revocation or refusal to renew. No new licence is normally granted for 7 years, or 12 years for repeat offences. Our guide to plying for hire explains what counts.
Section 61 of the 1976 Act lets a council suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a licence for any reasonable cause. The Act names some examples: since the licence was granted, the driver has been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty, indecency or violence, has broken the taxi and private hire legislation, or has been convicted of an immigration offence or required to pay an immigration penalty.
Sources: Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Policy (12.06.2026), including licence conditions, Guidelines on Fitness and Propriety, fees and Taxi CCTV Policy (opens in a new tab) (City of Wolverhampton Council, Guidelines on Fitness and Propriety, 5.1.17)[3]; Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, section 61 (Suspension and revocation of drivers' licences) (opens in a new tab) (legislation.gov.uk, Section 61(1))[4]
Be honest on your application
Section 57 of the 1976 Act makes it an offence to knowingly or recklessly give the council false information, or leave out relevant information, when it asks you for details. The statutory standards add a warning about arrests. If you do not report one and the council finds out later, this may be seen as dishonest. That can count against you whatever happened with the original allegation.
If you have convictions from abroad, the standards suggest getting independent expert or legal advice so that the information you give is truthful and accurate.
Sources: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, section 57 (Power to require applicants to submit information) (opens in a new tab) (legislation.gov.uk, Section 57(3))[5]; Statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards (opens in a new tab) (Department for Transport, 4.4 Licensee self-reporting; 4.10 Overseas convictions)[2]
Common questions
Do spent convictions count for a taxi licence?
They can. An enhanced DBS certificate, which councils require, can include spent as well as unspent convictions, under the rules set out in law. See our guide to DBS checks for drivers.[2]
When does the waiting period start?
For most offences in the government's recommendations, the period runs from the end of any sentence imposed. For drink or drug driving it runs from the end of any sentence or driving ban. For hand-held phone use it runs from the conviction or the end of any sentence or ban, whichever is later.[2]
Can I appeal if my licence is refused or revoked?
Section 61 gives a driver aggrieved by a suspension, revocation or refusal to renew under that section the right to appeal to a magistrates' court.[4]
Practise for your council's test
Free practice tests written from each council's own rules. No sign-up needed.
Related guides
- DBS checks for taxi and private hire drivers: what you need and why
Which DBS check a taxi or private hire licence needs, what an enhanced check with barred lists shows, and how the DBS Update Service and 6-monthly checks work.
- How to get a private hire driver licence in England: the steps and checks
The legal requirements, background checks, medical, training and council test you need for a private hire driver licence in England, with official sources.
- Private hire driver tests compared: formats, pass marks and how to prepare
Compare private hire driver tests in Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Sefton, Leeds and Bradford: question counts, pass marks, fees and a practical study plan.
- The Group 2 medical for taxi and private hire drivers
Why councils use the DVLA Group 2 medical standard for taxi and private hire drivers, how often you need a medical, and what happens if you no longer meet it.
Official sources
Checked on . Rules can change, so confirm with the council before you book.
- [1]Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, section 51 (Licensing of drivers of private hire vehicles). legislation.gov.uk. Used for: Section 51(1)(a).
- [2]Statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards. Department for Transport. Published 21 July 2020, last updated 25 November 2022. Used for: 5.4 Fit and proper test; 5.5 Criminal convictions and rehabilitation; 10. Annex – assessment of previous convictions; 10.9 Motoring convictions; 4.4 Licensee self-reporting; 4.10 Overseas convictions; 4.1 The Disclosure and Barring Service.
- [3]Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Policy (12.06.2026), including licence conditions, Guidelines on Fitness and Propriety, fees and Taxi CCTV Policy. City of Wolverhampton Council. Policy file dated 12 June 2026; pages state approval by the Regulatory Committee on 1 October 2025; CCTV policy revised 3 June 2026. Used for: Guidelines on Fitness and Propriety, 5.1.17.
- [4]Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, section 61 (Suspension and revocation of drivers' licences). legislation.gov.uk. Used for: Section 61(1); Section 61(3).
- [5]Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, section 57 (Power to require applicants to submit information). legislation.gov.uk. Used for: Section 57(3).