Private hire vehicle licences

There's currently disruption to our licensing services due to COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Please note, for licensed vehicles the six-month extension of the MOT test for cars, motorcycles and light vans does not apply.

Find out about disruptions to taxi licensing and vehicle licences.



You will need a licence for a vehicle to be used for private hire. We provide licences when we are satisfied that vehicles are safe and suitable for this purpose, as set out in national legislation and criteria that you can read more about on the government website.

How to apply

You'll need to arrange a vehicle test at one of our approved MOT testing facilities.

When your vehicle has been tested and passed you should bring the:

  • MOT certificate
  • a valid certificate of insurance
  • the vehicle V5 logbook

to The Licensing Duty Office in West Gate Plaza, 1 West St, Barnsley S70 2DR.

Our opening hours are 1pm to 5pm, Monday to Thursday and 1pm to 4.30pm on Friday and you'll need to make an appointment if you want to speak to an officer.

Charges

The price of the vehicle licence is £164.  

The vehicle test fee is not included in this, charges may vary and are set at the discretion of the test centres.

If you change your vehicle

We can't give you a refund on your licence if you change your vehicle and you can't transfer your private hire plate to another vehicle.

Daily check sheets

The Driver shall ensure that the licensed vehicle has a daily safety check. As a minimum this must be a visual check on all lights, oil, water, tyres, mirrors and seat belts. A written record must be made of each safety check, details of faults recorded and remedial action taken. The record must be signed by the person undertaking the safety checks and kept on the vehicle for a minimum of 30 days and then for a further six months by the licence holder.

On being so required by an authorised officer, the driver of the vehicle shall produce, to that officer, the recorded daily checks kept on the vehicle and the licence holder, on request by that officer, shall produce those recorded checks in his possession and/or kept in the vehicle.

Daily check books are available from the Licensing Section for a fee.

Alternatively you can download and print your own daily check sheet.

Vehicle Licence Conditions

The licence conditions for Private Hire and Hackney carriage vehicles can be viewed below.