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London private hire (PHV) driver licence: step by step
Want to drive a private hire car in London? You need a licence from TfL. This guide shows each step in simple English, with the cost and the documents for each one.
Quick facts
- You must be 21 or older, with a full driving licence held for at least 3 years
- You must pass 3 assessments: English speaking and listening, SERU, and topographical skills (some people are exempt from the last one)
- Fixed TfL costs add up to about £534.42 if you pass every assessment first time. The medical costs extra
- There is no fast-track. TfL says anyone selling one is acting fraudulently
- TfL gives no fixed time for a decision
The 13 steps
TfL does not set one fixed order on its page. This is a sensible order. Start slow things early: the DBS check, the medical, and any certificate from another country.
Step 1. Check you can apply
- You must be at least 21. There is no top age limit.
- Your full driving licence must be at least 3 years old. It can be a UK, Northern Ireland or EEA licence.
- You must have the right to live and work in the UK.
- You will need to work for a licensed private hire operator.
Documents: Driving licence (card and number); Proof of your right to work in the UK.
Cost: Free Time: Same day. Just checking.
Common mistakes: Counting the date you passed your test, not the date on your full licence. Starting to pay for tests before you know you meet the age and licence rules.
Step 2. Get your ID and photo ready
- All your given names must appear on the licence. Your documents should show the same spelling and the same order of names.
- Take a photo that follows TfL's photo guidance.
Documents: Identity documents with matching names; Photo that meets TfL guidance.
Cost: Free if you take the photo yourself. Photo booths and shops charge their own price. Time: About an hour to gather. TfL gives no time.
Common mistakes: Leaving out a middle name on one document. A photo that does not follow the guidance.
Step 3. Do the online Safeguarding Awareness course
- TfL expects you to finish this online course before you sit the SERU assessment.
- It is about protecting children and vulnerable adults.
Documents: Your course completion record (keep it).
Cost: TfL lists no fee for the course. Time: TfL gives no time. Plan an evening.
Common mistakes: Booking SERU before doing the course.
Step 4. Apply for the Enhanced DBS check
- This is a criminal record check. You apply through TfL's authorised provider, not directly.
- The fee includes ID verification.
- Keep your DBS certificate number. You need it for the next step.
Documents: Identity documents; Your DBS certificate number when it arrives.
Cost: £56.42, including ID verification. Post Office Check and Send is £7.15 extra if you use it. Time: TfL gives no time. Do this early.
Common mistakes: Using a different name than on your ID. Using a cheaper site that is not TfL's authorised provider. Losing the certificate number.
Step 5. Join the DBS Update Service
- TfL says it cannot give you a licence unless you have joined. You must stay subscribed while you are licensed.
- GOV.UK says you must join within 30 days of the certificate being issued.
- You pay each year by debit or credit card.
Documents: DBS certificate number; Debit or credit card.
Cost: £15 per year Time: Join within 30 days of the certificate date. Joining takes a few minutes.
Common mistakes: Waiting more than 30 days. Letting the yearly payment lapse after you get your licence.
Step 6. Book your medical (DVLA Group 2 standard)
- You must meet the DVLA Group 2 medical standard.
- This is usually an exam by a doctor who can see your full medical records. The doctor completes TfL form TPH/204.
- Some people do not need a new form. For example, if you hold a full or provisional DVLA Group 2 licence. Read TfL's page for the exact rules, including the age 45 rules.
Documents: Form TPH/204; Glasses or lenses you use; A list of your medicines.
Cost: The doctor sets the price. It is not a TfL fee. Ask before you book. Time: Depends on your doctor's appointments. TfL gives no time.
Common mistakes: Going to a doctor who cannot see your full records. Not asking the price first. Not checking whether you are exempt before you pay.
Step 7. Certificate of Good Conduct, if you lived abroad
- You need one if you lived outside the UK for 3 months or more in one stretch in the last 10 years. Long holidays count.
- You need one certificate for each country. Send form TPH/205 (Living abroad) with them.
Documents: Certificate of Good Conduct for each country; Form TPH/205 Living abroad.
Cost: Set by each country. Not a TfL fee. Time: Can be slow. It depends on the country. Start early.
Common mistakes: Starting late. Forgetting a country where you lived only for a few months. Thinking a holiday does not count.
Step 8. HMRC tax step
- First-time applicants confirm they have read HMRC guidance.
- If you hold, or in the last 12 months held, a TfL or other licence, you do an HMRC tax check and get a tax check code.
- Do the tax check close to your application. Check on TfL how long the code stays valid.
Documents: Tax check code (only if you held a licence in the last 12 months).
Cost: Free Time: Short. Do it close to your application date.
Common mistakes: Doing the tax check months too early and the code running out.
Step 9. Pass the English speaking and listening assessment
- It is a 15 to 20 minute conversation. You take it at a TfL Driver Assessment Centre using a secure video or phone link. TfL's provider is PeopleCert.
- The level is CEFR B1.
Documents: The ID and booking details TfL asks you to bring.
Cost: £40 first time. £30 for a re-sit. Time: 15 to 20 minutes for the test. Waiting time for a date: TfL gives none.
Common mistakes: Giving one-word answers. Not telling TfL early if you need reasonable adjustments (assessments@tph.tfl.gov.uk).
Step 10. Pass the SERU assessment
- SERU checks reading and writing in English, and what you know about safety, equality and rules for private hire.
- It is on a computer at a TfL office. It has multiple choice questions and sentence completion.
- TfL says its SERU lasts about one hour, with 36 questions and a 60% pass mark (TfL Notice 06/25, written for the taxi test; TfL gives no separate private hire figures). Practise with a free timed paper.
Documents: The ID and booking details TfL asks you to bring; Your booking confirmation.
Cost: £40 first attempt. £30 for a re-sit. Time: About one hour on the day (TfL Notice 06/25). Waiting time for a date: TfL gives none.
Common mistakes: Booking before doing the Safeguarding course. Reading the PHV Driver's Handbook only once. Not practising under a timer.
Step 11. Pass the topographical skills assessment
- This tests your knowledge of London streets and routes. It is computer-based and you use a mouse.
- You take it at the TfL driver assessment centre at Pier Walk.
- Some people are exempt: drivers who passed a TfL topographical test before, licensed London taxi drivers, and Blue Badge guides.
Documents: The ID and booking details TfL asks you to bring; Proof of exemption, if you claim one.
Cost: £40 first time. £30 for a re-sit. £0 if you are exempt. Time: TfL does not state the length on the page we checked.
Common mistakes: Assuming you are exempt without checking. Not practising with a mouse.
Step 12. Apply and pay the application fee
- Send your application to TfL with your documents.
- The application fee is not refundable, even if TfL does not give you a licence.
- TfL processes new applications in the order it receives them. It says new applications currently take longer than normal.
- TfL says it does not offer a fast-track service. Anyone who sells one is acting fraudulently.
Documents: Photo; ID; DBS and Update Service details; Medical form TPH/204; Certificates of Good Conduct and TPH/205 if needed; Tax check code if needed; Assessment results.
Cost: £138, not refundable Time: TfL gives no time. It says longer than normal at the moment.
Common mistakes: Sending an incomplete application. Paying someone who promises a faster decision. Not answering a TfL request for more information quickly.
Step 13. Pay the grant fee and start work
- If TfL agrees, you pay the grant of licence fee.
- After you are licensed, you must report any arrest, charge, caution, conviction or driving penalty points to TfL within 48 hours (for licences granted from 1 July 2024).
- Keep your DBS Update Service going.
Documents: TfL licence decision.
Cost: £205 Time: After TfL's decision.
Common mistakes: Letting the Update Service lapse. Not reporting within 48 hours.
Total cost
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Check you can apply | £0 |
| Get your ID and photo ready | £0 |
| Do the online Safeguarding Awareness course | £0 |
| Enhanced DBS check | £56.42 |
| DBS Update Service | £15 |
| HMRC tax step | £0 |
| English speaking and listening assessment | £40 |
| SERU assessment | £40 |
| topographical skills assessment | £40 |
| Apply and pay the application fee | £138 |
| Pay the grant fee and start work | £205 |
| Total, fixed TfL and DBS costs, first year | £534.42 |
This total does not include the medical (the doctor sets the price), any Certificate of Good Conduct, or the optional Post Office Check and Send (£7.15). If you need a re-sit, each one is £30. If you are exempt from the topographical assessment, take off £40. Details are on the cost page.
Mistakes to avoid
- Paying anyone for a fast-track. TfL says it does not offer a fast-track service. Anyone who sells one is acting fraudulently.
- Names that do not match on your documents.
- Waiting more than 30 days to join the DBS Update Service after the certificate is issued (GOV.UK).
- Sending an incomplete application. The £138 application fee is not refundable.
More: documents checklist and how long it takes.
Licence Companion
These pages stay free. The Licence Companion is a personal checklist: tick each step, add your own dates, and get an email reminder. See it with the other plans.
Practise for the SERU test
Free timed paper, 36 questions, no sign-up.
Common questions
Is this the official TfL guide?
No. This is an independent guide by MiniSage Tech Ltd. TfL sets the rules and can change them. Always check TfL before you pay or book. This is not legal or immigration advice.
Which assessments do I need for a London private hire driver licence?
TfL says two English assessments (speaking and listening, and SERU) and a topographical skills assessment. Some people are exempt from the topographical assessment. See the TfL page for who.
Can I pay to make it faster?
No. TfL says it does not offer a fast-track service and will never charge more than the advertised costs. TfL says anyone who sells a fast-track service is acting fraudulently.
Do I need an operator before I apply?
TfL says you must work for a licensed private hire operator. Check with TfL when it needs to be in place.
What if I lived abroad?
If you lived outside the UK for 3 months or more in one stretch in the last 10 years, TfL asks for a Certificate of Good Conduct for each country, with form TPH/205.
Do you guarantee I will get a licence?
No. TfL decides. We cannot guarantee any result in any assessment or application.
More guides
Sources
- TfL, Private hire driver licence (checked 13 October 2026)
- TfL, English language requirement (checked 13 October 2026)
- TfL, Topographical skills assessment (checked 13 October 2026)
- TfL, SERU for private hire drivers (checked 13 October 2026)
- TfL, Notice 05/26, taxi and private hire licence fees (13 March 2026)
- GOV.UK, DBS Update Service (checked 13 October 2026)