Who Elmbridge Borough Council licenses
Esher, Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge, Cobham, Hersham, East and West Molesey, Thames Ditton and Claygate. It is not TfL: a driver licensed here is on a different rulebook from one working a mile away in Kingston or Surbiton.
Elmbridge rules applied — three-year driver licences, a DBS Update Service subscription kept live for the whole licence, and a Group 2 medical at least every five years until 65 (every year after).
What to renew, and how often
Cycles are Elmbridge Borough Council’s where Elmbridge Borough Council publishes them, and the UK statutory duty otherwise. Anything Elmbridge Borough Council does not publish a cycle for is left off this table rather than guessed at.
| Requirement | Cycle | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|
DBS Update Service subscription Keep the annual subscription live and record its renewal date Elmbridge requires you to join the Update Service within 30 days of the certificate being issued and keep it for the life of the licence. If the payment card on your DBS account expires you are unsubscribed, and the council may suspend your licence until you provide a new certificate. | Yearly | DBS certificate number + Update Service renewal date |
Group 2 medical DVLA Group 2, on the council's own form, by a GP you have been registered with for 12 months or a doctor with your full records — at least every five years until 65, then every 12 months At 64, submit the medical form within six weeks of your 65th birthday. If a medical is due at renewal, post the original to the licensing team at least 10 working days before you apply. | Every 5 years | Medical certificate + the accepted next-due date |
Taximeter certificate Meter sealed, set to the current tariff, certificate carried in the vehicle | Yearly | Meter installation/compliance certificate |
Plates, signs & badge on display Plates, door signs, fare chart, complaints info and your badge — visible whenever the car works | Ongoing | Photo proof of displays (retake after any change of car) |
Designated WAV duties If your vehicle is on the council's s167 list, the s165 wheelchair duties apply to every hiring | Ongoing | Your vehicle's entry on the designated list |
Assistance dogs carried Carry assistance dogs at no extra charge — unless you hold a displayed medical exemption | Ongoing | Nothing if you comply; the exemption certificate if you hold one |
Medical exemption certificate If exempt from wheelchair/dog duties: certificate displayed in the vehicle, review date tracked | Council-set date | The exemption notice + its expiry/review date |
Sensible hours, logged Keep logging shifts — your hours record is your protection after any incident | Ongoing | Shift log with start/end times (your logbook) |
Lost property routine Quick search after every hiring; hand items in within 24 hours and keep a note | Ongoing | A dated note per item — what, when, where handed in |
Records an inspector can ask for
- DBS certificate number and issue date
- Update Service subscription and its annual renewal date
- A note of each six-month status check (date + outcome)
- Training certificate or pass record
- Completion date and the refresher due date (three years on in Cambridge)
- The medical certificate itself (council keeps the original)
- Date it was done and the next due date printed on your licence
- Any follow-up the council asked for
- Certificate of compliance and the next test date
- Taximeter installation/compliance certificate
- Photo proof that plates, signs, fare chart and badge are displayed
- Whether your vehicle is on the council's designated WAV list
- Any medical exemption certificate, its display and review date
- A short note of any hiring where a wheelchair or aid couldn't safely be carried
- Shift start/end times and breaks (your logbook does this)
- Lost property notes — what, when, where it was handed in
Contacting Elmbridge Borough Council
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 01372 474748
- Licensing portal: https://elmbridge-self.achieveservice.com/service/Taxi_or_Private_hire_Drivers_Licence
Renewals are an online form. Apply at least 20 working days (about four weeks) before expiry and no more than 40 working days (about eight weeks) before — the council sends no reminders, and a renewal after expiry is treated as a new application.
Common questions
How do I renew my taxi licence with Elmbridge?
Use the council's online form for a new or renewed driver's licence, upload your documents and pay at the same time. Send it at least 20 working days before your licence expires, and not more than 40 working days before. You need a copy of your DVLA photocard and a DVLA check code, your DBS Update Service registration and certificate number, a passport-standard photo and your HMRC tax check code — plus right-to-work evidence or an overseas criminal record check if either applies to you.
How much does an Elmbridge driver licence cost?
The council's published fees and charges list £529.90 for a three-year hackney carriage or private hire driver licence, new or renewal, and £301 for a one-year renewal (£315 for a new one-year licence). An enhanced DBS application through the council is £75.50. The private hire knowledge test or retake is £27.30; the taxi knowledge test is £39.90 and a taxi retest £28.70.
How often do I need a medical?
Elmbridge requires the council's medical assessment at least every five years until you are 65, then at least every 12 months. At 64 you must submit it within six weeks of your 65th birthday. The form must be completed by a doctor you have been registered with for at least 12 months, or one with access to your full medical records, and the original has to reach the licensing team at least 10 working days before you apply.
Do I have to be on the DBS Update Service?
Yes. You must register within 30 days of your enhanced DBS certificate being issued and keep the subscription for the whole life of your licence. If the payment card on your DBS account expires, the DBS unsubscribes you automatically — and the council may suspend your licence until it has a new certificate and Update Service number, so keep your card details current.
What is the disability awareness training deadline?
Under the council's 2025–2030 taxi and private hire policy, every driver whose licence was issued before 1 January 2026 must complete an approved disability awareness course by 31 December 2026. New applicants need the certificate before they apply. Elmbridge accepts certificates from Green Penny and Blue Lamp; it does not run the course itself.
Is Elmbridge the same as a London (TfL) licence?
No. Transport for London licenses drivers in the 32 London boroughs, including neighbouring Kingston and Richmond; Elmbridge Borough Council licenses Esher, Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge, Cobham and the Moleseys. They are separate authorities with separate fees, medical rules and renewal systems, so check which one issued your badge before you plan a renewal.
Where these figures come from
Every fee, cycle and rule on this page is taken from Elmbridge Borough Council’s own published pages, last checked in September 2026:
The other half: tax and expenses
Licensing keeps you on the road; Self Assessment keeps the money straight. Our guide to self-employed taxi driver tax and expenses covers what you can claim, the records HMRC expects, and how the licensing costs on this page are treated. Your licensing authority sets the rules above; HMRC rules are the same wherever you drive.
General information, current for September 2026. Licensing rules are set locally and change — always confirm the detail with Elmbridge Borough Council before you rely on it.
Never miss a renewal date
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