Who Reigate and Banstead Borough Council licenses
Reigate, Redhill, Banstead, Horley, Merstham, Tadworth and Kingswood. It is not TfL: a driver licensed here is on a different rulebook from one working a few miles north in Sutton or Wallington.
Reigate and Banstead rules applied — three-year driver licences, a compulsory DBS Update Service subscription for six-monthly checks, and a medical at renewal from age 45 (every year over 65).
What to renew, and how often
Cycles are Reigate and Banstead Borough Council’s where Reigate and Banstead Borough Council publishes them, and the UK statutory duty otherwise. Anything Reigate and Banstead 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 Reigate and Banstead requires every driver to subscribe to the Update Service within 30 days of the certificate being issued. The enhanced DBS must say 'Other workforce' and 'Taxi/Private Hire Driver'. | Yearly | DBS certificate number + Update Service renewal date |
Six-month DBS status check The council runs a DBS check every six months through the Update Service — which only works if your subscription is live Not subscribed? The council cannot run the six-month check, and your licence is suspended until a new DBS has been provided. | Every 6 months | Date and outcome of the last status check |
Group 2 medical DVLA Group 2 standard, completed by your registered GP — needed at renewal if you are over 45, and every year once you are over 65 Drivers over 65 are issued a one-year licence, extended annually on a satisfactory medical. The old MED/05 July 2017 form has not been accepted since 1 May 2025. | Council-set date | 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 Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 01737 276 672
Renewals are online and need the unique renewal code the licensing team emails you — no code, call the number above. The earliest you can renew is three months before expiry; allow at least six weeks for processing.
Common questions
How do I renew my taxi licence with Reigate and Banstead?
Renew online with the unique renewal code the licensing team emails you; if you do not have one, call licensing on 01737 276 672. The earliest you can use the code is three months before your licence expires, and the council asks you to allow at least six weeks for processing. Have your DVLA licence, enhanced DBS certificate or Update Service reference, right-to-work evidence, a passport-style photo and, if you are over 45, a medical report ready — the form cannot be saved part-way through.
How much does a Reigate and Banstead driver licence cost?
For 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 the council charges £297 to renew a three-year hackney carriage or private hire driver licence, and £317 for a first application. A one-year private hire licence, for restricted licences only, is £95. The knowledge test costs £74 for hackney carriage drivers and £51 for private hire drivers, each attempt paid in full.
Do I need a medical to renew?
Only from age 45. The council asks for a medical report at renewal from drivers over 45, completed by your registered GP to the DVLA Group 2 standard, and every year from drivers over 65 — who are issued a one-year licence, extended annually on a satisfactory medical. Use the current form: the MED/05 July 2017 version has not been accepted since 1 May 2025.
Do I have to be on the DBS Update Service?
Yes. Council policy requires every driver to subscribe to the DBS Update Service within 30 days of the certificate being issued, so it can carry out the six-monthly DBS checks the Department for Transport statutory standards require. If you are not subscribed the council cannot run those checks and your licence is suspended until a new DBS has been provided.
Is Reigate and Banstead the same as a London (TfL) licence?
No. Transport for London licenses drivers in the 32 London boroughs, including neighbouring Sutton; Reigate and Banstead Borough Council licenses Reigate, Redhill, Banstead and Horley. 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 Reigate and Banstead 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 Reigate and Banstead Borough Council before you rely on it.
Never miss a renewal date
Original Drivers tracks every date above on Reigate and Banstead Borough Council’s cycle and reminds you before each one falls due — by WhatsApp if you like.
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