Who Tandridge District Council licenses
Caterham, Warlingham, Whyteleafe, Oxted, Godstone and Lingfield. It is not TfL: a driver licensed here is on a different rulebook from one working a mile away in Coulsdon, Kenley or Sanderstead.
Tandridge rules applied — three-year driver licences, a compulsory DBS Update Service subscription for six-monthly status checks, and safeguarding and disability awareness training retaken every three years.
What to renew, and how often
Cycles are Tandridge District Council’s where Tandridge District Council publishes them, and the UK statutory duty otherwise. Anything Tandridge District 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 Tandridge requires every driver to join the Update Service (currently £16 a year) and keep paying it. Let it lapse and the licence may be suspended until a new enhanced DBS — £75 through the council — comes back. | Yearly | DBS certificate number + Update Service renewal date |
Six-month DBS status check The council runs a DBS status check every six months through the Update Service — which only works if your subscription is live If the six-monthly check cannot be done because your subscription has lapsed, you have to apply and pay for a new enhanced DBS. | Every 6 months | Date and outcome of the last status check |
Safeguarding & equality training Tandridge requires both safeguarding and disability awareness training — each one retaken every three years Miss a refresher and the licence is suspended until you pass. For safeguarding, the council's page names the virtual classroom course and does not accept e-learning certificates. | Every 3 years | Training certificate + completion date |
Group 2 medical DVLA Group 2, on the council's form, completed by your own registered GP — every five years over 45, then every year from 65 or with a relevant medical condition The GP must be at the practice you are registered with and check your full records — a medical from another practice or company is refused. Drivers on insulin, a sulphonylurea or a glinide also need a yearly specialist medical. | 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 Tandridge District Council
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 01883 722000
The council aims to send a reminder before your licence expires but is not obliged to, so the date is yours to track. If your renewal arrives late and the licence lapses, you cannot drive a Tandridge-licensed vehicle until a new one is granted. Fees are paid by debit or credit card only.
Common questions
How do I renew my taxi licence with Tandridge?
Email the licensing team at [email protected] well before your licence expires. The council's policy says it aims to send a reminder but is not obliged to, and it is not responsible for delays caused by others such as the DBS. If a renewal arrives late and the licence lapses, you cannot drive any Tandridge-licensed vehicle until a new licence is granted. Fees are paid by debit or credit card only.
How much does a Tandridge driver licence cost?
The council's taxi licensing page lists £391.50 for a three-year hackney carriage and private hire (dual) driver licence and badge, and £285 for a three-year private hire only licence. It does not publish a separate renewal price. An enhanced DBS through the council is £75. The knowledge test is £86 and each retest £47, with no more than three attempts in any 12 months.
How often do I need a medical?
Tandridge applies the DVLA Group 2 standard. Its policy says drivers over 45 need a medical every five years, and drivers aged 65 or over, or with a relevant medical condition, every year. Drivers whose diabetes is managed by insulin, a sulphonylurea or a glinide also need a yearly specialist medical. The form must be completed by your own registered GP with your full medical history; a medical from another practice or company is refused.
Do I have to be on the DBS Update Service?
Yes. Every driver must register on the DBS Update Service once the enhanced certificate is issued (currently £16 a year) and keep the subscription going. The council runs a DBS status check every six months; if it cannot, because the subscription has lapsed, you must apply and pay for a new enhanced DBS, and the licence may be suspended in the meantime.
What training do Tandridge drivers need?
Safeguarding and disability awareness training before a licence is granted, and both again every three years — miss a refresher and the licence is suspended until you pass. New drivers also take a one-hour practical driving assessment. For safeguarding, the council's page names the virtual classroom course and does not accept e-learning certificates.
Is Tandridge the same as a London (TfL) licence?
No. Transport for London licenses drivers in the 32 London boroughs, including neighbouring Croydon; Tandridge District Council licenses Caterham, Warlingham, Whyteleafe, Oxted and Lingfield. 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 Tandridge District 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 Tandridge District Council before you rely on it.
Never miss a renewal date
Original Drivers tracks every date above on Tandridge District Council’s cycle and reminds you before each one falls due — by WhatsApp if you like.
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