Apply for or renew a private hire vehicle licence

You need to licence your vehicle to use it as a private hire vehicle in Sheffield.

You will need an account with our taxi licensing portal BigChange to apply for a new licence.

The Licensing Service are experiencing high volumes of new vehicle applications. We will endeavour to process complete applications within 3 working days and give test appointment within a further 5 working days. Once the vehicle has passed the compliance test, where possible, we will process your application within 48 hours of receiving the required documents.

What you need to apply for a private hire vehicle licence

You can apply online for a private hire vehicle licence. The licence fee is £218.

To be eligible for a licence your vehicle:

needs to comply with the private hire vehicle specification in our Private Hire Operator and Vehicle Policy
needs to pass a compliance test at our testing station on Shirland Lane. This will be arranged once you have applied

From Wednesday 1 January 2025, all newly licensed diesel and petrol private hire vehicles must be under four years of age when granted their first licence. This change does not affect hybrid and electric vehicles. For more details, please see the Private Hire Operator and Vehicle Policy

Apply for a private hire vehicle licence