Services
- Licences for businesses
- Employment byelaws for children and young people
- Licence - Knife Dealer
- Licences window cleaners - business
- Licences - Booking Offices
- Licences - Hackney carriage (taxi)
- Licences - Hackney carriage (taxi) driver
- Licences - Hire Car Enforcement
- Licences - Late Night Catering
- Licences - Skin Piercing and Tattooing
- Licences - credit provider
- Licences - markets
- Licences - metal dealers (door-to-door)
- Licences - private hire driver
- Licences - private hire vehicle operator
- Licences - second hand goods
- Licences - storage of petroleum
- Licences - street trading
- Metal dealer- site licences
- Storage of explosives - premises licence
Licences - Hackney carriage (taxi) driver
All taxi drivers operating within West Lothian must hold a current taxi driver's licence issued by the council. This licence forms part of the taxi and private hire car licensing scheme administered by the council under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. To apply for a taxi driver's licence you must be 18 or over and have held a full DVLA driving licence for 12 months.
Please read the guidance notes attached to the application form on this page before completing and lodging your application.
All applications are referred to Lothian and Borders Police for a vetting check and the application is not subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 so all offences must be declared regardless of how old they are. In addition, applicants may be required to undergo a medical check.
All applicants for taxi driver's licences must pass a topographical test to demonstrate their knowledge of the local area based on the information contained in the West Lothian map published by the council. Tests take place every few weeks at Edinburgh City Chambers. The tests comprise four sections. In the first section applicants are asked to identify which towns a number of housing areas or estates are situated in. The second section requires the applicant to state the nearest main road to a number of named streets. Main roads are shown coloured brown/gold on the map. The third section requires applicants to identify the streets in which various pubs and clubs are located. The final section asks where the nearest main road is to a number of miscellaneous premises such as businesses, health centres, schools and entertainment venues. Each section accounts for roughly 25% of the total mark. The pass mark is 80%. One resit is allowed if an applicant fails the first paper.
To apply for a taxi driver's licence and receive a copy of the map to prepare for the test please contact the Licensing Team.
Applications must be determined by the council within 6 months of receipt. However, most applications are dealt with in a shorter period.
Licence Fees:
Fees for a licence application or renewal received after 1 April 2013:
- 3 year initial grant £154.22
- 3 year renewal £130.41
Updated: 1 May 2013
