Wolfe & Black practical guide
Fit and Proper Person Test for Taxi & Private Hire Drivers
Facing a taxi licensing fit and proper person decision? Understand the suitability test, council evidence, policy, mitigation and how to prepare a structured response.
Updated 3 October 2026
The fit and proper person test for taxi and private hire drivers is a public-safety suitability assessment used when councils decide whether a driver should be licensed or remain licensed. The strongest preparation starts with the authority’s actual concerns, the current licensing policy and the evidence available to the decision-maker.
1. Understand the test being applied
Department for Transport standards say licensing authorities must be satisfied that a driver is fit and proper and that suitability decisions are made on the balance of probabilities. The exercise is therefore not limited to criminal convictions and may include other relevant information.
2. Identify every suitability concern separately
List each conviction, allegation, complaint, police disclosure, licensing-history issue, conduct concern or alleged failure to disclose. Record what the authority says happened, the source of that information and whether the point is admitted, disputed or incomplete.
3. Compare the case with the council policy
Obtain the authority’s current taxi and private hire licensing policy, including its suitability or convictions guidance. Identify the policy section relied upon, any stated departure from policy and whether the decision reasons actually explain how the policy was applied to the facts.
4. Test the evidence, not just the conclusion
Work back from each adverse conclusion to the underlying record: complaint, witness account, interview note, police information, CCTV, correspondence or licensing history. Separate contemporaneous evidence from later summaries, inference and unsupported assertion.
5. Address present-day risk and rehabilitation
Where past conduct is accepted, evidence current circumstances with licence history, training, references, compliance records, remedial action and the passage of time where relevant. The aim is to show what has changed and why that matters to present-day public-safety risk.
6. Prepare for the actual decision stage
For an application, renewal, review, committee or appeal, reduce the material to an issue list, chronology, evidence schedule and the precise outcome sought. Keep factual challenge, policy interpretation, mitigation and proportionality distinct so the decision-maker can follow the case.
Licensing routes and deadlines depend on the decision and statutory scheme. Court filing and advocacy can engage reserved-activity rules, so the preparation role must be kept distinct.
Questions to ask before proceeding
What is the exact decision? What deadline applies? Which facts are genuinely disputed? What documents prove the important facts? What framework governs the decision? What outcome are you asking for? What has already been tried?
Official sources to check
Rules, guidance and procedures can change. These are the primary official sources used to keep this area grounded:
Frequently asked questions
Can I appeal a taxi or private hire driver licensing decision?
GOV.UK confirms that a final refusal of a taxi or private hire driver licence can be appealed to the Magistrates’ Court. The decision notice and statutory scheme should be checked immediately for the route and deadline.
Does a revocation always take effect immediately?
No. Department for Transport guidance distinguishes immediate suspension or revocation on public-safety grounds from other decisions which generally take effect after the statutory notice period.
Related guides
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