Is my limousine operator licensed for hire?

There a two principal types of Licence that your limousine company can operate under, these are a Private Hire Operator Licence, which is issued by your Local Authority or District Council and a Bus Operators Licence which is issued by the Traffic Commissioners. In London, the equivalent of the Private Hire Operators Licence is a PCO Licence, which is issued by the Public Carriage Office who operate on behalf of Transport for London.

Private Hire Operator Licence – Issued by the Local Authority

Currently there is no central database operated by local authorities to provide consumers with up to date information on which companies are registered for Private Hire and the respective vehicles. Therefore, the best advice that can be given is to contact your local Licensing Officer, you can normally find their details on the local authorities website.

 

Public Carriage Office (Greater London)

If you are in the Greater London area, then the Public Carriage Office deal with the licensing of companies, drivers and vehicles. They have an online facility where you can check the validity of any third party claiming to have an appropriate PCO licence, be it a driver, company or specific vehicles. The PCO also have a helpline number.

 

Bus Operator Licence

Some limousine companies operate using a Bus Operators Licence, whilst there are different types of Licence, the principal remain the same. It is also possible to chech the validity of Bus Operators Licences and the Public Service Vehicles online. You can check on the following, traffic area, licence number, registration number, operator name and trading name.

 

Cars for Stars is a UK based company operating chauffeur driven cars and limousine. Based in London, it offers national service through an extensive, branch network of franchised offices. All Cars for Stars franchises are fully licensed by their respective local authority, or in the case of London, by the Public Carriage Office (PCO), which means that the chauffeurs will have been subjected to a medical and criminal records bureau check and the chauffeur cars and limousines will be subjected to regular and vigorous tests. Cars for Stars local offices can be found in the Chauffeur Cars Directory or the Limousine Hire Directory.

 

 

 

How to Licence your chauffeur or limo business for Private Hire

So, you have decided to licence your limousine company for private hire, which has three principle steps which are outlined below. The first thing to take account of is the amount of time it will take, from start to finish, but you must also consider the order. You must first identify the appropriate Licensing Authority for your area, this would typically be the District Council. Most have websites and you can usually download the appropriate forms from their site, failing which, it is also worthwhile attemptint to get an appointment with the Licensing Officer. Bear in mind that for London, Licensing is handled by the Public Carriage Office on behalf of Transport for London, therfore, the process, but not the principles will vary.

Step One: Is to apply for a Private Hire Operators Licence

Step Two: Is to apply for Private Hire Vehicle Licence for each vehicle (Read this: for further information on stretched limousines).

Step Three: Is to apply for a Private Hire Drivers Licence for each chauffeur/driver (Read this for further information on the requirements for your chauffeurs’ or drivers)

It is not always possible to complete each of these tasks in parallel, therefore a meeting with the local Licensing Officer, may be advisable. Realistically, new applicants should allow up to 3 months from start to finish. Typical delays are in obtaining the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks, these can take anything up to 3 months and the Private Hire Licence for the limousines. The latter normally relates to whether or not the limousine is on the local authorities ‘approved list’ and if they require the limousine to have an SVA and/or to have been built in accordance with amanufacturer approved coachbuilders programme (such as Ford’s QVM or Cadillac’s CMC).

For alternatives to registration as a Private Hire Vehicle Operator, refer to this article covering the alternative licence options for limousine operators.

Cars for Stars is a UK based company operating chauffeur driven cars and limousine. Based in London, it offers national service through an extensive, branch network of franchised offices. All Cars for Stars franchises are fully licensed by their respective local authority, or in the case of London, by the Public Carriage Office (PCO), which means that the chauffeurs will have been subjected to a medical and criminal records bureau check and the chauffeur cars and limousines will be subjected to regular and vigorous tests. Cars for Stars local offices can be found in the Chauffeur Cars Directory or the Limousine Hire Directory.