Private operators licence

You must have a taxi operator's licence to run a taxi firm. To apply for an operator's licence you must live in the Harborough District or have an office/base in the District. HDC must check an applicant’s right to work in the UK for any new applications or for the first renewal received after 1 December 2016. You must therefore provide a document from the following list as part of the application process. View the list of acceptable documents (PDF, 40KB)

Please note that if there is a restriction on the length of time you may work in the UK, your licence will be not be issued for any longer than this period.

You will also be asked to provide a HMRC tax check code on the application form, this is to check that you are registered to pay any tax that may be due on income you earn from your licensed trade.

Please return the application form and the Right to Licence declaration form to us. Applicants must present the Right to Licence declaration in person at The Symington Building so that we can check their identity. To do this you will need to make an appointment with our Customer Services Team on 01858 828282 (select the appointment option).

An operator's licence is valid for 5 years. You can find out the cost of an application on our fees and charges webpage.

Child Sexual Exploitation Training

From the 1 April 2018 new and existing drivers and operators will be required to attend mandatory training to raise awareness of this type of abuse and to give the taxi trade the tools to raise their concerns with the relevant agencies.

New taxi drivers and operators must complete the training within three months of the licence being issued. Failure to complete the training may result in the licence being suspended.

The training event takes place at The Symington Building, Adam & Eve Street, Market Harborough, LE16 7AG. The 2024 dates are:

Wednesday 07 February 2024 5pm to 7pm

Wednesday 22 May 2024 5pm to 7pm

Wednesday 04 September 2024 5pm to 7pm

Wednesday 27 November 2024 5pm to 7pm