What is a TfL private hire licence?
A private hire vehicle (PHV) driver licence — the licence most drivers still call a PCO licence — is issued by Transport for London and is what legally allows you to drive pre-booked passengers for hire and reward anywhere in Greater London. It normally runs for three years before renewal.
London is licensed differently from the rest of the country. Outside London, each council sets its own requirements and tests — you can look yours up on our council licensing pages. Inside London, TfL is the single licensing authority, and its requirements include one assessment that exists nowhere else in the UK: the SERU assessment.
Note that a driver licence is only half the job. To work you also need a licensed private hire vehicle and hire-and-reward insurance, and you should check whether the vehicle you plan to drive is liable for the Congestion Charge and the Ultra Low Emission Zone.
London PHV licence requirements
TfL requires every applicant to:
- be at least 21 years old at the time of applying (no upper age limit);
- hold a full DVLA, Northern Ireland or other EEA driving licence that is at least three years old;
- have the right to live and work in the UK;
- be of good character, evidenced by an enhanced DBS check through TfL's authorised provider, plus continuous subscription to the DBS Update Service;
- be medically fit to the DVLA Group 2 standard;
- confirm awareness of HMRC tax obligations (first-time applicants) or complete an HMRC tax check and supply a valid 9-character tax check code (renewals and applicants who hold or recently held a licence elsewhere);
- provide a Certificate of Good Conduct for any country where you have lived for one or more continuous periods of three months or more in the last 10 years;
- pass the topographical, speaking and listening and SERU assessments.
The TfL application, step by step
Check you meet the basic criteria
You must be at least 21, hold a full DVLA, Northern Ireland or other EEA driving licence that is at least three years old, and have the right to live and work in the UK. There is no upper age limit as long as you meet the other requirements.
Register and start your application online
Create an account on TfL's taxi and private hire portal, complete the application form and upload a compliant photograph. TfL charges a non-refundable licence application fee and never offers a paid fast-track service — treat any third party offering one as fraudulent.
Enhanced DBS check and Update Service
You must be of good character, established through an enhanced DBS check via TfL's authorised provider. Since 1 July 2024 you must also register with and subscribe to the DBS Update Service, and keep that subscription running for the life of your licence.
DVLA Group 2 medical
You must be medically fit to the DVLA Group 2 standard, usually confirmed by an examination with a doctor who has access to your full medical records. The fee is set by the examining doctor. Some applicants are exempt — for example if you already hold a full or provisional DVLA Group 2 licence.
Complete the Safeguarding Awareness course
TfL expects every applicant to complete its free online Safeguarding Awareness course before sitting SERU. It covers protecting children and adults at risk from harm and abuse — a topic that is examined in the SERU assessment.
Pass the three assessments
The topographical skills assessment (map reading and route planning), a speaking and listening assessment taken by secure video or telephone link at TfL premises, and the SERU assessment, which covers safety, equality and regulatory understanding and also tests your English reading and writing.
Pay the grant fee and get on the road
Once everything clears, you pay the grant of licence fee and TfL issues your PHV driver licence and badge. You can then work for any private hire operator licensed in London — but you will also need a licensed vehicle and hire-and-reward insurance.
How much does a London PHV licence cost?
These are the charges TfL publishes for a new private hire driver application. On TfL's own worked example the total comes to roughly £477 excluding the medical. Some items only apply to some applicants, and fees are reviewed periodically — always check TfL's current fee table.
Work out your own total — including training and vehicle costs — with the licensing cost calculator, and sanity-check what you would earn with the take-home earnings estimator.
How long does it take?
TfL does not publish a guaranteed turnaround, and it explicitly does not offer a fast-track service — new applications are processed in the order they are received, and renewals are processed by licence expiry date. Because the DBS check, the medical and three separate assessments all have to complete and come back, it is safer to plan in months rather than weeks.
The parts of the timeline you actually control are the assessments. Every failed SERU or topographical attempt adds a re-booking delay on top of the re-sit fee, so preparing properly is the single most effective way to get licensed sooner.
The assessments in detail
SERU assessment
SERU stands for Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding. It is computer-based, drawn entirely from TfL's Private Hire Vehicle Driver's Handbook, and it also serves as TfL's test of your English reading and writing. It costs £36 and the pass mark is 60%. Our full SERU assessment guide covers the topics, format, retake rules and how to prepare, and you can try a free SERU practice test to see where you stand.
Topographical skills assessment
A computer-based map reading and route planning assessment, sat at a TfL driver assessment centre. It costs £36, with a £16 re-sit fee. SERU did not replace it — both are still required. Some applicants are exempt, including previously licensed PHV drivers who have passed a TfL topographical test, licensed London taxi drivers, and professional London tourist guides. Practise with our topographical test practice.
Speaking and listening assessment
Taken by secure video or telephone link within TfL premises, this covers the spoken half of the English language requirement. Together with SERU it demonstrates English at roughly CEFR level B1 across reading, writing, speaking and listening. It costs £36 where it applies.
Rules that changed on 1 July 2024
TfL introduced several changes to London licensing requirements from 1 July 2024, following the Department for Transport's Statutory Standards. The ones that matter most to drivers are:
- DBS Update Service — all applicants must register and subscribe, and maintain that subscription. TfL cannot grant a licence otherwise.
- 48-hour self-reporting — PHV drivers licensed on or after 1 July 2024 must tell TfL about any arrest and release, charge, caution or conviction within 48 hours, including driving offences that put points on your DVLA licence. Drivers licensed before that date have 21 days but are urged to adopt the 48-hour standard.
- Overseas criminal checks — a Certificate of Good Conduct is required for any country where you have lived for one or more continuous periods of three months or more in the last 10 years.
- Complaints signage — PHVs must display TfL's complaints signage, and from 1 July 2025 drivers must make sure the vehicle they are driving displays it.
Convictions and character
TfL decides on a case-by-case basis, but it publishes categories that make a licence unlikely — including convictions for major violent offences, more than one violent offence, serious or repeated sexual offences, being listed on a barred list, currently serving a custodial sentence (including suspended or early release on licence), and recent or repeated touting penalties. If you are unsure where you stand, ask TfL before you pay the non-refundable application fee.
Your next step
The one requirement that trips up most London applicants is SERU — it is the assessment with the highest failure rate and the one people most often underestimate because it sounds like a formality. Start there.
Don't let SERU delay your licence
Realistic SERU practice questions in both formats — multiple-choice and fill-the-blank — covering every section of the PHV Driver's Handbook, with an explanation for every answer.
London PHV licence: frequently asked questions
How do I become a private hire driver in London?
You apply to Transport for London for a private hire vehicle (PHV) driver licence. You must be at least 21, have held a full DVLA, Northern Ireland or EEA driving licence for at least three years, have the right to live and work in the UK, pass an enhanced DBS check and a DVLA Group 2 medical, register with the DBS Update Service, and pass three assessments: topographical skills, speaking and listening, and the SERU assessment.
What is a PCO licence?
"PCO licence" is the name drivers still use for a TfL private hire driver's licence, after the old Public Carriage Office that used to issue it. TfL took over London taxi and private hire licensing, so the correct modern term is a private hire vehicle (PHV) driver licence — but the two mean the same thing.
How much does a TfL private hire licence cost?
Based on TfL's published fee table, a typical new application comes to around £477 excluding the medical: a £124 licence application fee, a £186 grant of licence fee, £52 for an online enhanced DBS disclosure, and £36 each for the SERU, topographical and speaking and listening assessments. Your medical is charged separately by the examining doctor. Fees change, so check TfL's current table.
What tests do I need to pass for a London PHV licence?
Three. A topographical skills assessment covering map reading and route planning; a speaking and listening assessment taken by secure video or telephone link at TfL premises; and the SERU (Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding) assessment, which also tests your English reading and writing. All three are sat through TfL.
How long does a TfL private hire licence application take?
TfL does not publish a guaranteed turnaround and does not offer a fast-track service — new applications are processed in the order they are received. In practice you should plan for a process measured in months rather than weeks, because the DBS check, medical and three assessments all have to be completed and returned. Check TfL's current processing information before you rely on any timescale.
How old do you have to be to drive a private hire vehicle in London?
You must be at least 21 years old at the time of applying, and you must have held a full DVLA, Northern Ireland or other EEA driving licence for at least three years. There is no upper age limit provided you meet the other licensing requirements, including the medical standard.
Do I need a Certificate of Good Conduct?
You will need one if you have lived outside the UK for one or more continuous periods of three months or more in the last 10 years — extended holidays count. You must provide a certificate from every relevant country you declare on your application form.
Can I drive for Uber or Bolt with a TfL PHV licence?
Once licensed, you can work for any private hire operator licensed in London, which includes the app-based operators as well as traditional minicab firms. You will also need a licensed private hire vehicle and hire-and-reward insurance, and you should check whether your vehicle is liable for the Congestion Charge and ULEZ.
Keep reading
Information only — Private Hire Hub is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Transport for London. Fees, assessment formats and licensing requirements change. Always confirm the current requirements and charges on TfL's own website before you apply, book an assessment or pay a fee.