How to Get a PCO Licence in London

A PCO licence is what most people call the London private hire driver licence. You need one to carry passengers in London for Uber, Bolt, Addison Lee or any minicab firm. This guide explains how to get a PCO licence in London, step by step and in order: who can apply, the checks, the three TfL tests, the fees, how long it takes, how to renew and how to avoid scams.

UK Driver Licence Prep is an independent study aid, not part of TfL. Fees and rules below come from TfL's private hire driver licence page and its fee notice, checked on 19 October 2026.

What is a PCO licence?

"PCO" stands for the Public Carriage Office, the old name of the office that licensed London's taxis and private hire vehicles. That office is now part of Transport for London (TfL), and TfL issues the licence. The official name is a London private hire vehicle (PHV) driver's licence, but drivers, operators and insurers still say "PCO licence" or "PHV licence".

There are two licences you might hear about:

Licence	Who holds it	What it allows
PHV driver licence (the "PCO licence")	You, the driver	Driving a licensed private hire vehicle for a licensed operator
PHV vehicle licence	The car's owner	Using that car for private hire in London

A private hire driver may only carry passengers who have booked through a licensed operator such as Uber or a minicab office. You cannot pick up people who hail you in the street or wait at a taxi rank. That right belongs to licensed taxis (black cabs), whose drivers pass the Knowledge of London. Our guide to private hire vs hackney carriage explains the difference.

Key fact: "PCO" is the old name. Every London private hire driver licence is now issued by TfL, through TfL's online taxi and private hire portal.

Who can get a PCO licence?

TfL's eligibility rules, in short:

• You are 21 or over when you apply. There is no upper age limit.
• You have held a full DVLA, Northern Ireland or other EEA driving licence for at least three years.
• You have the right to live and work in the UK.
• You are of good character, shown by an enhanced DBS check, plus a certificate of good conduct for any country where you lived for three months or more in a row in the last 10 years.
• You are medically fit to DVLA Group 2 standards, the same standard as bus and lorry drivers.
• You subscribe to the DBS Update Service. TfL cannot grant a licence without it.

Each point has detail that catches people out, from licences exchanged from other countries to the certificate of good conduct. Our PCO licence requirements guide goes through every one.

How to get a PCO licence: the steps in order

The order matters. Doing things in the right sequence avoids delays while you wait for one document before you can start the next step.

Step 1: check the HMRC tax rules

First-time applicants must confirm they are aware of HMRC's tax guidance for licensed drivers. If you held a taxi or private hire licence in the last 12 months, you must complete an HMRC tax check and give TfL the code. The code is valid for 120 days, so get it shortly before you apply.

Step 2: apply online

Create an account and apply on the TfL taxi and private hire portal. You pay the £138 application fee, which is not refundable. You can use the Post Office Check and Send service (£7.15) to have your documents checked and sent. Give all the names on your ID exactly as they appear.

Step 3: pass the TfL assessments

After you apply, TfL invites you to book your assessments. All three take place at the TfL Driver Assessment Centre, 14 Pier Walk, London SE10 0ES, near North Greenwich station. Many people sit all three on one visit.

Assessment	What it tests	Fee	Our guide
SERU	Safety, equality, safeguarding and the rules in the PHV Driver's Handbook; also TfL's English reading and writing test	£40 (£30 re-sit)	SERU test
Speaking and listening	Spoken English at B1 level, a 15 to 20 minute conversation through a secure video or phone link	£40 (£30 re-sit)	TfL English test
Topographical skills	Map reading and route planning on a computer	£40 (£30 re-sit)	Topographical test

Before the SERU, TfL expects you to complete its free online Safeguarding Awareness course. It takes a short time and also helps with the safeguarding questions.

The SERU and the Topographical test are where most people need serious preparation. TfL's published pass rates are 73% for the SERU and 51% for the Topographical test (FOI-0168-2425). Practise with our free SERU mock test and Topographical test practice before you book.

Exam tip: Take the free SERU diagnostic and the free Topographical diagnostic before you book any slot. They show in under an hour whether you are ready or need more weeks of study.

Step 4: get your enhanced DBS check

TfL uses its own provider for the enhanced DBS check, which costs £56.42 including ID verification. Once you have the certificate, join the DBS Update Service (£15 a year) and keep it active for as long as you hold the licence. If you lived abroad for three months or more in the last 10 years, get your certificate of good conduct now too, as it can take weeks.

Step 5: pass the Group 2 medical

Your GP, or a doctor with access to your full medical records, completes the medical form to DVLA Group 2 standards. The doctor sets the fee, so it varies. Book early: some surgeries have long waits for non-NHS work.

Step 6: TfL decides and you pay the grant fee

When every check and assessment is complete, TfL decides whether you are fit and proper to hold a licence. If approved, you pay the £205 grant fee and TfL issues your licence and badge. You then work through a licensed operator in a car that has its own PHV vehicle licence.

How much a PCO licence costs

Here is the summary for a new applicant, as of October 2026. Our PCO licence cost guide adds re-sits, the vehicle licence and other costs.

Item	Fee
Application (non-refundable)	£138
Grant of licence	£205
Enhanced DBS check with ID verification	£56.42
DBS Update Service	£15 a year
Post Office Check and Send	£7.15
SERU, speaking and listening, Topographical	£40 each (£120 in total)
Group 2 medical	Set by the doctor
Total before the medical	£541.57

The application and grant fees rose on 1 June 2026, from £124 and £186, after TfL's review of licence fees (TPH Notice 05/26). Each failed assessment adds a £30 re-sit. Many websites still show the old figures.

Key fact: TfL says it will never charge more than its advertised fees and does not offer a fast-track service. Anyone selling a paid "fast-track" PCO licence is running a scam; TfL asks you to report it to tphreport@tfl.gov.uk.

How long does a PCO licence take?

TfL does not publish a fixed processing time. It says it aims to deal with new applications "within a reasonable period", processes them in the order received, and has warned that high volumes mean they are taking longer than normal. TfL handles around 1,000 applications a week.

What you control is your own part: booking the assessments quickly, passing them first time, getting the medical done and replying fast to any request for information. Our guide on how long a PCO licence takes breaks down the waiting time at each stage.

Convictions, points and the fit and proper test

TfL must be satisfied that you are a "fit and proper" person, which means safe and trustworthy enough to carry the public. It decides this using its Taxi and Private Hire Driver Policy, which explains how it treats criminal convictions, cautions, driving offences and penalty points.

There is no simple published points figure that guarantees approval or refusal. Serious offences, especially violence, sexual offences, dishonesty and drink or drug driving, weigh heavily. Always declare everything on your application: TfL's DBS check will show most records anyway, and failing to disclose one raises doubts about your honesty, which is part of being fit and proper.

Once you are licensed: report within 48 hours

If your licence was granted on or after 1 July 2024, you must tell TfL about any arrest and release, charge, caution or conviction, including driving offences with penalty points, within 48 hours. Licences granted before then have a 21-day rule, but TfL strongly encourages 48 hours for everyone. Report using TfL's online self-report form or by emailing drivers@tph.tfl.gov.uk. This rule appears in the SERU too; see the free driver licensing note.

How long a PCO licence lasts and how to renew it

A PHV driver licence normally lasts up to three years. TfL sometimes grants a shorter licence.

To renew:

1. Start as soon as TfL sends your renewal reminder. Send a complete renewal application through your online account as early as you can.
2. Include an HMRC tax check code. It is valid for 120 days; without it the application is incomplete.
3. Keep your DBS Update Service subscription active. TfL re-checks your DBS, medical fitness, driving record and any complaints.
4. If you have never passed the SERU, you must pass it before TfL renews your licence.
5. Pay the application and grant fees again.

You must not drive for hire on an expired licence. TfL processes renewals in order of expiry date, which is another reason to apply early.

The car: PHV vehicle licence

Your car needs its own PHV vehicle licence: £84 to apply and £56 to grant. It must pass an inspection before it is licensed and again at each yearly renewal, carry hire-and-reward insurance, and meet TfL's emissions and age rules. Many new drivers rent a car that is already licensed. That is a separate decision from the driver licence; get your driver licence process moving first.

If you plan to drive for an app, our guide on how to become an Uber driver in London explains what the operator asks for on top of the TfL licence.

Your first weeks as a licensed driver

Getting the licence is the start, not the end. A few rules apply from your first booking:

• Wear or carry your badge as TfL requires, and keep your licence details up to date.
• Only take bookings through your operator. Never accept a street hail or a passenger who walks up to the car, even if the app is slow. That is plying for hire, and your insurance will not cover it.
• Display the passenger complaints signage. Since 1 July 2025, TfL requires complaints information to be shown in every licensed private hire vehicle.
• Keep your DBS Update Service active and report any change in your health that could affect your Group 2 fitness.

These are the same rules the SERU tests, so the study you do for the assessment carries straight into the job.

Common reasons PCO applications are delayed

• Incomplete documents. Missing proof of address, right to work or a name mismatch with your ID.
• No DBS Update Service subscription. TfL cannot grant the licence without it.
• Certificates of good conduct. Some countries take weeks to issue them.
• Failed assessments. Each re-sit means a new booking and another wait.
• Medical form problems. A form that is incomplete or completed by a doctor without your records.
• Old tax check code. It expires after 120 days.

Your study plan

The checks run in the background while you study. Use that time.

1. Today: take the free SERU diagnostic and the free Topographical diagnostic.
2. This week: apply on the TfL portal, complete the Safeguarding Awareness course and read the free SERU exam guide.
3. Weeks 2 to 4: study the PHV Driver's Handbook and practise route planning on a London map. Sit the free SERU mock 1 and Topographical mock 1.
4. Before booking the assessments: aim for 85% on three mocks in a row for each test. Pro gives you mocks 2 to 10 for every test from £6.99 a week; see pricing.
5. Then: book all three assessments, get the medical done and keep your DBS Update Service active. There is no pass guarantee, but steady practice gives you the best chance of passing first time.