Nottingham City Council topography test

Nottingham City Council issues a combined hackney carriage and private hire driver licence. Every new applicant must pass an electronic topography test, sat in person after a council officer explains the instructions. The test also helps show that you can speak and write English to a reasonable standard. This note covers the format and the local rules you should learn. Always check the council's website before you book, because details can change.

Test format

Item	Detail
Who	All new combined driver licence applicants
Format	Electronic test, sat under exam conditions
Time	45 minutes
Sections	5: Licence conditions; Premises and locations; Numeracy; Road signs; Shortest route
Questions and pass mark	Not published by the council
Bring	Your current driving licence or photo ID
Fee	£50; a retest after a fail costs a further £50, paid when you rebook
Results	A pass certificate, which you email to the licensing team

Key fact: The council does not publish the number of questions, the pass mark or any limit on attempts. Practise to a high standard in every section.

Exam conditions

Stay silent, switch off your phone, and use no extra written material.
If you leave the room without the examiner's permission you cannot come back to finish.
If you ask to end the test early, your fee is forfeited.

The council tells candidates to read the driver licence conditions thoroughly and its "Did you know that" sheet, which the test is based on.

Other steps and fees

Be at least 18 and have held a full driving licence for at least 12 months.
Two written references from people who have known you 5 years or more (not relatives or your local councillor).
Blue Lamp Trust safeguarding e-learning (fee £20); drivers on yearly licences repeat it every third year from 1 April 2026.
Medical with AC Medical Services (£75); driving test (£60, about 30 minutes, with Highway Code questions at the end; cancel at least 48 hours ahead).
Licence fees: £148 for 1 year, £260 for 3 years. DBS checks every 6 months via the update service.

Reporting deadlines

Event	Deadline
Conviction, caution, summons, fixed penalty, warning or arrest	7 days in writing
Change of address	7 days in writing
Medical condition affecting safe driving	7 days
Accident involving the vehicle	72 hours, on an accident form
Unclaimed lost property	Central Police Station within 24 hours
Starting with an extra operator	7 days' notice (or within 24 hours if sooner), with a signed offer of work letter

Conduct and local rules

Only hackney carriages may ply for hire in the city. A private hire pick-up without a booking is illegal and the insurance is invalid. Private hire vehicles must not park on a hackney rank.
No smoking or vaping in a licensed vehicle at any time - it is your place of work.
Be clean and respectable in dress and person. No horn on arrival; no personal or sexual conversation.
No child under 10 in the front. No front passengers in a hackney carriage.
Show your dashboard badge whenever working. Display operator side panels only when working, and only one at a time.
Nottingham's Driver Improvement Penalty Points Scheme (DIPPS): more than 12 points in 3 years leads to an Officer Review Meeting; appeal a notice within 21 days.

Vehicles and plates

Hackney carriages: manufacturer's black, white vinyl roof, council crest on the front doors; plates front and rear; wheelchair accessible; card machine; licences capped at 250.
Private hire vehicles: 10 years or under when first licensed; over 10 years means a 6-month licence and 6-monthly enhanced MOT. No "taxi" or "cab" in trading names.
Every vehicle carries a fire extinguisher and first aid kit. Factory-fitted privacy glass only. CCTV is optional but must meet the council specification.

Hackney fares

Rate	Detail
Day (6am-10pm)	Starts at £2.00; waiting £19.00 an hour
Night (10pm-6am)	Waiting £21.00 an hour
Christmas, New Year, bank holidays	Fare and a half

Worked example

On 1 January the meter shows £16.00. Fare and a half: £16.00 × 1.5 = £24.00. The council cannot set private hire fares.

Local area study tips

Measure from Old Market Square. Learn the station and Magistrates' Court (Carrington Street), City Hospital (Hucknall Road), Theatre Royal (Upper Parliament Street), Motorpoint Arena and National Ice Centre (Bolero Square), Queen's Medical Centre (Derby Road).
Know the River Trent: the City Ground and Trent Bridge are in West Bridgford; Notts County play at Meadow Lane.
Learn areas: Wollaton Hall (Wollaton), Green's Windmill (Sneinton), the Racecourse (Colwick).

Safeguarding and equality

Assistance dogs must be carried unless you display a council Notice of Exemption. No extra charge for wheelchair users or assistance dogs.
Report concerns to the police on 101 (999 in an emergency) and to your operator before the next fare.

Quick check

How long is the topography test? (45 minutes)
What does a retest cost? (£50)
How soon must lost property reach Central Police Station? (Within 24 hours)