Hackney carriages and private hire

4. Vehicle licence applications

Any vehicle being used for public or private hire, and carries 8 passengers or less, must be licensed with the Local Authority of where it will be operating; in this case, the Borough of Oldham.

The only people permitted to drive a vehicle licensed in Oldham are those who hold a Dual Driver Licence with Oldham Council. This applies to both public and private hire vehicles. Anyone who is found driving a licensed vehicle, without holding a Dual Driver Licence, is liable for prosecution under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

To be eligible to licence a vehicle you must:

  • Be 21 or over
  • Complete the licence process within one month of the vehicle being tested

What you need to know about vehicle ages and testing requirements before you start:

All vehicles must be emission compliant in order to be licensed.

  • Vehicles under 3 years of age are tested once per year
  • Vehicles between 3 and 12 years of age are tested twice per year

For detailed information on vehicle requirements please refer to our Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy which can be found below:

New and renewal vehicle applications

To apply to licence a vehicle, or renew a current vehicle licence, you must apply online using the following link

You will be able to select your own vehicle examination date and time and pay the fee at the end of the process. If you have a private registration number on your vehicle, please email licensing@oldham.gov.uk to apply, as you will be unable to use our online booking system.

We encourage applicants to apply to renew as far in advance as possible, at least 6-8 weeks, to ensure there are plenty of tests available prior to your current licence expiring. If you are late renewing your vehicle and your licence expires, you must submit a new application. The system will no longer recognise your vehicle as a renewal.

Once you have submitted your application you will receive an email containing your vehicle examination test date and time. You must keep that email safe; it also contains the dates and times of your future tests.

You must email your documents to the licensing team at licensing@oldham.gov.uk as soon as you receive your confirmation email. This is so that the team can process your plates as soon as you pass your test (see below for documents required).

  • V5C (Logbook) – pages 1 & 2
  • Certificate of Insurance

If you have recently bought a new vehicle and are still waiting to receive your new logbook, you must also provide the following:

  • New Keeper Slip
  • Bill of Sale (receipt)
  • Proof of Road Tax

If you fail to email your documents to us before you go to test, this will delay your plates being made.

You must attend our approved vehicle testing station for your vehicle examination to be carried out:

Moorhey Street Depot, Moorhey Street, Oldham, OL4 1JF

Transfer of ownership

If you buy or sell a licensed vehicle you must notify the Licensing Office within 14 days. Failure to do so is an offence.

To apply to transfer a vehicle licence into your name, please complete the online form below. You can upload your supporting documents to the form as you apply.

Change of vehicle

If you want to change your vehicle mid-licence, you can do so using our online form below. You can use the online form to apply & upload your documents.

We will be notified of your application and a member of the team will contact you to notify you of the fee required and a link to make payment.

Once payment has been made, you will receive details of your vehicle test date and time.

IMPORTANT: You must return your old plates to the Licensing Service before your new ones will be given to you. If you fail to return your plates, you will not be issued with your new ones.