PCO Licence: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Private Hire Driver in the UK

If you’ve been thinking about getting behind the wheel as a minicab driver, working for Uber, or building a proper career in private hire, there’s one document that sits at the centre of everything: the PCO Licence. If you’re looking for your taxi license or Uber license, you’re in the right place. This comprehensive guide includes several links that will allow you to obtain your private hire license using the simplest, most quickest and easiest route available.

It’s not especially glamorous, but without it you cannot legally operate as a private hire driver in London. Get it right, though, and you open up a genuinely flexible, self-directed way of earning — on your own schedule, in your own vehicle, with no fixed hours and no one looking over your shoulder.

This guide walks you through everything you need to know: what the PCO Licence is, who issues it, what it costs, what hoops you’ll need to jump through, and how to make the whole process as painless as possible.

What Does PCO Stand For?

PCO stands for Public Carriage Office — the body within Transport for London (TfL) responsible for licensing private hire drivers. The PCO Private Hire Driver Licence is your legal entitlement to work as a minicab driver or chauffeur anywhere within TfL’s jurisdiction. It’s also the licence that allows you to drive for Uber.

Once awarded, the licence is valid for three years before renewal is required.

Am I Eligible for a PCO Licence?

Before diving into the application process, it’s worth confirming you meet the basic eligibility criteria. TfL requires the following:

You must be at least 21 years old
You must hold a valid UK driving licence that you’ve held for a minimum of three years
You must have a valid DBS (criminal record) check
You must pass a medical examination
You must complete the Topographical Skills Assessment
You must pass an English Language test (unless exempt)

If you hold a full, clean EEA driving licence that you’ve held for three or more years, you may also be eligible — but you’ll need to submit the UK counterpart document as part of your application.

How to Apply for a PCO Licence: Step by Step

The application process has several moving parts, but it’s entirely manageable if you work through them in order. Here’s what you’ll need to complete.

Step 1: Complete an Enhanced DBS Check

TfL requires evidence that you are a person of “good character.” That means an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which searches criminal records and relevant information held by police forces and government bodies.

This typically costs around £60 and can be arranged through an umbrella body or an approved provider.

Step 2: Pass a Medical Examination

Private hire drivers are held to DVLA Group 2 medical standards — the same benchmark applied to lorry and bus drivers. The examination covers reaction times, hearing, eyesight, and the absence of serious health conditions that might impair safe driving.

Your GP or another qualified health professional with full access to your medical records can carry out the test. Budget around £80, though costs vary between providers.

Step 3: Pass the Topographical Skills Assessment

This is the test that trips people up most often — mostly because they don’t prepare for it properly. The Topographical Skills Assessment checks whether you can read an A-Z guide, locate places, and plan routes between two points, including routes of varying length and complexity.

You’ll need to sit the test at a TfL-approved assessment centre. If you plan to drive for Uber specifically, you can also take it at the Uber Ignition Centre in London, at a cost of around £50 per applicant. A decent revision session with a London A-Z beforehand makes a significant difference to your chances of passing first time.

Step 4: Pass the English Language Test

Don’t be put off by this one. The required standard is roughly equivalent to early secondary school English, and many applicants are exempt entirely. If you hold UK academic qualifications such as GCSEs, you likely won’t need to sit the test at all. TfL’s website lists which qualifications are deemed acceptable, so check there before booking anything.

If you do need to take it, the test is conducted by one of TfL’s approved language test providers.

Step 5: Submit Your Application via TfL

Once your supporting documents are in order, complete your PCO Licence application on the official TfL website. You can apply online or request a paper form. Make sure everything is in order before you submit — missing documents are one of the most common causes of unnecessary delays.

How Much Does a PCO Licence Cost?

The total cost of obtaining a PCO Licence can reach up to £700 when you add up all the individual elements. Here’s a rough breakdown:

Requirement	Approximate Cost
Enhanced DBS Check	~£60
Medical Examination	~£80
Topographical Skills Assessment	~£50
English Language Test	Variable
TfL Application Fee	Variable
Estimated Total	Up to £700

Costs vary depending on the providers you use, so it pays to shop around where you can — particularly for the medical examination.

Do I Need Training for a PCO Licence?

There’s no mandatory training course for the PCO Licence itself. However, support is available for the two elements that most applicants find challenging: the English Language test and the Topographical Skills Assessment. Some providers offer preparation and mock assessments for both, which can be well worth the investment if you want to pass first time.

If you want a hand navigating the process from start to finish, Get Licensed offer an EasyApply service for £99.99 (inc. VAT) that guides you through each step of the application.

How to Renew Your PCO Licence

Your PCO Licence is valid for three years. TfL will send your renewal forms a few weeks before your expiry date, but don’t leave it too late — the application takes several weeks to process.

Critically, if you leave it more than three months after your licence expires, you will no longer be treated as a renewal applicant. You’ll have to go through the entire process again as a new applicant, which means repeating tests and paying all fees from scratch. Set a diary reminder well in advance.

Becoming an Uber Driver with a PCO Licence

For many people, obtaining a PCO Licence is specifically about driving for Uber — and it’s easy to see why. Uber has an average of 3.5 million users in London alone, meaning consistent demand at virtually any hour of the day or night.

Here’s what makes the Uber model attractive for drivers:

Flexible hours — you drive when it suits you, whether that’s full-time, evenings only, or weekends around another job
Consistent earnings — drivers can earn around £15 per hour on average (including tips), with a 35–45 hour week generating roughly £565
Weekly pay — Uber pays directly into your bank account each week, with a full invoice detailing every trip
Multiple operators — you’re not tied exclusively to Uber; you can work for other private hire operators simultaneously

Worth noting: Uber charges 25% commission on each fare, so factor that into your earnings expectations.

Minimum Requirements to Drive for Uber

A valid driving licence (EU licences must be converted to a UK licence)
Must be at least 21 years old
A minimum number of years of driving experience (varies by area)

Documents You’ll Need to Register with Uber

National Insurance Number
Electronic Counterpart Code
Private Hire Paper Licence
Original UK Plastic Driving Licence
Private Hire Insurance Certificate
MOT issued within the past 6 months
Vehicle logbook (V5C)

The Uber Ignition Session

Before you start driving, Uber requires you to attend an Uber Ignition session — a free half-day information event (up to four hours) that covers how the platform works, how to handle your health and background checks, what insurance you’ll need, and how to complete your private hire licence application if you haven’t already. It’s straightforward and not something to worry about.

What Vehicle Do You Need?

Your vehicle must be under five years old and comfortably seat between four and eight passengers. Uber maintains an approved list of accepted vehicles on their website, so check that before buying or leasing anything specifically for this purpose.

Ready to Get Started?

The PCO Licence process is more straightforward than it might initially appear, but there are a lot of individual steps to coordinate — and getting them out of order, or missing something, can add weeks to your timeline.

If you’d rather have someone walk you through it all, Get Licensed’s EasyApply service is designed to do exactly that. Trusted by over 450,000 people across the UK, they’re well versed in helping applicants get licensed efficiently and without the stress of working it all out alone.

Find out more and start your PCO Licence application with Get Licensed →