Private hire and taxi vehicle, driver and operator licence fees consultation
We have aligned our processes at West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and now we are proposing unified taxi and private hire licence fees across the WNC area.
This proposal will replace fees previously set by former councils of South Northamptonshire, Daventry District and Northampton Borough.
These proposals are currently open to consultation - read more about the consultation and have your say.
The consultation closes on Thursday 5 February 2026.
How to read these tables
The tables below show the former fees, with the final column showing the proposed WNC fee for 2025/26.
Where N/A is shown, this means the previous council did not charge this fee separately.
Vehicles
| Description | 2024/25 Northampton Borough Council charge (£) | 2024/25 Daventry Borough Council charge (£) | 2024/25 South Northants Council charge (£) | 2025/26 - Proposed WNC fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Private Hire Vehicle | 198 (excluding vehicle test) | 173 (excluding vehicle test | 270 (including vehicle test) | 235 (excluding vehicle test) |
| Renewal Private Hire Vehicle | 186 (excluding vehicle test) | 161 (excluding vehicle test) | 250 (including vehicle test | 225 (excluding vehicle test) |
| New Hackney Carriage Vehicle | 198 (excluding vehicle test) | 173 (excluding vehicle test) | 292 (including vehicle test) | 235 (excluding vehicle test) |
| Renewal Hackney Carriage Vehicle | 198 (excluding vehicle test) | 161 (excluding vehicle test) | 272 (including vehicle test) | 225 (excluding vehicle test) |
| Vehicle Owner Transfer | 22 | 115 (includes vehicle compliance check) | 52 | 60 (no compliance check required) |
Drivers
| Description | 2024/25 Northampton Borough Council charge (£) | 2024/25 Daventry Borough Council charge (£) | 2024/25 South Northants Council charge (£) | 2025/26 - Proposed WNC fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spoken English Test | N/A | N/A | 40 | 70 |
| Induction training presentation plus knowledge test | N/A | N/A | N/A | 85 |
| Induction retake fee | 55 | N/A | N/A | 70 |
| Hackney Carriage Zone Knowledge Test | 55 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
| Safeguarding Training | N/A | N/A | 30 | Removed - delivered by external partner |
| New Driver Licence (1 year) | 190 | 117 | 114 | 245 |
| New Driver Licence (3 year) | 190 | 200 | 200 | 245 |
| Driver Licence Renewal (1 year) | 140 | 105 | 96 | 233 |
| Driver Licence Renewal (3 year) | 140 | 187 | 200 | 233 |
| Driver Safety Awareness Course | 200 | N/A | N/A | 200 |
| Initial appointment | 30 | N/A | N/A | Removed |
| Induction day including test fees | 100 | N/A | N/A | Removed |
Operators - licences
| Description | 2024/25 Northampton Borough Council charge (£) | 2024/25 Daventry Borough Council charge (£) | 2024/25 South Northants Council charge (£) | 2025/26 - Proposed WNC fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Hire Operator Licence (1 year) - New application - 0 Vehicles | N/A | N/A | N/A | 250 |
| Private Hire Operator Licence (5 year) - New application - 1 or more vehicles | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1050 |
| Private Hire Operator Renewal (5 year) 1 to 5 vehicles | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1050 |
| Private Hire Operator Renewal (5 year) 6 to 20 vehicles | 1750 | N/A | N/A | 1200 |
| Private Hire Operator Renewal (5 year) 21 to 50 vehicles | 2050 | N/A | N/A | 2100 |
| Private Hire Operator Renewal (5 year) 51 to 100 vehicles | 2650 | N/A | N/A | 3150 |
| Private Hire Operator Renewal (5 year) 101 to 200 vehicles | 3850 | N/A | N/A | 5400 |
| Private Hire Operator Renewal (5 year) 201 to 300 | 6250 | N/A | N/A | 8400 |
| Private Hire Operator Renewal (5 year) 301 to 400 | 11050 | N/A | N/A | 11400 |
| Private Hire Operator Renewal (5 year) 401 - 500 vehicles | N/A | N/A | N/A | 14400 |
| Private Hire Operator Renewal (5 year) 501 vehicles + | 50650 | N/A | N/A | 21000 |
| Operator Change of Details | 220 | N/A | N/A | 250 |
| Operator Licence (1 year) | N/A | 95 plus 28 per vehicle | 140 plus 20 per vehicle | Removed |
| Private Hire Operator Renewal (5 year) - new application | scale depending on number of vehicles see below) | 268 plus 28 per vehicle | 230 plus 20 per vehicle | Removed |
| Northampton Private Hire Vehicle Operator Fees - (5 Year) - New application | 1550 | N/A | N/A | Removed |
| Northampton Private Hire Vehicle Operator Fees - (5 Year) - Renewal 0 Vehicle | 1450 | N/A | N/A | Removed |
| Northampton Private Hire Vehicle Operator Fees - (5 Year) - Renewal 1 Vehicle | 1100 | N/A | N/A | Removed |
| Northampton Private Hire Vehicle Operator Fees - (5 Year) - Renewal 2 to 5 Vehicle | 1600 | N/A | N/A | Removed |
Other fees
| Description | 2024/25 Northampton Borough Council charge (£) | 2024/25 Daventry Borough Council charge (£) | 2024/25 South Northants Council charge (£) | 2025/26 - Proposed WNC fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Hire Door signs | N/A | N/A | 20 | 35 |
| Licence - Replacement | 22 | 22 | 22 | 15 |
| Vehicle Plate Replacement - External | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| Internal Comments/Complaints Stickers | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10 |
| Vehicle Bracket | 25 | 25 | 25 | 35 |
| Driver Badge Replacement | 25 | 25 | 25 | 35 |
| Vehicle Plate Replacement - Internal | N/A | N/A | 10 | Removed |
| DBS and DVLA Checks | 50 | 50 | 50 | Removed checks undertaken by external supplier |
Last updated 08 January 2026