From 2 November 2026, Walsall Council's new vehicle standards apply to hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. A vehicle being licensed for the first time can be of any age. Apply for a private hire or Hackney carriage driver licence
The licensing handbook, version 1.2 and dated 28 September 2026, records that the council has eliminated any age restrictions on vehicle licensing to support the industry's shift to zero-emission vehicles, and that it encourages the registration of electric vehicles as hackney carriages or private hire vehicles. Hackney carriage and private hire licensing handbook
What a first licence still requires
The handbook accepts an application for a hackney carriage of any age on a first licence. Every hackney carriage must be wheelchair accessible and able to carry a passenger who stays seated in a reference wheelchair of 700mm by 1,200mm.
A private hire vehicle of any age may also be put forward for a first licence. Where that vehicle is wheelchair accessible, it must take a passenger who remains in a wheelchair of the same size.
The council's vehicle page sets the other rules for a vehicle licensed for the first time. It must have been manufactured as right-hand drive, seat between four and eight passengers, and have doors large enough for safe entry and exit. The luggage compartment must be large enough for the seating and separated from the passengers by a suitable barrier. There must be no side-facing seats. Each tyre must have at least 3mm of tread at the MOT and compliance test and for the life of the licence. A private hire vehicle cannot carry a roof sign and must not look like a hackney carriage. The vehicle must be of a high standard, free from rust and scratches. Hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licences are issued for no more than 12 months.
A limousine licensed under the special-event rules is also outside any age restriction, and is presented for an MOT at a council-approved garage every four months.
Apply for a private hire vehicle or Hackney carriage licence
How often the vehicle is tested
A fully electric or hydrogen hackney carriage under 10 years old, counted from first registration or manufacture, must pass a full MOT and compliance test once a year at the council's appointed garage. The same annual test applies to a fully electric or hydrogen private hire vehicle that is under 10 years old at the time of licensing.
A hackney carriage that is not fully electric or hydrogen, and a fully electric hackney carriage that is 10 years old, must pass that annual test and an interim compliance test at six months. A private hire vehicle that is not fully electric or hydrogen, and an electric private hire vehicle over 10 years old, is tested on the same pattern.
The licensing authority may ask for further tests if it has concerns about safety or suitability. Where a hackney carriage shows wear and tear, or frequent advisory notes on MOT certificates, it may be tested more than twice a year. For a private hire vehicle, wear and tear or frequent major advisory items on an MOT or compliance certificate can mean testing more than twice a year, and the authority may revoke, suspend or refuse the licence.
A complete application can take up to two weeks. The paperwork has to be in at least five working days before the MOT and compliance test.