UK council taxi licensing varies meaningfully by jurisdiction — TfL operates a London-specific framework; major city councils run combined Hackney + PHV regimes with council-specific quarterly return formats; Northern Ireland operates the DVA framework. This checklist covers the compliance items operators need across the major UK jurisdictions.
1. London (TfL)
TfL operator monthly returns by 7th business day of following month; ULEZ + Congestion Charge tracking; PHV-only licensing (no combined Hackney + PHV regime). 2026 format includes ULEZ-compliance percentage + booking-source-channel fields.
2. Manchester (MCC), Liverpool (LCC), Leeds (LCC), Birmingham (BCC)
Combined Hackney + PHV operator-licensing regime. Quarterly returns. Manchester 2026 format includes per-week hackney-driver-minute columns. Birmingham + Bristol + Sheffield + Newcastle add CAZ overlay requirements.
3. Glasgow (GCC), Edinburgh (CEC)
Glasgow combined Hackney + PHV. Edinburgh PHC-specific (Private Hire Car) licensing distinct from typical Hackney + PHV split. Edinburgh PHC renewal-cycle automation. Glasgow events-calendar dispatch tempo.
4. Northern Ireland (DVA)
Class A (multi-purpose), B (private hire), C (taxi-bus) licence distinctions. Cross-border Republic-of-Ireland considerations for Belfast + border-region operators. DVA quarterly returns separate from NTA returns.
5. Republic of Ireland (NTA)
NTA SPSV licensing at country level. 2025-updated quarterly return format with columnar requirements. Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick all NTA-regulated.
About the author
Regan Marshall
Lead, Operator Strategy, TaxiCloud
Regan Marshall works with UK and Ireland fleet operators on dispatch strategy, AI Copilot adoption, and migration planning. Reach out at regan@taxicloud.ai.