What this covers
You'll need a hackney vehicle licence if you want to use a horse and carriage for paying customers
It applies in England and Wales. Other UK nations run their own regimes — check the equivalent for the nation you trade in.
Why you need it
This licence is not an administrative preference — it exists because Parliament created it. The power to require it comes from Town Police Clauses Act 1847.
We have not yet extracted duties, penalties or exemptions for this Act into the graph, so there is nothing more we can add beyond the source text.
Who issues it
Your local council issues this, acting as the licensing authority for the area you trade in. Councils apply the same statute but set their own fees, conditions and timescales, so two neighbouring authorities can reach you differently.
Where to apply
Our guidance on this
Everything below is written out in full elsewhere on Guvnor — this page points at it rather than repeating it.
Run a taxi or private hire business: licensing and compliance
If you run a taxi (hackney carriage) or private hire (minicab) business, your vehicles, drivers and — for private hire — your booking operation …
Get licences from your local council
Comprehensive guide to local authority licensing requirements including premises licences for alcohol and entertainment, food business registration, street trading, pavement licences, Temporary Event Notices, …
Find licences you need for your business
How to identify and apply for the licences, permits, and registrations your business needs using GOV.UK Licence Finder. Covers premises licences, food registration, transport, …
Licences that often go with this one
Businesses in the same activities usually need one or more of these too.
Hackney carriage licence (England, Scotland and Wales)
Your council · England, Wales and Scotland
Licence for projections over a highway (England & Wales)
Your council · England and Wales
Duty, penalty and exemption labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the enabling instrument, not the instrument itself. Fees, forms and conditions are set by the issuing authority — always check the linked source.