How to Get a PCO Licence in London (2026): Steps, Costs and Tests

If you want to drive for Uber, Bolt, Freenow or a local minicab firm in London, you need a private hire driver licence from Transport for London. Most people call it a PCO licence. TfL calls it a PHV driver licence. They’re the same thing.

This guide walks through who can apply, the three tests you have to pass, what it costs in 2026 and how long it takes. Every fee and rule below comes from TfL’s own pages, which we checked in November 2026.

Can you apply?

TfL sets five basic rules. You must:

• be at least 21 when you apply (there’s no upper age limit)
• have held a full DVLA, Northern Ireland or EEA driving licence for at least three years
• have the right to live and work in the UK
• be of “good character”, which TfL checks with an enhanced DBS check
• meet the DVLA Group 2 medical standard, the same one used for lorry and bus drivers

One detail catches people out. If you swapped a licence from another country for a UK one, the time you held the foreign licence doesn’t count. The three years start from the date your UK or EEA licence was issued.

If you’ve lived outside the UK for three months or more in a row at any point in the last 10 years, you’ll also need a Certificate of Good Conduct from that country. Longer holidays count too.

The three tests

Before TfL will grant your licence, you have to pass three assessments. All of them take place at a TfL driver assessment centre.

1. English speaking and listening

A 15 to 20 minute conversation, held over a secure video or phone link with TfL’s provider, PeopleCert. It checks that you can hold a normal conversation with passengers.

2. Topographical assessment

A computer test of map reading and route planning. It’s marked out of 100 and you need 60% to pass. Route planning is worth 66 of those marks, so it’s the part to practise most. Our Topographical guide and free practice questions cover the rest of the test in detail.

3. SERU (Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding)

A computer test with multiple-choice and sentence-completion questions, all based on TfL’s PHV Driver’s Handbook. TfL also uses it to check your reading and writing. TfL expects you to finish its free online Safeguarding Awareness training before you sit SERU. You can try 10 free SERU questions here.

How much does a PCO licence cost in 2026?

TfL raised its fees this year, the first rise since 2017. Here’s what you pay TfL if you pass every test first time:

Fee	Amount
Licence application fee	£138
Grant of licence fee (paid when your licence is approved)	£205
English speaking and listening test	£40
Topographical assessment	£40
SERU assessment	£40
Total paid to TfL	£463
GP medical on TfL’s TPH/204 form	Set by your GP
Eye test by an optician, if your GP can’t do it	Set by the optician

A re-sit of any of the three tests costs £30. The medical isn’t free on the NHS: your GP charges a private fee for filling in TfL’s form, and prices vary a lot from one practice to the next, so ask before you book.

On top of that you’ll pay for:

• the enhanced DBS check, through TfL’s authorised provider
• the DBS Update Service, which TfL now requires you to join and keep paying for while you’re licensed. It costs £15 a year.
• a Certificate of Good Conduct, if you need one

TfL says it never charges more than the advertised fees and doesn’t offer a fast-track service. If anyone offers to speed up your licence for money, it’s a scam. TfL asks you to report it to tphreport@tfl.gov.uk.

How long does it take?

There’s no fixed answer. TfL handles new applications in the order it receives them and has warned that it’s dealing with high volumes, so new applications are taking longer than normal. Some parts are out of TfL’s hands too, like your DBS check and getting your medical records.

What you can control is the paperwork. TfL’s advice is simple: make sure your name is spelled the same way, in the same order, on every document. Mismatched names are one of the most common reasons for delays.

Step by step

1. Check you meet the rules above. In particular the three-year driving licence rule.
2. Create a TfL online account and apply. You’ll pay the £138 application fee and upload a photo that meets TfL’s guidance.
3. Do your enhanced DBS check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service.
4. Get your Group 2 medical on TfL’s TPH/204 form, from a doctor who can see your full medical history. If your GP can’t check your eyesight, an optician fills in and stamps that section. Doing the eye test first can save you a second trip.
5. Complete the HMRC step. First-time applicants confirm they’ve read HMRC’s guidance on tax. If you’ve held a taxi or PHV licence in the last 12 months, you’ll need a 9-character tax check code from HMRC instead, and it’s only valid for 120 days.
6. Pass your three tests and finish the Safeguarding Awareness training. Here’s how to book the tests.
7. Pay the £205 grant fee once your licence is approved.
8. Sort out a car and insurance, then sign up with an operator. More on that below.

You’ll need a licensed car too

Your PCO licence covers you, not the car. The car needs its own PHV licence from TfL, which costs £84 to apply for and £56 to grant.

TfL’s rules for cars are strict. Any car being licensed as a PHV in London for the first time must be zero emission capable and meet the Euro 6 standard. In practice that means a fully electric car or a plug-in hybrid with a long enough electric range. Cars that are already licensed must be no older than 10 years when they’re re-licensed.

You’ll also need hire and reward insurance. That’s the cover that lets you carry paying passengers, and it’s separate from normal car insurance.

Lots of new drivers rent a car that’s already PHV-licensed for the first few months rather than buying one. It costs more per week but saves a big upfront bill while you find out if the job suits you.

Once you’re licensed

You can only take bookings through a licensed private hire operator. That could be an app like Uber, Bolt or Freenow, or a local minicab company. Picking up people who wave you down in the street is illegal for PHV drivers.

Two rules to remember from day one:

• Report to TfL within 48 hours if you’re arrested and released, charged, cautioned or convicted. That includes driving offences that put points on your licence.
• Display TfL’s complaints signage in the car you drive. It’s been required since 1 July 2025.

We’ve written separate guides for each app:

• How to become an Uber driver in London
• How to become a Bolt driver in London
• How to drive for Freenow in London

Fees and rules checked against TfL (including TPH Notice 05/26) in November 2026. Always check TfL’s website before you apply.