Skip to main content
Guidance

Licensing authority guide to right to work checks

Guidance for licensing authorities on how to check the immigration status of people who apply for a taxi or private hire licence.

Updates to this page

From:
UK Visas and Immigration and Home Office
Published:
1 December 2016
Last updated:
2 October 2026
Show all updates

  1. Added accessible version of guidance.

  2. Updated the guidance for licensing authorities to prevent illegal working in the taxi and private hire sector in the UK. A full list of changes can be found in the guide.

  3. Updated the guidance for licensing authorities to prevent illegal working in the taxi and private hire sector in the UK. A full list of changes can be found in the guide.

  4. Welsh guidance updated.

  5. Added Welsh version of guidance.

  6. An accessible version of the guidance has been added.

  7. This guidance has been updated throughout. A full list of changes is on page 5.

  8. Removed the requirement for licensing authorities to contact the Status Verification, Enquiries and Checking service (SVEC) when conducting an immigration status online check involving an outstanding EUSS application made on or after 1 July 2021. Removed reference to Immigration Enforcement 28-day notices in respect of EEA citizens and their non-EEA family members which are no longer in use. End of the COVID-19 temporary adjusted checks on 30 September 2022. Changes to enable some individuals with an outstanding, in-time application for permission to stay in the UK, or an appeal, or administrative review (3C leave) to prove their right to work using the Home Office online checking service. Information on short-dated Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs).

  9. Guidance for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland updated and presented in one document covering the UK.

  10. Guidance updated to explain changes to checks from 6 April 2022.

  11. Guidance documents updated due to changes to the right to work scheme.

  12. Updated document for Northern Ireland.

  13. Updated guidance.

  14. First published.

Documents

Guidance for licensing authorities to prevent illegal working in the taxi and private hire sector in the UK: 1 October 2026 (accessible)

HTML

Guidance for licensing authorities to prevent illegal working in the taxi and private hire sector in the UK: 1 October 2026

PDF, 706 KB, 38 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

You can find the previous version of this guide at the National Archives, along with earlier versions

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20240611190531/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/licensing-authority-guide-to-right-to-work-checks

Details

We are in the process of updating the Welsh translation of this guide.

This guidance is for licensing authority staff responsible for the issue, renewal, suspension and revocation of private hire and taxi driver licences and operator licences (called booking office licences in Scotland).

It has been issued to support the implementation of provisions in the Immigration Act 2016 in relation to illegal working in the private hire and taxi sector. These provisions commenced on 1 December 2016 with the exception of booking offices in Scotland.

Provisions in respect of booking offices commenced 22 January 2018 and the second edition of this guidance reflects this change. Licence applications are subject to immigration checks to prevent them being issued to anyone who does not have the right to work in the UK.

It includes information on:

  • who is disqualified from holding a licence
  • how and when to conduct right to a licence checks
  • acceptable documents for these checks
  • how to provide information to the Home Office

We are aware this PDF publication may have accessibility issues. We are reviewing this so that we can fix it.

Read more about our accessible documents policy.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Related content