Vehicles

Service update

Regulatory services are no longer at Jubilee Stores. If you need to contact the Licensing team, email licensing@iow.gov.uk.

An officer will respond as soon as possible. Make sure your email contains your full name, address, a telephone number and a detailed description of your query.

We are responsible for licensing hackney carriages (taxis) and private hire vehicles to ensure they meet statutory requirements and operate in a safe manner under the conditions of their licence.

Taxis fall into two different types of services.

Taxis can ply for hire in the street and at taxi ranks. Journeys do not have to be pre-booked.

A licenced taxi on the Isle of Wight must display a white plate on the rear of the vehicle and a smaller version in the front windscreen, just above the tax disc. These plates display the licence plate number, the registration number of the vehicle and the number of persons the vehicle may lawfully carry.

Fares for taxis are regulated by us, view the current table of fares (PDF, 0.5MB, 1 page).

View the Hackney Carriage Proprietors Licence Conditions (PDF, 75KB, 4 pages).

Private hire vehicles cannot ply for hire in the street or at taxi ranks. Journeys must be pre-booked, normally by phone or in person.

A licenced private hire vehicle on Isle of Wight must display a yellow plate on the rear of the vehicle and a smaller version in the front windscreen. In addition yellow door stickers are fixed to the front doors. The plate and the door stickers display the number of the vehicle, expiry date, the registration number of the vehicle and the number of persons the vehicle may lawfully carry.

Fares for private hire vehicles are not regulated by us, the cost of a journey will normally be agreed with the operator prior to commencement of the journey.

View the Private Hire Vehicle Conditions (PDF, 84KB, 4 pages).

To apply for a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Licence, visit apply for a licence.