Taxi Knowledge Test
Back to the practice page

Nottingham licence conditions: questions and answers

36 practice questions for the Nottingham City Council taxi and private hire knowledge test, with answers and explanations at the end.

Free from taxiknowledgetest.co.uk. Not an official council document: check your council's current guidance.

Questions

Plying for hire and operators

  1. Someone waves down your private hire vehicle in the city centre. They have not booked. What is it called if you take them?

    • A. A walk-up fare
    • B. Illegally plying for hire
    • C. A cash booking
    • D. An emergency hiring

  2. Which vehicles can legally ply for hire in Nottingham city?

    • A. Hackney carriages only
    • B. Private hire vehicles only
    • C. Both, with a badge
    • D. Any car with a meter

  3. You take a street pick-up in a private hire vehicle without a booking. What happens to the vehicle's insurance?

    • A. It still covers the trip
    • B. It covers the passenger only
    • C. It is not valid
    • D. It covers the trip if short

  4. A private hire vehicle may park on a hackney carriage rank while the driver waits for a booking.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  5. Can a Nottingham licensed driver work for more than one Nottingham licensed operator?

    • A. No, only one operator
    • B. Yes, two or more
    • C. Only with a second badge
    • D. Only at weekends

  6. You want to start working for a second operator. What must you give the Council before you start?

    • A. A signed offer of work letter
    • B. A new medical
    • C. A new DBS certificate
    • D. A passenger reference

  7. How much notice must you give the Council before you start working for a second operator?

    • A. 24 hours
    • B. 3 days
    • C. 7 days
    • D. 28 days

  8. You work for two operators. Whose side panel do you display?

    • A. Both operators' panels
    • B. Neither, while you work
    • C. The operator you joined first
    • D. Only the operator who booked this trip

  9. Side panels only need to be displayed when you are working.

    • A. True
    • B. False

Conduct in the vehicle

  1. A passenger asks if they can smoke an e-cigarette in your car. What do you say?

    • A. Yes, with the windows open
    • B. Yes, if you agree
    • C. Yes, on long trips
    • D. No, it is never allowed

  2. You are not working and you are alone in your licensed car. May you smoke in it?

    • A. No, not at any time
    • B. Yes, when off duty
    • C. Yes, with the window open
    • D. Yes, if you clean it after

  3. You arrive to collect a passenger outside their house. How should you let them know?

    • A. Sound the horn twice
    • B. Do not use the horn
    • C. Sound the horn once
    • D. Flash your lights and use the horn

  4. When may you play the radio while carrying a passenger?

    • A. Always, at low volume
    • B. Never, under any conditions
    • C. Only with the hirer's consent
    • D. Only after 10pm

  5. May you eat a sandwich while the vehicle is hired?

    • A. No, not while hired
    • B. Yes, if stopped at lights
    • C. Yes, if the trip is long
    • D. Yes, if the passenger agrees

  6. You may talk to a passenger about private, personal or sexual matters if they start the conversation.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  7. Your phone rings while you are driving a licensed vehicle. What should you do?

    • A. Answer it if the call is short
    • B. Not use a handheld device
    • C. Answer it at the next red light
    • D. Ask the passenger to answer

  8. A passenger asks for a written receipt for the fare they paid. What must you do?

    • A. Refuse unless it is an account job
    • B. Ask the operator to email one
    • C. Give them a written receipt
    • D. Charge a fee for the receipt

  9. An officer from a different council stops you while you work in their area. What must you do?

    • A. Answer reasonable questions and show documents
    • B. Refuse; they have no power over you
    • C. Drive back to Nottingham first
    • D. Only give your name

Passengers, animals and seating

  1. A passenger is blind and has a guide dog. You have no exemption notice. What must you do?

    • A. Carry them and the dog
    • B. Ask the dog to go in the boot
    • C. Refuse if you have allergies
    • D. Charge an extra fee

  2. Can you charge a higher fare because a passenger has an assistance dog?

    • A. Yes, a small fee
    • B. Only for cleaning
    • C. No, never
    • D. Only at night

  3. Can you charge more to carry a passenger who uses a wheelchair?

    • A. Yes, for loading time
    • B. Only in a hackney carriage
    • C. Only if they book late
    • D. No, it is not allowed

  4. A passenger has a pet cat in a box. Where may it travel, if you agree?

    • A. In the front footwell
    • B. In the rear only
    • C. In the boot
    • D. On the passenger's lap in front

  5. A child aged 7 wants to sit in the front of your private hire vehicle. Is this allowed?

    • A. Yes, with a booster seat
    • B. Yes, if a parent agrees
    • C. No, children under 10 cannot sit in front
    • D. Yes, on short trips

  6. Who may sit in the front seats of a Nottingham hackney carriage?

    • A. No passengers
    • B. One adult passenger
    • C. Any passenger over 10
    • D. Up to two passengers

  7. Your private hire vehicle has no special seating plan. How many passengers may sit in the front?

    • A. None
    • B. One
    • C. Two
    • D. Three

  8. Which passenger is not counted towards the number your vehicle is licensed for?

    • A. A child under 3 on an adult's lap in the rear
    • B. A child under 10 in the rear
    • C. A baby in a car seat in front
    • D. Any child under 12

  9. A passenger has heavy bags. What do the conditions say?

    • A. Luggage is not your job
    • B. Give all reasonable help with luggage
    • C. Only help if they pay extra
    • D. Only help hackney passengers

Reporting and time limits

  1. You change your address. When must you tell the Council?

    • A. Within 24 hours
    • B. Within 72 hours
    • C. Within 7 days, in writing
    • D. At your next renewal

  2. Your licensed car is in an accident. How long do you have to send the Council an accident form?

    • A. 24 hours
    • B. 72 hours
    • C. 7 days
    • D. 14 days

  3. A passenger leaves a phone in your car and no one claims it. Where must you take it, and when?

    • A. Central Police Station within 24 hours
    • B. The Council office within 7 days
    • C. Your operator within 72 hours
    • D. Keep it for 28 days

  4. You are arrested but not charged. Must you tell the Council?

    • A. No, only if charged
    • B. No, only if convicted
    • C. Only if it was a driving matter
    • D. Yes, in writing within 7 days

  5. You get a fixed penalty notice for a minor matter. When must you tell the Council?

    • A. Only if you lose the appeal
    • B. Within 7 days, in writing
    • C. Within 28 days
    • D. At renewal

  6. Your GP tells you not to drive because of a health problem. When must you tell the Council?

    • A. Within 7 days
    • B. Only at renewal
    • C. Within 28 days
    • D. Only if DVLA asks

  7. Where must you display your dashboard badge when working?

    • A. In the boot
    • B. In your wallet
    • C. In clear view of passengers
    • D. On the rear window

  8. Your private hire vehicle has a meter. When must the meter be lit up?

    • A. Never
    • B. Only when the passenger pays
    • C. Only on motorways
    • D. In the hours of darkness during a hiring

  9. Your licence is refused because the Council is not satisfied you are fit and proper. How long do you have to appeal to the Magistrates' Court?

    • A. 7 days
    • B. 14 days
    • C. 21 days
    • D. 28 days

Answers

  1. B. Illegally plying for hire. Picking up a passenger who has not pre-booked through a licensed operator is illegally plying for hire.
  2. A. Hackney carriages only. Hackney carriages are the only vehicles that can legally ply for hire within the city boundary.
  3. C. It is not valid. The vehicle's insurance is invalid if a private hire driver illegally plies for hire without a pre-booking through an operator.
  4. B. False. False. Private hire vehicles are not allowed to park on a hackney carriage rank.
  5. B. Yes, two or more. A Nottingham City licensed driver can work for two or more Nottingham City licensed private hire operators, if they follow the conditions.
  6. A. A signed offer of work letter. You must give the Council a signed offer of work letter from each operator before you start work for them.
  7. C. 7 days. Give the Council 7 days' notice before starting or stopping work for an operator. If you have less notice, tell them within 24 hours.
  8. D. Only the operator who booked this trip. Only display the side panel for one operator at a time: the operator the current hiring is booked with.
  9. A. True. True. The Council's 'Did you know' sheet says side panels only need to be displayed when working.
  10. D. No, it is never allowed. You must not smoke, vape or use an e-cigarette in the vehicle at any time, or let anyone else do so.
  11. A. No, not at any time. The condition says no smoking or vaping in the vehicle at any time. The Council calls the licensed vehicle your place of work.
  12. B. Do not use the horn. Drivers must not use the horn to alert a customer on arrival.
  13. C. Only with the hirer's consent. You must not play a radio or music without the hirer's express consent, except for messages about the operation of the vehicle.
  14. A. No, not while hired. Drivers must not drink or eat in the vehicle while it is hired.
  15. B. False. False. Drivers must not engage in conversation of a private, personal or sexual nature with passengers.
  16. B. Not use a handheld device. Drivers must not use a handheld electronic device in the vehicle while it is being driven.
  17. C. Give them a written receipt. If the passenger asks, you must give a written receipt for the fare paid.
  18. A. Answer reasonable questions and show documents. When in another council's area, you must answer reasonable questions and produce documents if that council's authorised officer asks.
  19. A. Carry them and the dog. Assistance animals must be carried if asked, unless the driver displays a Notice of Exemption issued by Nottingham City Council.
  20. C. No, never. A driver cannot charge a higher fare for carrying a guide dog or any assistance animal.
  21. D. No, it is not allowed. A driver cannot charge a higher fare for carrying a wheelchair passenger.
  22. B. In the rear only. You may carry passengers' animals or pets at your discretion, in the rear of the vehicle only. This limit does not apply to assistance dogs.
  23. C. No, children under 10 cannot sit in front. Children under 10 must not be carried in the front of the vehicle.
  24. A. No passengers. No passengers may sit in any front seat of a hackney carriage.
  25. B. One. No more than one passenger may sit in the front of a private hire vehicle, unless the Council has issued a seating plan for an 8-seat vehicle with 2 front passenger seats.
  26. A. A child under 3 on an adult's lap in the rear. Children under 3 sitting on an adult's lap in the rear are not counted for this purpose.
  27. B. Give all reasonable help with luggage. Drivers must give all reasonable assistance with passengers' luggage.
  28. C. Within 7 days, in writing. Tell the Council in writing as soon as reasonably practicable and within 7 days of a change of address.
  29. B. 72 hours. Report all accidents involving the vehicle to the Council on an accident form within 72 hours.
  30. A. Central Police Station within 24 hours. Unclaimed property must be taken to Central Police Station, Nottingham, within 24 hours of being found.
  31. D. Yes, in writing within 7 days. You must tell the Council in writing within 7 days of an arrest for any offence, whether or not you are charged.
  32. B. Within 7 days, in writing. Any fixed penalty notice must be reported to the Council in writing within 7 days.
  33. A. Within 7 days. If your GP has advised you not to drive, or you must tell DVLA about a condition, tell the Council within seven days.
  34. C. In clear view of passengers. Your dashboard badge must be clearly displayed in clear view of passengers at all times when working.
  35. D. In the hours of darkness during a hiring. The meter must be properly lit during any part of the hiring in the hours of darkness, and at other times if the hirer asks.
  36. C. 21 days. An applicant has 21 days to appeal to a Magistrates' Court after a refusal on fit and proper grounds.

Sources

  • Conditions for combined hackney carriage and private hire driver's licence, Nottingham City Council, Undated; file created 2 January 2024. Checked 29 October 2026. https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/media/0bhccc2n/conditions-of-licence-for-a-hc-phv-drivers-licence.docx
  • Did you know - Topography Test, Nottingham City Council, Undated; file created 9 March 2020. Checked 29 October 2026. https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/media/uqpijulf/did-you-know-topography-test.docx