Sefton Licensing Handbook: questions and answers

59 practice questions for the Sefton 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

Getting and keeping a driver licence

How long must you have held a full driving licence before Sefton will grant you a driver licence?
- A. At least 12 months in total
- B. At least 6 months in total
- C. At least 3 years in total
- D. At least 5 years with no points
What kind of medical does Sefton need before it grants a driver licence?
- A. A DVLA Group 1 car medical
- B. An eyesight test at an optician
- C. A full DVLA Group 2 medical
- D. A health form you fill in yourself
After your first licence, at what ages does Sefton ask for a new medical?
- A. At 40, 50 and 60, then every 5 years
- B. At 45, 55 and 65, then every 3 years
- C. At 50 and 60, then every year after that
- D. Every 5 years, whatever your age is
The Council refuses you a licence because you are not a 'fit and proper' person. What can you do?
- A. Appeal to the Crown Court within 28 days
- B. Appeal to the County Court within 14 days
- C. Ask a councillor to overturn it within 6 months
- D. Appeal to the Magistrates' Court within 21 days
You receive a formal caution while you hold a Sefton private hire driver licence. When must you tell the Council in writing?
- A. Within 48 hours
- B. Within 7 working days
- C. Within 14 working days
- D. When you next renew your licence
Your licensed vehicle is in an accident that damages it. When must you report it to the Council?
- A. Within 24 hours, by phoning the Contact Centre
- B. Within 7 working days, with a written quote for the repairs
- C. Only if someone was injured, within 14 days
- D. Within 72 hours, with details and the insurance policy
A court bans you from driving. What must you do as a licensed driver?
- A. Tell the Council within 24 hours and return your licence and badge within 7 working days
- B. Tell the Council within 7 days and keep your badge until the ban has ended
- C. Tell your operator only; the Council will hear about it from the court
- D. Return your badge within 24 hours and tell the Council at renewal time
You move house. How long do you have to tell the Council in writing?
- A. 48 hours
- B. 28 days
- C. 7 working days
- D. 3 months
Your last Sefton licence ran out 18 months ago and you apply again. Do you need to take the knowledge test?
- A. Yes, because every new application needs a new test
- B. Yes, because your old licence expired more than 12 months ago
- C. No, as long as you pass a new DBS check and medical
- D. No, because your last licence expired less than 2 years ago
Can you bring an interpreter to help you with the knowledge test?
- A. No, you must pass it without an interpreter
- B. Yes, if you book one with the Council first
- C. Yes, but only for the safeguarding questions
- D. Yes, if you pay the interpreter's fee yourself

Private hire drivers and operators

Before you start work as a private hire driver, where must your private hire driver licence be kept?
- A. With you in the vehicle, and a copy at home
- B. With the Council, and a copy with the proprietor
- C. With the vehicle proprietor, and a copy with the operator
- D. With the operator, and a copy in the glovebox
A passenger leaves a phone in your private hire vehicle. What must you do with it?
- A. Keep it safe for 7 days and then hand it to your operator
- B. Report it to the police or return it to the owner within 48 hours
- C. Hand it to the Council at the One Stop Shop within 14 days
- D. Leave it in the car until the passenger rings the operator
Can you play the radio or music during a private hire journey?
- A. Only if the hirer clearly agrees to it
- B. Yes, at a low volume, without asking anyone
- C. No, never, whatever the passenger wants
- D. Only between 7am and 11pm on weekdays
Someone waves at your private hire car in the street and asks for a ride. What should you do?
- A. Take them if you have no booking for the next hour
- B. Take them if you start the meter as soon as they get in the car
- C. Refuse; every journey must be booked through your operator
- D. Take them if you ring the operator once the trip ends
You hold a Sefton private hire driver licence. Can you work for an operator licensed by another council?
- A. Yes, if the operator's office is within 10 miles of Sefton
- B. No; driver, vehicle and operator must all be licensed by one council
- C. Yes, if your vehicle licence plate is also from Sefton
- D. Yes, but only for journeys that start inside Sefton
What must the operator door signs on a private hire vehicle say?
- A. "PRE-BOOKED TAXI", in letters at least 50mm high
- B. "LICENSED CAB", in letters at least 25mm high
- C. "SEFTON PRIVATE HIRE", in letters at least 10mm high
- D. "PRIVATE HIRE ONLY", in letters at least 25mm high
Which of these is not allowed on a private hire vehicle?
- A. Showing the operator's website address on the door signs
- B. Calling the vehicle a taxi or cab on its signs
- C. Fitting a small rear window sign with the operator's number
- D. Displaying the operator's mobile app name on the door
When can a private hire vehicle work without its operator door signs?
- A. When the driver is taking a passenger to an airport outside of Sefton
- B. When the vehicle is a saloon with tinted rear windows fitted
- C. When the journey was booked through an app, not by phone
- D. When it has a Council exemption notice for a full day (24 hour) hire
For how long must a private hire operator keep its journey records?
- A. At least 6 months
- B. At least 1 month
- C. At least 3 years
- D. Until the end of each tax year
Before you start a shift in someone else's private hire vehicle, what must you check?
- A. Only the fuel level, the satnav and the radio
- B. Nothing, as it is the owner's job
- C. Fluid levels, tyres, brakes and lights
- D. Only the tax disc and the MOT date
Where must operator door signs be shown on a private hire vehicle while it is working?
- A. On the bonnet and on the boot lid
- B. On the driver's door only
- C. In the front and rear windscreens
- D. On both front doors or on both rear doors

Hackney carriage byelaws and conditions

You drive to a hackney carriage rank and every space is taken. What do the byelaws say you must do?
- A. Go on to another rank
- B. Wait in the road beside the rank
- C. Park on the nearest yellow line
- D. Wait behind the rank on the pavement
There is space on a rank. Where do you put your hackney carriage?
- A. At the front, if the first driver is away from the car
- B. Anywhere on the rank with a clear space
- C. Behind the last carriage, facing the same way
- D. Beside the first carriage, ready to leave
While waiting on a rank, may you call out to people walking past to get a fare?
- A. Yes, if you stay inside your vehicle
- B. No, and you must not ask someone else to do it
- C. Yes, but only after 10pm at night
- D. No, unless the rank is near a station
A passenger leaves a bag in your hackney carriage and nobody claims it. What must you do?
- A. Take it to a police station in Sefton within 48 hours
- B. Keep it at home for 28 days before handing it in
- C. Take it to the One Stop Shop within 7 days
- D. Give it to the next driver on the rank to hold
When must the taximeter dial be lit during a hiring?
- A. Only when the passenger asks to see the fare on the dial
- B. From 6pm to 6am every day of the year, and at no other time
- C. From half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, or when asked
- D. Only while the vehicle is stopped and waiting for a passenger
A Sefton hackney carriage roof sign is not in a roof bubble. What colours must it be?
- A. White at the front and red at the back
- B. Yellow at the front and red at the back
- C. Yellow at the front and yellow at the back
- D. Black at the front and white at the back
When should the roof sign on a hackney carriage be lit?
- A. When the vehicle is hired, and off when free
- B. All the time the engine is running
- C. Only after dark, whether hired or not
- D. When the vehicle is free for hire, and off when hired
Your hackney carriage is a saloon car, not a purpose-built cab. What words must the front of its roof sign show?
- A. "TAXI" on its own is enough
- B. "TAXI HACKNEY" or "HACKNEY TAXI"
- C. "SEFTON TAXIS" or "TAXI FOR HIRE"
- D. "FOR HIRE" or "HIRE ME"
Can a Sefton hackney carriage pick up people in the street in Liverpool?
- A. Yes, anywhere on Merseyside
- B. Yes, but only from the ranks in Liverpool
- C. No, it can never go into Liverpool
- D. No, but it can do pre-booked work there
On a metered journey, can you ask for more than the fare on the taximeter?
- A. Only for extras allowed in the Council's table of fares
- B. Yes, if the traffic was much worse than usual
- C. Yes, if you and the passenger agree a price at the end
- D. Yes, up to 10% more for late night journeys
How many hackney carriage vehicle licences does Sefton currently limit itself to?
- A. 150
- B. 328
- C. 271
- D. 500
When must a hackney carriage driver wear the Council badge?
- A. Only when a police officer asks to see it
- B. Only on journeys that leave the borough
- C. Only during night shifts after 8pm
- D. When standing or plying for hire, and when hired

Licensed vehicles: standards, plates and signs

For how long is a vehicle compliance certificate valid before you license the vehicle?
- A. 28 days
- B. 7 days
- C. 3 months
- D. 12 months
A standard car is over 8 years old. Can Sefton license it?
- A. Yes, for a full year, if it passes a normal MOT test first
- B. No, never, whatever its condition or history
- C. Only if Sefton licensed it the year before, then for 6 months at a time
- D. Only if it is wheelchair accessible, for 3 years
A purpose-built hackney carriage on a separate chassis (a London-style cab) can be licensed up to what age before the stricter rule applies?
- A. 5 years
- B. 11 years
- C. 8 years
- D. 15 years
What is the minimum light that must pass through the front windscreen?
- A. 75%
- B. 50%
- C. 60%
- D. 90%
Your licensed vehicle has a scratch on the bodywork. Above what length does it fail the minimum standard?
- A. 5mm
- B. 100mm
- C. 25mm
- D. 250mm
You want to fit CCTV in your licensed vehicle. What must you do?
- A. Get written consent from every single passenger
- B. Display at least one warning notice inside
- C. Fit it only if it records no sound
- D. Tell the police each time you record
Where must the large external licence plate go?
- A. Stuck inside the rear window, facing out
- B. Fixed to the front bumper below the number plate
- C. Kept in the glovebox to show on request
- D. Screwed securely to the rear of the vehicle
Where must the small internal licence plate go?
- A. Inside the offside of the rear window
- B. Inside the nearside of the front windscreen
- C. On the dashboard just in front of the driver
- D. On the back of the driver's headrest
A family with a baby wants to travel. Your licence says 4 passengers and there are 4 adults. Can the baby come too?
- A. Yes, babies on a lap do not count at all
- B. Yes, if the baby travels in a car seat in the boot space
- C. Yes, if the parents sign to accept the risk
- D. No; babies count towards the number on the licence
An officer finds one of your vehicle's lights is not working. What does the handbook say usually happens?
- A. You get a 24-hour advisory notice to fix it and show the vehicle
- B. Your driver licence is suspended for three months, starting today
- C. You get a fixed penalty and a 7-day ban from all work
- D. Your vehicle licence is revoked and the plates removed
Your vehicle is found with two underinflated tyres. What is the usual sanction?
- A. A verbal warning and advice to check them soon
- B. A 7-day notice to fix them at a Council garage
- C. Immediate suspension of the vehicle licence until fixed
- D. A fine but no change to the vehicle licence
How many vehicle examinations a year can the Council require?
- A. Only one
- B. Up to six
- C. One a month
- D. Up to three

Conduct, convictions and safeguarding

You are worried a child in your car is being neglected, but they are not in immediate danger. Who should you ring?
- A. The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 140 0845
- B. The child's school the next day, in office hours
- C. Your operator, so they can decide what to do
- D. Nobody, unless the child asks you for help
You suspect a young passenger is being sexually exploited. Which number does the handbook give for this?
- A. 111, or the NHS walk-in centre
- B. Your operator's office number
- C. 101, or the MASH on 0345 140 0845
- D. The Council's licensing team email
You are worried about child sexual exploitation. What notes does the handbook say are most useful to the police?
- A. Your own view of the family and where they come from
- B. Names, descriptions, pick-up and drop-off addresses, dates and times
- C. A photo of the child taken on your phone without asking
- D. Only the fare paid and how it was paid
What can happen to a driver who refuses to carry a guide dog or assistance dog?
- A. It is an offence, with fines of up to £5,000
- B. Nothing, if the driver offers to call another car
- C. A warning letter, then a fine of up to £100
- D. It is allowed if the driver has a pet allergy
On what grounds can a driver be exempt from carrying assistance dogs?
- A. Religious grounds, with a signed letter from a faith leader
- B. If the vehicle has new seats or carpets fitted
- C. Medical grounds only, with a Council exemption certificate
- D. If the operator agrees and notes it on the booking
A passenger lights a cigarette in your vehicle. Who is responsible for stopping it?
- A. The passenger alone, because it is their choice
- B. You, the driver, and you could get a fixed penalty
- C. The operator, who must call and warn the passenger
- D. Nobody, if all the windows are open
You cannot finish a journey because of a problem you could have avoided. What can you charge?
- A. Half the fare shown on the meter so far
- B. The full fare that was agreed at the start
- C. The distance driven plus a call-out charge
- D. Nothing for the distance you have driven
An applicant has a conviction for an offence of dishonesty. How long does the convictions policy say must pass before a licence is granted?
- A. At least 2 years after the conviction
- B. At least 7 years after the sentence ends
- C. At least 12 months after the sentence ends
- D. It can never be granted for dishonesty
An applicant has a penalty for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving. How long must they wait?
- A. At least 6 months
- B. At least 1 year
- C. At least 10 years
- D. At least 5 years
A licensed driver fails a police roadside breath test. What does the convictions policy say?
- A. Their licence will be revoked
- B. They get a formal written warning
- C. Their licence is suspended for 7 days
- D. Nothing until a court convicts them
At how many penalty points on your DVLA licence will the Council review your taxi licence?
- A. 3 points
- B. 6 points
- C. 12 points
- D. 9 points
An officer finds you driving a licensed vehicle with no valid insurance. What usually happens to your driver licence?
- A. You get 28 days to find a new policy before any action
- B. Nothing, as insurance is the proprietor's problem
- C. A warning is given on the first two occasions
- D. It is suspended at once until you show valid insurance
Your licence was revoked 8 months ago and nothing has changed. What does the policy say about a new application?
- A. It would normally be refused within 12 months
- B. It must be approved after 6 months
- C. It is approved if you pay a higher fee
- D. It goes straight to the Magistrates' Court for a decision
Is there a legal limit on how many hours a Sefton driver can work in a day?
- A. Yes, 10 hours a day, with a log book checked by officers
- B. Yes, 8 hours a day, or 12 hours at weekends only
- C. No, but the Council urges regular breaks and stopping when tired
- D. No, and the Council gives no advice about it

Answers

A. At least 12 months in total. Part 1 says you must have held a full DVLA, EU or Northern Ireland driving licence for a total of at least 12 months.
C. A full DVLA Group 2 medical. Part 1 asks for a full vocational (DVLA Group 2) medical by your GP or another GMC-registered doctor who can see your medical records.
B. At 45, 55 and 65, then every 3 years. Medicals are needed on first licensing, on reaching 45, 55 and 65, and every 3 years after 65.
D. Appeal to the Magistrates' Court within 21 days. Part 1 and Annex 1 both say a refused applicant may appeal to the Magistrates' Court within 21 days of the decision.
B. Within 7 working days. Part 2(f) says full details of any caution, endorsable fixed penalty or conviction must be reported in writing within 7 working days.
D. Within 72 hours, with details and the insurance policy. Any accident causing injury or damage must be reported in writing within 72 hours, with full details, the vehicle's condition and the insurance policy valid at the time.
A. Tell the Council within 24 hours and return your licence and badge within 7 working days. Part 2(f) says report any disqualification within 24 hours and return your driver's licence and badge within 7 working days.
C. 7 working days. A change of address must be reported in writing within 7 working days. A change of operator has the same limit.
D. No, because your last licence expired less than 2 years ago. Applicants whose last licence expired less than 2 years ago do not need to retake the knowledge test.
A. No, you must pass it without an interpreter. Part 1 says the knowledge test and any training must be passed without the aid of an interpreter.
C. With the vehicle proprietor, and a copy with the operator. Part 2(a) says you deposit your licence with the proprietor of the vehicle and one copy with the operator before you start work.
B. Report it to the police or return it to the owner within 48 hours. Search the vehicle after each hiring. Property found must be reported to the police or returned to its owner within 48 hours.
A. Only if the hirer clearly agrees to it. Part 2(e) says do not play any media device without the express consent of the hirer. A two-way radio system is the exception.
C. Refuse; every journey must be booked through your operator. Annex 9 says a private hire driver cannot accept a booking directly. All journeys must be pre-booked through your licensed operator.
B. No; driver, vehicle and operator must all be licensed by one council. Annex 9 says all three licences (driver, vehicle and operator) must be from the same council.
D. "PRIVATE HIRE ONLY", in letters at least 25mm high. Part 8(b) says door signs must show PRIVATE HIRE ONLY in letters at least 25mm (1 inch) high along at least three quarters of the sign, plus the operator's name and contact details.
B. Calling the vehicle a taxi or cab on its signs. Part 8(b) prohibits describing the vehicle as a TAXI or CAB, and showing the number of a mobile phone carried in the vehicle.
D. When it has a Council exemption notice for a full day (24 hour) hire. Part 8(f) allows an exemption for a full day's hiring (24 hours) under a Council exemption notice, which must be carried in the vehicle and shown on demand.
A. At least 6 months. Part 4(j) says journey records must be kept at the operator's licensed premises for at least 6 months and shown to the police or an authorised officer on request.
C. Fluid levels, tyres, brakes and lights. Part 2(e) says carry out basic checks on fluids, tyres, brakes and lights before work, whoever owns the vehicle.
D. On both front doors or on both rear doors. Part 8(b) says the signs go on either both front doors or both rear doors while the vehicle is working.
A. Go on to another rank. Byelaw 8(a): if a stand is full when you arrive, go to another stand.
C. Behind the last carriage, facing the same way. Byelaw 8(b) says station your carriage immediately behind those already on the stand, facing the same direction, and move up as others leave.
B. No, and you must not ask someone else to do it. Byelaw 9 says you must not, by calling out or in any other way, try to get people to hire your carriage, or use anyone else to do it.
A. Take it to a police station in Sefton within 48 hours. Byelaw 19 says take unclaimed property to a police station in the district within 48 hours and get a receipt.
C. From half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, or when asked. Byelaw 6(b) says keep the dial lit between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise, and at any other time the hirer asks.
B. Yellow at the front and red at the back. Part 9(e)(i): unless fitted in a roof bubble, the roof sign is yellow to the front and red to the rear.
D. When the vehicle is free for hire, and off when hired. Part 9(e) says the sign is connected to the taximeter so it lights when the vehicle is available for hire and goes off when it is hired.
B. "TAXI HACKNEY" or "HACKNEY TAXI". Part 9(e) says saloon, estate and MPV hackney carriages show TAXI HACKNEY or HACKNEY TAXI. Purpose-built cabs with a roof bubble show TAXI.
D. No, but it can do pre-booked work there. Annex 9 says a Sefton hackney carriage cannot ply for hire in Liverpool or another area, although it can carry out pre-booked work.
A. Only for extras allowed in the Council's table of fares. Byelaw 16(b) says you may not take more than the taximeter shows, apart from extra charges authorised in the table of fares.
C. 271. Annex 4 describes the restricted number of 271 hackney carriage vehicle licences, with a first come, first served waiting list for any that fall vacant.
D. When standing or plying for hire, and when hired. Byelaw 14 says wear the badge so it is plainly visible when standing or plying for hire and when hired.
A. 28 days. Part 5(b) says a compliance certificate is only valid for 28 days. Once licensed, the vehicle does not need a normal MOT certificate.
C. Only if Sefton licensed it the year before, then for 6 months at a time. Part 5(c): a standard vehicle over 8 years old is not licensed unless Sefton licensed it in the year before. It may then be re-licensed 6 months at a time.
B. 11 years. Part 5(d) sets the limit at 11 years for separately chassised vehicles, unless Sefton licensed the vehicle in the year before.
A. 75%. Part 6(h) says the front windscreen must let through at least 75% of light. The windows either side of the driver need at least 70%.
C. 25mm. Part 6(b) says the bodywork must be free from scratches over 25mm long, and panel colours must match.
B. Display at least one warning notice inside. Part 7(d) allows CCTV, with or without audio, if at least one warning notice is clearly shown inside so passengers know they may be recorded.
D. Screwed securely to the rear of the vehicle. Part 7(e): the external plate is fixed with screws to the rear, clearly visible to following vehicles, and must not be shown in the rear window.
B. Inside the nearside of the front windscreen. Part 7(f) says fix it inside the nearside of the front windscreen, visible from the kerb and from inside the vehicle.
D. No; babies count towards the number on the licence. Part 7(h) says the vehicle must not carry more passengers, including infants of any age, than the number on the licence and plates.
A. You get a 24-hour advisory notice to fix it and show the vehicle. Part 12(4)(d) gives a 24-hour advisory (defect) notice for lights that do not work. Ignoring it leads to an immediate stop notice.
C. Immediate suspension of the vehicle licence until fixed. Part 12(4)(d): an unroadworthy or dangerous vehicle, for example with 2 or more defective or underinflated tyres, gets a stop notice until the faults are fixed.
D. Up to three. Annex 9 says the law allows up to three examinations a year. You pay for the one at licensing or renewal; the others are free.
A. The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 140 0845. The handbook's safeguarding section says ring the MASH on 0345 140 0845. If a child is in immediate serious danger, ring 999.
C. 101, or the MASH on 0345 140 0845. The handbook says ring 101 to pass on concerns about child sexual exploitation, or the MASH on 0345 140 0845.
B. Names, descriptions, pick-up and drop-off addresses, dates and times. The handbook asks drivers to note what was said, names, descriptions, addresses of pick-up and set-down, and dates and times.
A. It is an offence, with fines of up to £5,000. Annex 11 says refusing a guide or assistance dog is an offence and fines of up to £5,000 can be imposed.
C. Medical grounds only, with a Council exemption certificate. Annex 11 says exemption can only be given on medical grounds; contact Sefton Taxi Licensing for an exemption certificate.
B. You, the driver, and you could get a fixed penalty. Part 11 says it is the driver's responsibility to enforce the smoking ban, and a fixed penalty notice may be issued against the driver.
D. Nothing for the distance you have driven. Part 11(1): if the journey is not completed, no fare is charged for the distance travelled unless the reason was beyond the driver's control.
B. At least 7 years after the sentence ends. Annex 1 says a licence will not be granted until at least 7 years have passed since any sentence for an offence of dishonesty was completed.
D. At least 5 years. Annex 1 says at least 5 years from the conviction or the end of any sentence or ban, whichever is later.
A. Their licence will be revoked. Annex 1 para 5(f) says any driver who fails a police roadside or other test for drink or drugs will have their licence revoked.
C. 12 points. Annex 1 says the Council will review the licence of any driver who reaches twelve points.
D. It is suspended at once until you show valid insurance. Part 12(4)(c) lists immediate suspension of the driver licence until insurance is produced. The matter is also reported with a view to prosecution.
A. It would normally be refused within 12 months. Annex 1 para (m) says the panel would normally refuse a new application within 12 months of a refusal or revocation, unless circumstances have really changed.
C. No, but the Council urges regular breaks and stopping when tired. Annex 10 says there are no legal controls over maximum hours, but urges drivers to take regular breaks and stop driving as soon as they feel tired.

Sources

Hackney Carriage, Private Hire and Omnibus Licensing Scheme Handbook, version 3.3, Sefton Council, States "Version 3.3 (Revised 11th March 2024)"; file dated 14 November 2024. Checked 29 October 2026. https://www.sefton.gov.uk/media/0fneszoa/handbook-33-1.docx
New Drivers, Sefton Council, States "Last Updated on Thursday, October 22, 2026". Checked 29 October 2026. https://www.sefton.gov.uk/business/licensing-registration/taxi-licensing/new-drivers/