Private hire licence costs in Scotland, compared by council
Each council sets its own fees and its own licence length, so the headline number on its own doesn't tell you much. This table only includes councils whose fee pages could be opened, and shows how old each figure is.
PHV driver licence fees by council
| Council | New licence | Renewal | Renewal per year | Fee source date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Borders | £134 (1 year) | £134 (1 year) | £134 | Undated page |
| Edinburgh | £246 (1 year) | £151 (1 year) or £231 (3 years) | £151 or £77 | Valid 2026/27 |
| Dundee | £235 (3 years) | £235 (3 years) | £78 | From 1 April 2026 |
| Renfrewshire | £69 (generally 1 year) | £133 (normally 2 years) | £67 | Undated page |
| West Lothian | £252.73 | £213.72 | Length not given | 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, now ended |
Sources, all read on 1 November 2026: Scottish Borders, Edinburgh, Dundee, Renfrewshire fees and licence length, West Lothian. Cost per year is our sum, rounded to the nearest pound, not a council figure.
What the table shows
Compare per year, not per application. On the renewal column Edinburgh's three-year fee looks about the same as Dundee's and well above Renfrewshire's, but once you divide by the licence length, all three sit between £67 and £78 a year. The Scottish Borders' £134 looks low until you notice it buys one year.
A renewal isn't always cheaper or dearer than a new licence either. Edinburgh's renewal costs less than a new licence, Renfrewshire's costs nearly twice as much, and Dundee's costs the same, though Renfrewshire's new licence generally only lasts a year.
What the fee leaves out
The licence fee isn't always the whole bill. Some costs that sit alongside it, from the councils' own pages:
- Edinburgh charges £326 for the three-day Intermediate course that renewing drivers have to complete. That's more than the licence itself. See the Edinburgh renewal guide.
- Dundee expects training to SVQ level 2 or equivalent, and its fee table doesn't include the cost of the course. See the Dundee renewal guide.
- West Lothian lists a £83.39 missed medical fee in the same 2025/26 schedule.
- Don't expect the fee back if things go wrong. Edinburgh, Dundee, Renfrewshire and Scottish Borders all say application fees are non-refundable, and Scottish Borders adds that this holds even if the licence isn't granted.
The car licence is a separate bill
If you own the car, it needs its own licence, and this is usually the bigger number.
| Council | New | Renewal | Fee source date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | £853 (1 year) | £463 (1 year, existing vehicle) or £540 (1 year, with a new vehicle) | Valid 2026/27 |
| Dundee (operator's licence) | £270 (1 year) | £270 (1 year) | From 1 April 2026 |
| Renfrewshire | £242 | £363 | Undated page |
| West Lothian | £517.33 | £493.59 | 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, now ended |
Same sources as the table above: Edinburgh, Dundee, Renfrewshire, West Lothian. Read on 1 November 2026.
Insurance is the other big running cost, and it isn't set by the council. See what private hire insurance needs to cover.
Councils not in this table
Scotland has more councils than this. Some are missing because their sites refused a plain request when this page was put together, including Glasgow and Aberdeen, and the rest haven't been checked yet. The Glasgow renewal guide has that council's figures with the date they were read. Don't read a gap here as meaning anything about that council's fees.
Sources
- Taxi and PHC licence fees — City of Edinburgh Council (valid 2026/27, dated 01.04.26)
- Driver training: renewing your licence — City of Edinburgh Council (read 1 November 2026)
- Licensing fees — Dundee City Council (from 1 April 2026)
- Taxis and Private Hire Cars — Dundee City Council (read 1 November 2026)
- Civic application fees — Renfrewshire Council (no date on the page, read 1 November 2026)
- Private hire car driver licence — Renfrewshire Council (no date on the page, read 1 November 2026)
- Private Hire Driver Licence Grant or Renewal — Scottish Borders Council (no date on the page, read 1 November 2026)
- Hire Car Licensing Fees — West Lothian Council (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026)