UK private-hire law sets a baseline for who can drive paying passengers. We treat that baseline as a starting point.
This article walks through the six checks every Fare 1 driver passes before their first trip and again every year. Same checks for every category, every region.
1. Enhanced DBS criminal record check
The Enhanced DBS check is broader than the standard one. It includes:
- Criminal convictions (spent and unspent)
- Cautions, reprimands, warnings
- Police intelligence about behaviour where relevant to the role
- The Children's Barred List and Adults' Barred List (where applicable)
Standard DBS only shows unspent convictions; Enhanced DBS is the level required for roles working with potentially vulnerable adults, which legally includes private-hire passengers in many councils' interpretations.
What we screen out: anything that would call into question a driver's fitness to be alone with passengers, anything that would call into question financial integrity (fraud, theft), anything that suggests violent tendencies.
2. DVLA licence and endorsement review
We pull the DVLA record for each driver. Two things we check:
- Driving licence status — held continuously for the minimum required years (varies by council, typically 3+ years).
- Endorsement history — any speeding tickets, careless driving, drink-driving in the last 5 years. A driver with 6+ points or a recent disqualification doesn't pass.
This isn't a one-time check; we re-verify annually because endorsements can be added between checks and the DVLA doesn't notify operators.
3. Council-issued PHV driver licence verification
Every UK private-hire driver needs a licence from their local council to operate. We verify the licence directly with the issuing council, not just by sight of the paper licence.
What this rules out:
- Forged licences. Rare but documented in larger urban markets.
- Expired licences that look current. Some council licences look identical year-to-year; verification with the council catches lapses.
- Licences subject to suspension or revocation pending. A licence that's "under investigation" still looks valid on the paper card but verifies as not active.
If a driver moves council areas, we re-verify with the new council before they continue dispatching for us.
4. Group 2 medical fitness standard
The DVLA Group 2 medical standard is the higher of the two driver-fitness standards. Group 1 covers car drivers; Group 2 covers HGV / PSV / private-hire. The Group 2 medical is more rigorous on:
- Vision (specific binocular field requirements)
- Diabetes management (insulin-treated drivers need annual GP review)
- Cardiovascular health
- Sleep disorders (sleep apnoea screening)
- Mental health
Drivers complete a Group 2 medical form (DVLA D4 form, completed by a GP) at hire and annually after that.
5. Vehicle MOT and comprehensive insurance verification
The driver might pass; the vehicle still has to.
What we verify:
- Current MOT certificate with no advisories that would warrant immediate attention
- Hire-and-reward insurance specifically (standard car insurance doesn't cover paying passengers)
- Vehicle plating from the council confirming PHV use is authorised on this specific vehicle
We also do periodic vehicle presentation checks — the vehicle should be clean, leather/cloth in good condition, no exterior damage that would embarrass a paying passenger. This is part of the customer-experience review, not the legal check.
6. Annual re-verification
Every January (or on each driver's individual anniversary), we re-run all five of the above:
- New DBS check (Update Service makes this fast)
- Fresh DVLA pull
- Council licence re-verification
- Group 2 medical update
- MOT + insurance re-verification
This is the part most operators skip. Initial hire screening is industry-standard; annual re-verification is what closes the gap between "passed at hire" and "still meets the bar today."
Why it's the same bar across categories
Some chauffeur companies tier their driver standards — Standard category drivers get one screening level, Executive drivers get a higher one. We don't. The same six checks apply whether the driver's behind the wheel of a Toyota Avensis or a Mercedes S-Class.
The reason: vetting is about who the driver is, not what they drive. Customers booking Standard category have the same right to expect a vetted driver as Executive customers.
Reading on related practices
The /drivers page lists the six checks in summary form for quick reference. For why we re-verify annually rather than every 2 or 3 years (the industry norm), see why annual re-verification matters.
For driver onboarding into the network (i.e. if you want to drive with us), see /careers.