On 16 September 2025 the Council’s Licensing Committee agreed to introduce a knowledge test for applicants for the grant of a private hire car (PHC) driver’s licence, which came into effect 1 September 2026.
From this date any applicants for the grant of a PHC driver’s licence, or existing drivers that fail to re-apply in a timely manner, will need to sit and pass a knowledge test before a licence can be granted.
If a driver currently holds a PHC driver’s licence, and applies to renew their licence before their current one expires, they will not require to sit the knowledge test.
The knowledge test has 2 sections:
- local area
- Highland wide
Test pass mark
The pass mark will be the same as the current taxi driver’s knowledge test:
- 85% for the local area section
- 75% for the Highland wide section
Booking a test
You will be contacted by a member of the Licencing team to arrange a date for your test.
There is a maximum limit of 3 attempts. The cost of the first attempt is included as part of your licence application. For any re-sits required, there is a fee of £77.
The test will be held at your local licensing office.