{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-miscellaneous-provisions-act-1976/section-51",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-miscellaneous-provisions-act-1976/section-51.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1976/57",
  "legislation_title": "Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-miscellaneous-provisions-act-1976",
  "path": "section/51",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "51",
  "heading": "Licensing of drivers of private hire vehicles.",
  "text": "(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act, a district council shall, on the receipt of an application from any person for the grant to that person of a licence to drive private hire vehicles, grant to that person a driver’s licence:\nProvided that a district council shall not grant a licence—\n(a) unless they are satisfied —\n(i) that the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a driver’s licence; and\n(ii) that the applicant is not disqualified by reason of the applicant's immigration status from driving a private hire vehicle; or\n(b) to any person who has not for at least twelve months been authorised to drive a motor car, or is not at the date of the application for a driver’s licence so authorised.\n(1ZA) In determining for the purposes of subsection (1) whether an applicant is disqualified by reason of the applicant's immigration status from driving a private hire vehicle, a district council must have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.\n(1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(1) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section a person is authorised to drive a motor car if—\n(a) he holds a licence granted under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (not being a provisional licence) authorising him to drive a motor car, or\n(b) he is authorised by virtue of section 99A(1) or section 109(1) of that Act to drive in Great Britain a motor car.\n(2) A district council may attach to the grant of a licence under this section such conditions as they may consider reasonably necessary.\n(3) It shall be the duty of a council by which licences are granted in pursuance of this section to enter, in a register maintained by the council for the purpose, the following particulars of each such licence, namely—\n(a) the name of the person to whom it is granted;\n(b) the date on which and the period for which it is granted; and\n(c) if the licence has a serial number, that number,\nand to keep the register available at its principal offices for inspection by members of the public during office hours free of charge.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 51(1)(a) renumbered as s. 51(1)(a)(i) (1.12.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 5 para. 18(2)(a) (with Sch. 5 para. 54); S.I. 2016/1037, reg. 5(i) (with reg. 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 51(1)(a)(ii) substituted (1.12.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 5 para. 18(2)(b) (with Sch. 5 para. 54); S.I. 2016/1037, reg. 5(i) (with reg. 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 51(1)(b) substituted (1.1.1997) by S.I. 1996/1974, reg. 5, Sch. 4 para. 2(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 51(1ZA) inserted (1.12.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 5 para. 18(3) (with Sch. 5 para. 54); S.I. 2016/1037, reg. 5(i) (with reg. 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 51(1A) repealed (1.4.1998) by 1997 c. 50, s. 134(1)(2), Sch. 9 para. 34, Sch. 10; S.I. 1998/354, art. 2(2)(ay)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "By S.I. 1996/1974, reg. 5, Sch. 4 para. 3, it is provided that in s. 51 after subsection (1A) there shall be inserted (1.1.1997) subsection (1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 51(1)(b) inserted (5.9.1998) by S.I. 1998/1946, art.2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 51: functions of local authority not to be responsibility of an executive of the authority (E.) (16.11.2000) by virtue of S.I. 2000/2853, reg. 2(1), Sch. 1 Table B3S. 51 extended (13.3.2000) by S.I. 2000/412, art. 4(5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "Ss. 48-54 modified (27.11.2009) by The Local Services (Operation by Licensed Hire Cars) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2863), regs. 1, 4 Table (with reg. 3)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1976/57/section/51",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:28:53.162312+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}