{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-miscellaneous-provisions-act-1976/section-59",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-miscellaneous-provisions-act-1976/section-59.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/59",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "59",
  "heading": "Qualifications for drivers of hackney carriages.",
  "text": "(1) Notwithstanding anything in the Act of 1847, a district council shall not grant a licence to drive a hackney carriage—\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 hackney carriage; 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 hackney carriage, a district council must have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State.\n(1A) 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(1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(2) Any applicant aggrieved by the refusal of a district council to grant a driver’s licence on the ground that he is not a fit and proper person to hold such licence may appeal to a magistrate’s court.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 59(1)(a) renumbered as s. 59(1)(a)(i) (1.12.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 5 para. 23(2)(a) (with Sch. 5 para. 54); S.I. 2016/1037, reg. 5(i) (with reg. 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 59(1)(a)(ii) substituted (1.12.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 5 para. 23(2)(b) (with Sch. 5 para. 54); S.I. 2016/1037, reg. 5(i) (with reg. 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 59(1)(b) substituted (1.1.1997) by S.I. 1996/1974, reg. 5, Sch. 4 para. 2(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 59(1ZA) inserted (1.12.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 5 para. 23(3) (with Sch. 5 para. 54); S.I. 2016/1037, reg. 5(i) (with reg. 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "By S.I. 1996/1974, reg. 5 Sch. 4 para. 2(5) it is provided that in s. 59 subsection (1A) shall be inserted after subsection (1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 59(1A)(b) inserted (5.9.1988) by S.I. 1998/1946, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "S. 59(1A) repealed (1.4.1998) by 1997 c. 50, s. 134(1)(2), Sch. 9 para. 34, Sch. 10"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 59: 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 B4"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1976/57/section/59",
    "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."
}