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Types of PSV licence
There are 4 types of PSV operator’s licence.
Standard national licence
You can only operate in Great Britain if you apply for a standard licence. Most full-time commercial operators use standard licences.
Standard international licence
This kind of licence lets you take passengers abroad as well as within Great Britain.
Restricted licence
You can only apply for a restricted licence for small-scale operations. They allow you to use 1 or 2 vehicles, and neither can carry more than 8 passengers.
You can carry up to 16 passengers in either vehicle if you do not use it as part of a passenger transport business, or you’re operating your vehicles as a sideline and not as your main job.
Special restricted licence
Special restricted licences are used to operate a licensed taxi on a local service. You can only apply for this licence if you’re a licensed taxi operator. A local service is one where:
• stops are no more than 24.15 kilometres (15 miles) apart
• at least one stop is within the area of the district council that issued your taxi or private hire vehicle licence
The service must be registered with a traffic commissioner.
Further information and apply for a licence
An overview of the PSV operator licensing system is available here