What is a Local Area Hackney Licence?
The Local Area Hackney (LAH) licence is a special, limited hackney licence that supports rural community transport through a locally operated hackney service. This is in contrast to the regular taxi and hackney licences that are available for application by the NTA, which have more requirements but, for instance, allow licence holders to operate nationwide.
As this is a limited licence:
- You may only pick up passengers within the rural area you are licenced for. You can drop these passengers at any location, but if the drop off is outside your licenced area, you cannot pick up new passengers at that location.
- Up to five Local Area Hackney drivers can operate the same Local Area Hackney.
To support passengers, drivers are provided with a SPSV Local Area Hackney Industry Manual, which contains important information for their business. They must also complete the Safeguarding & Disability Awareness eLearning module.
- The Local Area Hackney licence is valid for 5 years subject to ongoing community support.
- All bookings must be in advance and managed locally – LAH licences cannot be linked to a national booking service.
Local Area Hackney (LAH) Licence — Before You Apply
A Local Area Hackney (LAH) licence is a special, limited hackney licence for rural communities. Before starting an application, please ensure you understand all requirements.
At a glance you must have:
- A suitable vehicle (meeting SPSV standards)
- SPSV insurance in place before licensing
- Be tax cleared with Revenue
- After your vehicle is licensed, you must obtain a Local Area Hackney Driver Licence from An Garda Síochána, which includes a vetting/background check
| Do not purchase a vehicle until you confirm it is on the Suitable Vehicle List for SPSVs and that you can obtain SPSV insurance. Contact your insurance company to discuss SPSV insurance options before purchasing a vehicle. |
All LAH vehicles must:
- Be less than 10 years old
- Have four doors
- Pass the NCT, regardless of the vehicle’s age
- Have clear (non‑tinted) windows
- Carry required safety equipment
To qualify, an area must:
- Be open for application on the live Local Area Hackney Map
- Not exceed a population 5,000 on the Map
Applicants can check eligible areas using the Local Area Hackney Map.
If your preferred area is not available for application for a Local Area Hackney licence, you may wish to consider applying for a regular SPSV licence instead.
- Use the Local Area Hackney Map to select your proposed rural area
- Submit the area for approval using the online submission page
- If approved, the NTA sends you an application pack for completion. This includes
- The Local Area Hackney vehicle licence application form
- Community support templates
- Submit:
- The completed application form
- Four completed proofs of community support being a mix of:
- Local businesses
- Local charities or community groups
- If your application is approved by the NTA, you pay a €50 fee and receive an LAH vehicle licence offer. You then have 90 days to obtain and licence your suitable vehicle as a Local Area Hackney
| Important: A local area is reserved only after a complete and valid application is received. If a vehicle is not licenced within 90 days, the area is released again to other potential applicants. If licenced within the timeframe, the LAH licence is granted to that operator. |
After your vehicle licence is granted, you must apply separately to An Garda Síochána for a licence to drive your newly licenced hackney. The process takes approximately 12 weeks.
Steps:
- Complete the free Safeguarding & Disability Awareness eLearning module via the link sent to you by the NTA
- Pay the €20 driver licence fee to NTA and obtain your receipt
- Visit your nearest Garda PSV licensing office to obtain and complete a PSV15 form and submit it to An Garda Síochána along with:
-
- Two passport-style photos
- Your Tax Clearance Access Number
- NTA driver fee receipt
- Your standard driving licence
- Your NDLS driver statement
- Any other documentation required by An Garda Síochána
An Garda Síochána conducts vetting and issues the driver licence. An Garda Síochána informs NTA, who then issues your driver ID cards and add the information to the SPSV public register.
The Local Area Hackney Driver Licence is valid for up to five years.
To begin operating, you must have:
- Your LAH Vehicle Licence
- Your LAH Driver Licence
- You must also:
- Link your driver details through the NTA Online Portal https://www.nationaltransport.ie/taxi/driver-linking/
- Advertise your service locally e.g., Post Office, HSE centres, GP offices, town halls, local shops/pubs
Local Area Hackney Frequently Asked Questions
A LAH licence is a special hackney licence designed for rural communities that need local transport services. It allows you to pick up passengers only within the specific rural area you are licensed for.
No. You may only pick up passengers within the designated LAH area although you can drop them outside of that area (end of journey). If you want to operate nationwide, you can apply for a regular SPSV licence.
No. A LAH licence holder cannot hold any other SPSV licence.
To ensure sufficient local transport services are available for local communities with a Local Area Hackney licence, up to five drivers (the licence holder plus four additional drivers) can operate that Local Area Hackney.
Where a community is of the view that there is sufficient local demand to operate more than one Local Area Hackney, then a regular SPSV licence should be applied for.
No. LAH drivers are not required to complete the SPSV Entry Test. They must, however, complete the Safeguarding and Disability Awareness online eLearning module.
Your vehicle must:
- Be under 10 years old
- Have four doors
- Hold a valid NCT certificate
- Have clear windows (no tinted/obscured glass)
- Carry all required safety equipment
- Be insured for hire or reward (SPSV insurance)
Always check the Suitable Vehicle List before purchasing a vehicle.
Yes. All LAH vehicles must have SPSV insurance before they can be licensed or operated.
The area must:
- Be available for application on the Local Area Hackney Map
- Not exceed a population of 5,000 on the Map
Use the Local Area Hackney Map to check if your proposed area is eligible and available.
The process takes approximately 12 weeks but can vary. Once An Garda Síochána have completed a full background check you will be provided with the outcome of your application.
The LAH driver and vehicle licence is valid for up to five years and cannot be renewed after that point. A new application is required if you wish to continue operation. This is to allow for a review of all available LAH areas to be completed. After each review the areas available may change.
Yes, the LAH vehicle licence must be renewed annually in line with all SPSV requirements up to 5 years in total. LAH licence holders cannot renew unless they have provided continued evidence of community support for their service in the form of four community support templates. This should be a mix of:
- Local businesses
- Local charities or community groups
These groups can be the same or different each year.
You may begin operating once you have both:
- Your LAH Vehicle Licence
- Your LAH Driver Licence
Drivers must also link via the NTA Online Portal every time they are operating. They must also advertise their service within the local community.