Timing: Submit when your documents are complete and your medical is in date.
Before you apply
- 1A full DVLA Category B licence held for at least 12 months (the newest licence issued to you).
- 2Your completed D4 medical dated within four months.
- 3Right-to-work documents and, if applicable, a Certificate of Good Conduct. Applicants who have been outside the UK for three or more continuous months since the age of 18 need a Certificate of Good Conduct (or equivalent). [A][C]
- 4Your own, individual email address — confirmations and queries go there (check your junk folder).
- 5An HMRC tax check code is required for renewals and for applicants who have held a similar licence in the last 12 months — not usually for a first application. [A]
After you submit
- 1You receive a WTP reference by email. Quote it in every message to the council.
- 2Applications are processed in a queue and the council publishes no guaranteed timescale. It asks applicants not to chase until they've received an email.
- 3Original documents and your identity are verified before a licence is granted — the council will tell you how and when. If anything is missing or doesn't match, the application stops until it's resolved.
- 4How your badge reaches you: The council's page refers to being emailed about collecting your licence. [A] The owner's October 2026 confirmation says the badge is posted after original-document and facial verification. [D] Expect the council to email you after verification with how your licence and badge will be issued — currently by post for some applicants, by collection for others. Follow the instructions in that email.
Source conflict — The council's website and recent applicant confirmation emails give different instructions on this point. Follow your own confirmation email, and check with the council if anything is unclear.
Common mistakes
- Names spelt differently across documents — the council states this halts the application.
- Paying a third party to submit and then having no iApply confirmation. The council states it has no approved agents or third parties, and that any support service is not regulated or controlled by the council. PHPro is such an independent service. [C] Make sure the iApply confirmation reaches your own email.
- Contacting the council before you've received an email about your application.
Requirements change and can depend on your circumstances. Statements attributed to the council were checked against the official pages linked here on 9 October 2026; always confirm with the official source before you act. PHPro is an independent application-support service. Final licensing decisions are made by the relevant licensing authority.