The five steps
Manual 8.1, section 2.3. Two bodies are involved: the NTA takes the fee and issues the cards, the Garda vet you and grant the licence.
- 01Same day
Keep the certificate
You leave the test centre with the SPSV Skills Development Certificate. The Garda need the original, so photograph it and put it somewhere safe. If you failed one module, only that module is resat, at 90 euro, and both must be passed within a year of the first sitting.
- 02Day 1 to 3
Do the free NTA course
The NTA emails a link to the Safeguarding and Disability Awareness course once your pass is recorded. Online, about 30 minutes, no pass mark. It has to be finished before the NTA will take your licence fee.
- 03Week 1
Pay the 250 euro licence fee
Call 0818 064 000 and pay by card. The NTA posts a paper receipt; that receipt goes into your Garda application. The fee is not refundable and covers one application only, so the Manual says pay it only once you are sure you meet every other condition, including tax clearance.
- 04Week 1 to 2
Hand in form PSV 15
Your local Garda station, or the Carriage Office if you live in Dublin. Bring the certificate and fee receipt, proof of tax clearance, your driving licence and the NDLS licence history, three passport-standard photographs (about 10 by 7 cm), and the signed statements: no more than 11 hours of SPSV driving on any three consecutive days, details of any other job, health and medication, no listed convictions.
- 0512 weeks or longer
Wait for vetting
The Garda review includes a background check and can take 12 weeks or longer. Questions about the application go to the Garda, not the NTA. When granted, the Garda issue the paper licence (PSV 17) and the NTA posts your driver display card for the dashboard and the smart card you carry whenever you drive.
Full checklist with every document and the renewal rules: how to become a taxi driver in Ireland. Costs fee by fee: taxi licence cost.
While the Garda work
Twelve weeks is a long time to sit still. Four things that decide how fast you earn after the licence arrives.
Register with Revenue first: no tax clearance, no licence
The PSV 15 pack must include your electronic tax clearance certificate and Tax Clearance Access Number, and Revenue only issues those to someone registered for a tax. Taxi drivers are sole traders: in myAccount go to Manage My Record, Tax registrations, and register for Income Tax (ROS if you already run a business); employees are covered by PAYE. Then apply for tax clearance in the same place: reason “Licence”, type “SPSV driver licence holder (Self-employed or business)”, or the Employee option. Do this before you pay the 250 euro fee. The NTA checks the clearance online for as long as you hold the licence. An accountant in the list below does the registration and clearance for new drivers free of charge.
Revenue: eTax Clearance →Talk to an insurance broker now
Brokers who specialise in taxis say the same thing: cover for a first-year SPSV driver is the hardest part, and the earlier they see your driving history the better. Quotes need your driving licence, no claims bonus and, once you have them, the SPSV and vehicle licence numbers. Whether you rent or buy changes the price a lot.
Brokers in the list below →Decide: rent, plate, or your own WAV
The NTA is issuing new vehicle licences only for wheelchair accessible taxis and hackneys, local area hackneys and limousines. A standard saloon taxi is therefore rented from an existing licence holder, or you rent a plate for your own suitable car. Buying a WAV means the vehicle licence, the suitability inspection and, if you got one, the WAV grant.
Driver licence vs vehicle licence →Pick where the work comes from
Apps and radio bases all want the same three things: SPSV driver licence, a licensed vehicle and SPSV insurance. Most do not ask for exclusivity, so many drivers run two apps. Compare the fee model (commission per trip, weekly fee, or co-op subscription) against the hours you plan to work.
Apps and companies by county →Who to call in Dublin
19 of 22 listings work in Dublin: 5 apps with confirmed local coverage plus the nationwide services. Everything below is taken from the companies’ own pages. Nobody pays to be here and the order inside each group means nothing.
Apps and dispatch operators
Where the passengers come from. Every one needs your SPSV driver licence and a licensed vehicle (yours or rented). You can usually work with more than one.
FreeNow
8 counties, including yoursLargest app fleet in Ireland. No fixed fee, a revenue share per trip, paid weekly. Registration asks for the SPSV driver licence, the Garda paper licence and the vehicle’s SPSV licence. Dublin office, driver care by email.
Checked 30 September 2026
Bolt
23 counties, including yoursDublin since 2020, Cork since 2022, and 21 more counties from 24 February 2026. Holds an NTA dispatch operator licence. Sign up in the Bolt Driver app with your SPSV driver licence, vehicle licence and insurance.
Checked 30 September 2026
Uber
4 counties, including yoursTaxi trips in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick. Documents: Irish or EU driving licence, SPSV driver licence, taxi or limousine vehicle licence, SPSV insurance certificate, bank statement. In-person help at the Dublin Greenlight Hub.
Checked 30 September 2026
Anseo Tacsaí
NationwideIrish-owned app, live nationwide since September 2026. No sign-up or subscription fee; commission 4.5% on in-app payments and 3.5% on cash and terminal fares. You set your own request radius, a heat map shows where passengers are, no exclusivity. Takes drivers in their first year. Needs SPSV driver licence number, vehicle registration and vehicle licence number.
Checked 7 October 2026 · confirmed by the company 7 October 2026
Tap a Taxi
10 counties, including yoursDriver-owned co-operative. One-off 300 euro share plus a flat 120 euro a month, no commission; card fares carry processing fees, cash fares none. Live counties change as drivers join, so check their coverage map before paying.
Checked 30 September 2026
TAXY
NationwideIrish-owned app based in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, signing up drivers across the country. 15% commission on card bookings, paid weekly, nearest car gets the job, no fare discounts. Local offices with 24/7 support.
Checked 30 September 2026
CaminoCabs
DublinDublin app, Finglas-based. Partner rate 5% of the fare or a 140 euro a month subscription with no commission. Passengers broadcast requests and you choose which to take. Regulated meter fares only.
Checked 30 September 2026
Local taxi companies
Radio and app bases with a local office. Most also help with a car.
Lynk Taxis
DublinDublin base. Full access from 85 euro a week or a pay-per-job option. 0% commission on cash, card and hotel fares; commission on account fares only. 24/7 driver support.
Checked 30 September 2026
Trip Taxis
DublinDublin dispatch company. Online driver application, then a call from their driver liaison team to pick a set-up. Corporate account work across the city.
Checked 30 September 2026
PowerCabs
DublinDublin app and dispatch (D10). Register in the PowerCabs Driver app with SPSV licence, suitability certificate, insurance and road tax. Says it trains drivers who have just passed and are starting out.
Checked 30 September 2026
Rent a licensed taxi
Quickest way onto the road: the vehicle licence stays with the owner, you bring your driver licence and insurance.
New Ireland Motors
DublinLong-term taxi rental in Dublin, 40 years in the trade. Fully licensed cars with sealed meters, diesel and electric, manual and automatic, own maintenance workshop. Insurance is an extra weekly cost. Greater Dublin drivers only. You need your PSV licence, driving licence, proof of address and insurance.
Checked 30 September 2026
Rent a plate for your own car
You own a suitable car and rent an existing vehicle licence. Your car must pass the suitability inspection.
TaxiPlates.ie
4 counties, including yoursRents existing vehicle licences (plates) to drivers who own a suitable car. From 80 euro a week with a 2,000 euro deposit, or a year paid up front; minimum 12 months. They help with suitability, insurance and licensing paperwork. By appointment only.
Checked 30 September 2026
Taxi insurance brokers
New entrants find cover hard and expensive. Brokers say to call before you have the licence in hand.
TaxiFair Insurance
NationwideBroker on Clanbrassil Street, Dublin 8, working with FBD and RedClick. Says access for new PSV holders has become harder and asks new entrants to get in touch before they have the licence. Handles the Declined Cases route if no insurer will quote.
Checked 30 September 2026
BJP Taxi (Arachas)
NationwideTaxi broker since 1995, now part of Arachas. Quotes need your driving licence, SPSV licence, plate licence and no claims bonus. Says it has rates for taxi rentals and first-time entrants.
Checked 30 September 2026
Accountants for taxi drivers
You are self-employed from day one: Form 11 every year and tax clearance kept live, or the licence goes.
MyTaxiTax.ie
NationwideACCA practice in Templeogue that works only with taxi drivers, nationwide online. Certified accounts, Form 11 return and tax clearance; standard return 250 euro, faster options cost more. Registers new drivers for Income Tax with Revenue and sorts the tax clearance for free, before any return is due.
SPSVEXAM5050 euro off your first income tax return. Quote the code when you get in touch.
Checked 13 October 2026 · confirmed by the company 13 October 2026
DublinLedgers
NationwideDublin 11 practice with a taxi driver service: Form 11 preparation and filing from 199 euro plus VAT, acts as your Revenue agent.
Checked 30 September 2026
Wheelchair accessible taxis
New vehicle licences are issued only for wheelchair accessible taxis and hackneys, local area hackneys and limousines. These dealers supply and convert WAVs.
Motability Ireland
NationwideAshbourne, Co. Meath. Supplies and converts wheelchair accessible taxis (Peugeot Partner, Ford Tourneo Custom and Connect, VW Caddy Maxi Life, VW Transporter), all G9 compliant. Hire purchase available.
Checked 30 September 2026
Freedom Mobility
NationwideShowrooms in Naas, Co. Kildare and Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. New and used wheelchair accessible taxis, taxi pack fitted, prices quoted less the NTA grant. Free home demonstrations anywhere in Ireland.
Checked 30 September 2026
OC Cars & Mobility
NationwideCloghran, five minutes from Dublin Airport. New and second-hand wheelchair accessible taxis, finance, servicing and body repairs for mobility vehicles.
Checked 30 September 2026
How this list works
Every entry is taken from the company’s own public pages on the date shown. We list, we do not rank: the order inside each group means nothing and nobody pays to appear. Prices are quoted only where the company publishes them and can change without our knowing. Run your own checks before you sign anything, and read the NTA rules on renting in renting a taxi in Ireland.
Run a taxi company, fleet, brokerage or practice that takes new SPSV drivers and is not here? Send the facts and a link to the page that states them to hello@spsvexam.ie. Corrections go to the same address.
Quick answers
Can I start driving as soon as I pass the test?
No. Passing gives you the SPSV Skills Development Certificate, not a licence. You need the Garda to grant the SPSV driver licence (12 weeks or longer after form PSV 15), a licensed vehicle (rented or your own) and SPSV insurance before you carry a passenger for reward.
Do I need my own car?
No. The driver licence and the vehicle licence are separate. Most new drivers rent a licensed taxi from a fleet or an individual licence holder, or rent a plate for a car they already own. New vehicle licences are currently issued only for wheelchair accessible vehicles, local area hackneys and limousines.
Can I drive for more than one app?
You are self-employed, and the apps listed here do not state an exclusivity requirement. Check each contract. Many Dublin drivers run two apps and a radio base at the same time.
What does the 11 hours statement mean?
Part of the PSV 15 application is a signed statement that you will not drive an SPSV for more than 11 hours on any three days in a row. The Manual gives the example: over 11 hours on Monday and Tuesday means Wednesday must stay under 11, and the previous Sunday must not have been over either.
How do companies get on this list?
Nobody can buy a position or a place on the page. We list Irish apps, taxi companies, rentals, brokers, accountants and WAV dealers whose public pages state that they take licensed SPSV drivers, using only what those pages say. Where a company gives our readers a discount code, it may pay us a referral fee when the code is used; that does not change who is listed, the order, or what we write about them. Companies can send corrections or a listing request to hello@spsvexam.ie. A listing is a statement of published facts, not a recommendation.
Sources
- NTA Official Manual for Operating in the SPSV Industry, Edition 8.1, sections 2.2, 2.3 and 4.1 (September 2026)
- NTA: Applying for an SPSV driver licence (read 30 September 2026)
- Revenue: the electronic Tax Clearance (eTC) system, SPSV drivers section (read 30 September 2026)
- Revenue: how to register for tax as a sole trader (read 30 September 2026)
- Bolt: taxi trips now available in 21 new counties (25 February 2026)
- FreeNow driver help centre: where can you work (12 February 2026)
Not there yet?
If you are still preparing, the mock exam runs on the real 54 + 36 minute clock for your county, and the demo is free.