People searching this usually mean one of two things: the cost of becoming a licensed driver, or the cost of putting a car on the road as a taxi. They are separate licences with separate fees. Figures below are from the NTA Official Manual 8.0 and nationaltransport.ie as of September 2026.
Part 1: becoming a licensed SPSV driver
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SPSV Driver Entry Test | 90 euro per sitting | Same fee for a full test or a single-module resit. |
| Safeguarding and Disability Awareness course | Free | Online, mandatory for new applicants. |
| SPSV driver licence fee (NTA) | 250 euro | Non-refundable. Pay only after passing the test. |
| Tax clearance | Free | Through Revenue; must be in the same name as your driving licence. |
| NDLS driver licence history | Free | Needed for the Garda application. |
| Passport photos (three) | About 10 to 15 euro | Roughly 10 cm by 7 cm. |
| Renewal (up to five years later) | 250 euro on time; 300 up to 30 days late; 400 up to 12 months late | No test needed for renewal. |
Minimum realistic total for the driver licence: about 350 euro if you pass first time. The NTA reports that candidates average close to three attempts, which puts the typical spend nearer 530 euro. That gap is the whole reason to prepare properly; a few evenings of practice costs nothing.
Part 2: putting a vehicle on the road
The NTA currently issues new vehicle licences only for these categories:
| Licence | Licence fee | Initial Suitability Inspection | Vehicle age at first licensing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelchair accessible taxi | 125 euro | 45 euro | Under 6 years |
| Wheelchair accessible hackney | 125 euro | 45 euro | Under 6 years |
| Limousine | 1,000 euro | 45 euro | No limit |
| Local area hackney | 50 euro | None | Under 10 years |
There is no route to a brand-new standard saloon taxi licence. Existing taxi licences transfer with the vehicle when sold, so the “price of a taxi plate” you hear about is a private market price, not an NTA fee. Wheelchair accessible vehicles cost more to buy, but the state grant scheme (WAV grant, run through the NTA in annual rounds) offsets a large part of that; check the current round on nationaltransport.ie.
Yearly running fees
- Licence Renewal Assessment: 150 euro (taxi, hackney, limousine, local area hackney) or 75 euro (wheelchair accessible taxi or hackney). Licences run 12 months, or 6 months once the car is over 10 years old.
- Late renewal of a vehicle licence: 500 euro flat, up to 24 months after expiry. After that the licence is gone.
- NCT: annual for a taxi, at the standard NCTS fee.
- SPSV insurance: the single biggest cost. Quotes vary widely with experience, age and claims history; budget several thousand euro a year for a first policy.
- Motor tax, plus airport permit charges if you work Dublin Airport.
Start-up equipment for a taxi
Roof sign, branding (the door decals and rear stickers), taximeter with printer, cashless payment terminal, and the taximeter calibration and verification. The Manual lists these in Chapter 9 as start-up costs; the amounts depend on supplier. Recalibration is needed again whenever the National Maximum Taxi Fare changes.
What a failed test really costs
The 90 euro is the small part. A failed module means another booking, typically a few weeks away, during which you cannot apply for the driver licence and therefore cannot earn. If you have already lined up a rental car or a dispatch operator, that delay is the expensive part. The pass mark is 75% in each module; our mock exam shows you where you stand before you pay the NTA.