What is the fixed payment for not displaying the driver ID?

200 euro. Not showing or tampering with the licence disc is 150 euro, no door branding on a taxi is 250 euro, and refusing a guide dog is also 250 euro. All fixed payments rise by 50% if unpaid after 28 days.

What is the taxi initial charge in Ireland?

4.40 euro at the Standard rate (8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday) and 5.40 euro at the Premium rate (8pm to 8am, Sundays and most public holidays), under the National Maximum Taxi Fare Order of 1 December 2024. The initial charge covers 500 metres or 85 seconds.

How many hours can an SPSV driver work?

You sign a statement that you will not drive an SPSV for more than 11 hours on any three days in a row. Two 12-hour days must be followed by a day under 11 hours.

How long is an SPSV driver licence valid?

Up to five years. Renew up to three months early for 250 euro. Up to 30 days late is 300 euro, up to 12 months late is 400 euro, and after 12 months the licence is timed out and cannot be renewed.

SPSV Test Key Numbers: Every Fee, Deadline, Fine and Fare on One Page

Updated 6 September 2026 · 8 min read · Sources: NTA Official Manual 8.0, nationaltransport.ie

Most Industry Knowledge questions that people get wrong are number questions: a fee, a number of days, a fine, a fare. This page collects every examinable number from the Official Manual 8.0 in one place, with the page it comes from. Read it the night before, then test yourself.

Fees and money

Item	Number	Manual
SPSV Driver Entry Test, per sitting	€90	Same fee for a one-module resit
New SPSV driver licence	€250	p. 31
Driver licence renewal, on time	€250	p. 38
Renewal up to 30 days after expiry	€300	p. 38
Renewal more than 30 days but within 12 months	€400	p. 38
Maximum fine, driving without an SPSV driver licence	€5,000	p. 37
Maximum fine, using a vehicle as an SPSV without a licence	€5,000	p. 84
Cleaning charge, maximum (soiled taxi)	€140	p. 122
Booking fee for a pre-booked taxi, maximum	€3	p. 121
Extra adult passenger	€1 each	p. 121
Children under 12	Two count as one adult (€1)	p. 121
Card payment surcharge or minimum	None allowed	p. 91

Time limits and deadlines

Item	Number	Manual
Driving hours	Not more than 11 hours on any three days in a row	p. 31, p. 177
Driver licence application processing	Up to 12 weeks	p. 33
Apply to renew the driver licence	Up to 3 months early; advised at least 6 weeks before	p. 38, p. 165
Driver licence validity	Up to 5 years	p. 37
Local area hackney driver licence	3 years, not renewable	p. 37
Driver licence timed out	More than 12 months after expiry	p. 38
Change of address, notify NTA in writing	Within 21 days	p. 42
Fixed payment, standard amount	Within 28 days	p. 102
Fixed payment unpaid after 28 days	Amount plus 50% within 56 days; then court	p. 102
Company control changes, return the vehicle licence	Within 14 days	p. 102
NCT before licensing a vehicle	Within the previous 90 days	p. 45
Vehicle licence validity	12 months (6 months if the vehicle is over 10 years old)	p. 72
Renew the vehicle licence	Up to 60 days before expiry	p. 71
Replace an expired vehicle licence	Up to 24 months after expiry	p. 73
Conditional Offer letter valid for	90 days	p. 60
NTA reply to a complete vehicle application	5 to 10 working days	p. 60
Cancel or move an inspection without charge	Up to 2 working days before	p. 66
Nominee applies to take over a licence after a death	Within 9 months	p. 78
Technical Assessor report before inspection	Dated within 60 days	p. 51
New taxi fare loaded into meters	Up to 90 days in advance	p. 103
Area Knowledge resit after failing only that module	Within 1 year of the first test	p. 199
Complaints about area knowledge that trigger a re-test	3 or more in 3 years	p. 99
Revenue may check accounts for	6 years after filing	p. 168
Self-assessment tax return and payment	By 31 October	p. 169

Fixed payment offences

Section 5.13, pages 100 to 101. Learn the four amounts and which offence carries which.

Offence	Fixed payment	Group
Taking off, or trying to take off, a tamper-proof licence disc	€150	Operators
Not showing the tamper-proof licence disc	€150	Operators
Not displaying the required driver ID	€200	Operators
Not telling the NTA which vehicle you are driving	€200	Operators
Not following the rules for taxi roof signs	€100	Equipment
Not showing the In-Vehicle Information Card	€100	Equipment
Unapproved signs or ads on a hackney or limousine	€80	Equipment
Not meeting vehicle rules for your licence type	€100	Equipment
No approved door signs on a taxi	€250	Equipment
Taximeter not correctly calibrated	€250	Taximeters
Not fitting or using the taximeter as required	€150	Taximeters
Using the taximeter while waiting for a fare	€150	Taximeters
Not using the taximeter during a journey	€150	Taximeters
Waiting at a rank when not available for hire	€80	Plying for hire
Waiting for a fare at a place that is not an official stand	€100	Plying for hire
Operating in a county where you are not licensed	€200	Plying for hire
Stopping near a full rank instead of moving on	€80	Plying for hire
Refusing a journey under 30 km without good reason	€150	Fares
Refusing to carry a guide dog or assistance dog	€250	Fares
Charging a booking fee when not pre-booked	€100	Fares
Not printing and offering a taxi receipt	€100	Fares
Not offering a receipt (hackney or limousine)	€100	Fares
No booking record carried (hackney or limousine)	€80	Fares
Not carrying a cashless payment device	€200	Fares
Refusing a cashless payment	€200	Fares
Refusing to carry a wheelchair user	€250	Fares

The National Maximum Taxi Fare

Fare Order effective 1 December 2024 (Chapter 7, page 120). One taximeter area covers the whole country since 2006.

Rate	When	Initial charge
Standard (meter shows 1)	8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays	€4.40
Premium (meter shows 2)	8pm to 8am Mon to Sat, all day Sunday, most public holidays	€5.40
Special (meter shows 3)	Midnight to 4am Sat and Sun; 8pm 24 Dec to 8am 26 Dec; 8pm 31 Dec to 8am 1 Jan	€5.40

Tariff	Standard	Premium
Initial charge covers	500 m or 85 seconds	500 m or 85 seconds
Tariff A (next 15 km or 43 min)	€1.32 per km or €0.47 per min, up to €23.60	€1.81 per km or €0.64 per min, up to €31.80
Tariff B (after that)	€1.72 per km or €0.61 per min	€2.20 per km or €0.78 per min
Special rate, A and B	€2.20 per km or €0.78 per min
Meter switches from distance to time below	21.2 km/h

Vehicle standards

Item	Number	Manual
Maximum passengers (excluding driver)	8	p. 46
Maximum vehicle weight	3,500 kg	p. 46
Minimum luggage capacity	420 litres	p. 47
Windscreen light transmission	At least 70%	p. 47
Tint band at top of windscreen	Up to 125 mm	p. 47
Passenger area temperature at -5°C outside	20°C	p. 48
NCT exemption for a new vehicle	Under 3 months old and under 3,000 km	p. 45
Fire extinguisher	At least 2 kg dry powder, EN3	p. 61
First-aid kit	DIN13164 or HSA-recommended	p. 61
High-visibility vest	EN471	p. 61
Warning triangle	ECE Regulation 27	p. 61
WAV headroom around wheelchair user	1,350 mm	p. 53
WAV door opening	745 mm by 1,250 mm	p. 53
WAV ramp	Max 16°, supports 300 kg	p. 53
External step needed when floor is above	230 mm	p. 53
Handhold diameter	About 35 mm	p. 53
New WAV taxi or hackney licence, vehicle age	Under 6 years	p. 207
Replacement vehicle on a standard taxi licence	10 years or newer	p. 212
Standard taxi (licence under 45,000, unchanged since 1 Jan 2013), renew until	15 years old	p. 212
Vintage limousines renewed for 12 months regardless of age	Registered before 1 Jan 1980	p. 72
Rear disc not required	Vintage limousines over 30 years old	p. 82

The test itself

Item	Number	Manual
Industry Knowledge	54 questions, 54 minutes	p. 199
Area Knowledge	36 questions, 36 minutes	p. 199
Total test time	1 hour 58 minutes including instructions	p. 199
Pass mark, each module	75%	p. 199
Test centres	5	p. 200
Fee	€90 per sitting	nationaltransport.ie
SPSV Information Line	0818 064 000	p. 25
Emergency numbers	999 or 112	p. 191

Road safety numbers that come up

Item	Number	Manual
Mobile phone while driving, fixed charge	€120 and 3 penalty points	p. 178
Mobile phone, convicted in court	Up to €2,000 and 5 penalty points	p. 179
Penalty points for disqualification	12	p. 178
Child seatbelt threshold	150 cm and 36 kg	p. 183
Adult passenger responsible for own seatbelt from	17	p. 180
Driver fatigue share of collisions (RSA)	10 to 20%	p. 177
Minimum tyre tread (AA checklist)	1.6 mm	p. 97
Switch the engine off if waiting more than	3 minutes	p. 97
Highest-risk hours for robbery (Garda)	Weekend nights, midnight to 4am	p. 184

Every figure above is also a question in the Industry Knowledge practice bank, with the page reference shown under the answer.

SPSV test cheat sheet: every number you need