North East · driver medicals

Taxi driver medical in Gateshead

Which doctor Gateshead will accept, how often you have to repeat it and which form they want. Councils disagree with each other on every one of those, so this is Gateshead’s answer and nobody else’s.

What Gateshead requires

• “A medical is required on initial application and thereafter every five years until the age of 50; every two years between the ages of 50 and 60; and every year from the age of 60”
• How long it lasts: 4 months from the date of examination - 'Important. This form is only valid for 4 months from the date of examination.' Measured from the examination, not from grant
• How often: Initial application, then every 5 years until age 50, every 2 years between 50 and 60, and every year from 60
• Form: Council's own 9-page 'Group 2 Medical Form' (a DVLA Group 2 standard report, not the D4). Vision assessment can be done by an optician or optometrist if the examining doctor cannot do it

Taken from Taxi licences - main driver application page. Rules change and councils rewrite their pages without notice, so confirm before you book and pay. If something here is wrong please say and I will check it against the council and fix it.

How Gateshead compares

Of the 315 UK licensing areas checked so far, Gateshead is one of 105 taking that line, which is the most common arrangement in the country.

Who may sign it elsewhere in North East

Neighbouring authorities do not follow each other on this, and a certificate accepted in one is regularly refused in the next. Check the area whose badge you actually hold.

Licensing area	Who can carry out the medical
Durham	Any registered doctor with your records
Middlesbrough	Your own GP, or a doctor with your records
Newcastle	Your own GP, or a doctor with your records
North Tyneside	Any registered doctor with your records
Northumberland	Your own GP, or a doctor with your records
Stockton-on-Tees	Your own GP only
Sunderland	Any registered doctor with your records
Redcar and Cleveland	Any registered doctor with your records
Hartlepool	Your own GP, or a doctor with your records
Darlington	Any registered doctor with your records
South Tyneside	Your own GP, or a doctor with your records

What it costs to be licensed in Gateshead

The medical is one bill among several. See what Gateshead charges for the driver, vehicle and operator licences, taken from the same published sources.

Every line above is taken from Gateshead’s own published guidance and read by hand against that source. Nothing here is from trade press, a forum or an estimate. This is not medical or legal advice.

← Medical rules for every UK licensing area