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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Motoring
    3. Driving for a living
    4. Driving or operating taxis and buses
    5. Bus operator licensing

    Assessing an application for a bus operator licence

    When you are applying for a bus operator’s licence (BOL), the most important consideration is based on whether you can fulfil the role without posing any threat to the general safety of the public. If you do not have good repute, your application will be refused.

    Guidelines for assessment

    When assessing your application, the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) has a set of guidelines which it has to apply to make sure that there is a consistent approach.

    However, these guidelines are not exhaustive or definitive and each application will be considered on its own merits.

    The guidelines are based on the following criteria:

    • you and all relevant partners or directors are of good repute
    • you have at least the minimum required financial resources
    • you or the person employed to be responsible for transport operations, are professionally able - the transport manager must have continuous and effective responsibility for managing the vehicle operations
    • any other Bus Operator Licence applications
    • you must have an effective and stable business in Northern Ireland

    Proving you have 'good repute'

    Your history and previous business experience might affect your application to become a bus operator.

    Consideration is given to any criminal history, any previous applications to be a bus operator, any history of bankruptcy or of disqualification.

    You, and everyone named on your application, including Transport Manager(s), Directors, partners, employees, must be of good repute. The Licensing Manager will consider  any relevant matters, but in particular will look at convictions, fixed penalties and serious infringements.

    Every five years (or if asked by the Department) your application must be accompanied by a Basic Disclosure Certificate for each named person. This can be obtained from AccessNI.

    When your AccessNI check is completed, if you have no criminal history, you’ll receive a digital disclosure certificate. You can view the certificate from your nidirect account.

    To send a copy of your digital certificate to DVA, choose the share button on your nidirect account and include the address TaxiandBusLicensing@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk.

    When you share your disclosure certificate with the DVA, it’s only available to view for three days.

    If the certificate shows a criminal history you’ll receive a printed certificate by post. This should be sent to:

    PTLD County Hall
    Castlerock Road
    Waterside
    Coleraine
    BT51 3HS

    It will only be returned if you provide a prepaid self-addressed envelope, or it will be securely destroyed on your behalf.

    More useful links

    • Bus Operator Handbook
    • Bus permits, applications and refusals 
    • Manage my DVA taxi and bus account 
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    Bus operator licensing

    • Apply for a bus operator licence
    • Assessing an application for a bus operator licence
    • Bus operator licences and permits

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