Jamaica Driving

Overview

Getting a driver's licence in Jamaica has two tests. First you pass a multiple-choice Road Code Test to get a Provisional Driver's (Learner's) Licence. Later you take the driver's licence examination, which has a written test and a road test. The Island Traffic Authority (ITA) runs the tests at its examination depots, and Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) issues the licences and takes the fees. The Road Code Test rules below come from official notices issued in January 2020, so confirm current details with TAJ or the ITA before you apply.

Who can apply

• The minimum age for a Provisional Driver's Licence is 17, according to TAJ's FAQ.

• The same FAQ gives 17 years 6 months as the minimum age for a driver's licence, marked "pending Road Traffic Act".

• Applicants must be able to read and write English.

• Holders of a valid overseas licence can skip the Provisional Licence, but still take the written and road tests for a Jamaican licence.

Exam pattern

The Road Code Test has a pass mark of 75 percent. The format is similar to the written part of the driver's licence test. The notices reviewed do not give the number of questions or the length of the test.

Syllabus

TAJ says people can prepare with the Road Code literature that is normally used for the written part of the driver's licence test. The Road Code Test covers the general rules of the road, road signs, road markings and road safety.

Fees

• In January 2020 the fee for the Provisional Driver's Licence was JMD 1,800 for a one-year licence, and the TAJ Rates and Fees page still lists JMD 1,800 as listed on the official site in 2026. The Road Code Test cost is included in that fee.

• Retakes of the Road Code Test were free "until further notice" in 2020. Confirm whether that still applies.

• The driver's licence examination fee is bought at a Tax Office. The TAJ Rates and Fees page lists it as JMD 3,240, as listed on the official site in 2026.

• The same page lists the licence itself at JMD 5,400 for a private licence, JMD 7,200 for a general licence and JMD 4,140 for a motorcycle licence, as listed on the official site in 2026.

How to apply

Provisional Driver's Licence

1. Get the application form from an ITA depot, a Tax Office or the TAJ or Ministry of Transport and Mining websites.

2. Take the completed form and three identical certified passport photographs to an ITA Examination Depot.

3. Take the Road Code Test. If you pass, the depot notes it on the form and in a database shared by the ITA and TAJ, and returns the form in a sealed envelope.

4. Take the form to any Tax Office, pay the fee and receive the Provisional Licence.

5. If you fail, the ITA tells you when to come back to retake the test.

TAJ's FAQ also lists the other requirements: a Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN) and photographs certified by a Justice of the Peace, a minister of religion, or a police officer of superintendent rank or higher.

Driver's licence

1. Hold a Provisional Driver's Licence.

2. Complete the General or Private Licence form and buy the examination fee at a Tax Office.

3. Take the form and three certified photographs to an ITA depot for the written and road tests.

4. When you pass, you receive a date to collect the licence at a Tax Office, where you complete Form F7 and pay the fee.

After the exam

A Jamaican driver's licence is valid for five birthdays, according to TAJ's FAQ. A Provisional Licence is valid for one year, and a person who already passed the Road Code Test does not need to retake it when renewing or replacing a lost licence.

Preparation tips

• Study the Road Code, especially signs and markings.

• Practise multiple-choice questions, since both the Road Code Test and the written test use that style.

• Pass the Road Code Test before queueing at a Tax Office, because the Tax Office checks the shared ITA and TAJ database.