NTSA

Overview

In Kenya, driving licences are issued by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). To get a first licence, you train at a licensed driving school, pass the school's internal test, and then pass the NTSA driving test at a test centre. The rules for training and testing are set out in the Traffic (Driving Schools, Driving Instructors and Driving Licences) Rules, 2020, which include the national driver training curriculum.

Licences are issued by category, such as A (motorcycles), B (light vehicles), C (trucks), D (buses and vans) and G (plant and equipment). This page focuses on the common route for a light vehicle (category B) and points out where other categories differ.

Who can apply

• You must enrol at a driving school licensed by NTSA. All driving lessons must be given by a licensed school and instructor.

• For a provisional driving licence (PDL), NTSA lists a minimum age of 18.

• Each category has its own minimum age in the Rules. For example, a moped licence (AM) needs age 16, light vehicles (B1, B2) and most motorcycles need 18, a taxi licence (B3) needs 21, and heavier trucks and buses need higher ages and earlier experience in a lower category.

• A medical certificate in the prescribed form must accompany the test application.

People converting a foreign licence, or drivers ordered to take a fresh test, may apply for the test themselves instead of through a school.

Exam pattern

The NTSA driving test has a theory part and a practical part.

You must pass the yard test before taking the road test. For light vehicles, the curriculum allows about 2 hours for the theory test and 30 minutes for the practical test, and sets the overall pass mark above 70%.

Before the NTSA test, the school's internal test checks the same areas. Only learners with an aggregate of at least 70% in the school's internal test may be presented for the NTSA test.

Syllabus

The curriculum is built on four common units for all learners: an introduction to driving, fundamental driving rules, the model town, and human factors in traffic. Each category then adds its own units. For light vehicles these are vehicle parts and controls, basic control in a manoeuvre yard, and driving on the road.

Road skills tested include moving off and stopping, positioning, speed, hills and bends, junctions, roundabouts, railway and pedestrian crossings, lane choice, overtaking and meeting oncoming traffic, parking, emergency braking, U-turns and driving in poor light. During training, schools give continuous assessment tests of 50 multiple-choice questions after every 40 hours, with 35 correct answers needed to pass.

The Kenya Learner's Driver Handbook is the main reference used by schools.

Marking and results

If you pass, NTSA issues a certificate of competence for the category you were tested on. You then apply for an interim driving licence, which is valid for six months, and NTSA issues the full licence within that period.

If you fail, you are sent back to your driving school for retraining:

• you cannot retest within 21 days of the failed test;

• if you failed the theory part, you retake the whole test;

• if you failed only the practical part, you retake just the practical, provided you do so within 6 months;

• if you do not retest, you must register again and redo the training.

Fees

As listed on the NTSA site in 2026:

How to apply

1. Enrol at a licensed driving school. The school tests you on the first units and at least four hours of yard practice before arranging your PDL.

2. Apply for the PDL through your eCitizen account on the NTSA service portal, pay, and print the PDL. It is valid for 3 months. Show an L plate visible from 20 metres at the front and rear of the vehicle.

3. Complete your training and pass the school's internal test.

4. Once your PDL is at least 21 days old, book the test on the NTSA portal, pay, choose a date and attend the test centre.

5. If you pass, apply for the interim licence; if not, apply for a retest.

6. Apply for the smart driving licence on the portal and collect it from a Huduma centre or NTSA office when you get an SMS.

After the exam

A driving licence must be renewed every three years under the Rules. To add a category to an existing licence, you apply for a PDL for that class and book a class endorsement test through NTSA.

Preparation tips

• Study the Highway Code, traffic signs and the model town layouts your school uses.

• Practise the yard manoeuvres until they are routine, since you cannot reach the road test without passing the yard.

• Attend all practical lessons: the curriculum requires full attendance of practical classes and at least 90% of theory lessons.