Front page of Smart Driving License in Kenya

Drivers in Kenya are required to have a Smart Driving License in Kenya. The digital driving license was rolled out by National Transport and Safety Authority in April 2018. The aim of the rollout was to have discipline on Kenyan roads. The procedure of how to apply for this driving license is outlined in this article.

According to the traffic act, every driver in Kenya should have a driving license. However, let’s have first things first.

Read also: Causes of road accidents in Kenya

What is a Smart Driving License

A smart driving license is a new generation driving license that uses technology to track a driver’s record. The digital license resembles a Kenyan National ID card but has a chip.

On the front exterior of the card information such as; the driver’s full name, a passport photograph of the holder, blood group, license number, date of issue, expiry date, national ID number, date of birth, county of residence, and gender are indicated.

An image of the back face of a Smart driving license

The different classes of vehicles that the holder is licensed to drive are indicated at the back of the card.

What makes this driving license digital is a chip that is placed on it. The chip holds important details about the driver. The details include the number of accidents, drivers biometrics and traffic offenses committed among others.

NTSA loads 20 points into a card. The points are deducted when a driver commits a traffic offense. When the card is devoid of points, the driver is not allowed to drive on Kenyan roads.

Acquiring a digital driving license in Kenya one requires to meet some requisite requirements.

Requirements needed before one gets a Digital Driving License in Kenya

Prove to have undergone a driver training eg old driving license, PDL
An active Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS) account
KSh 3,050 in your Mpesa (inclusive of KSh 50 convenience fee) payable to MPESA PAY BILL 206206

Armed with the above requirements, you can proceed to apply for your smart driving license. It is pretty easy. Below is a step-by-step to applying for a smart driving license.

Login into your TIMS account

Once you have logged into your TIMS account you have a variety of options. If you have no TIMS account create one.

Read also: How to create a TIMS account

Choose the Driving License option and select apply for smart DL

This option gives you an allowance to populate your profile. Be keen when doing this.

Select your collection point

After updating your profile proceed and select your smart driving license collection center.

Pay for your digital driving license

Note that NTSA does not receive cash. Therefore, select the best payment method for you. However, Mpesa offers a fast and convenient method of payment. If you choose Mpesa you will pay KSh 3,050 via MPESA PAY BILL number 206206.

A receipt invoice will be issued if the payment is successful.

Book a date for biometrics

Unlike the old driving license, a Smart driving license captures the biometric information of the driver. This is done at either Huduma centers or the NTSA office.

To avoid long queues and wastage of time NTSA developed an online queuing system. The system allocates the time and date when you will present yourself at NTSA offices.

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Present yourself at NTSA offices

Once you have booked your date with NTSA, be patient and present yourself on the exact date that you successfully booked.

At NTSA you are required to present a printout of your application (steps above), a confirmation of your booking and an original national ID.

Additionally, NTSA will get your biometric data, fingerprints and passport photo.

By now the process is complete. Go home and wait for your smart driving license. But how long are you going to wait?

How long does it take to get your digital driving license

Upon following the above steps, processing your smart driving license should not take more than one month. However, if your application has issues, it may take longer.