Driving in Kenya requires you to be ‘allowed’ to drive after undertaking a test and found fit to drive. Once you are allowed, you will need to be renewing it since the license has a time limit.

The introduction of smart driving licenses in Kenya about four years ago is still confusing many drivers. For instance, when you want to both apply and renew the smart driving license, you do not access it through the e-citizen platform, but rather in TIMS.

TIMS has a security code that is sent to your phone every time you log in to undertake any transaction.

Renewing smart driving license

One of the features you see on the left of the TIMS platform when you log-in is renew driving license.

You may notice that once you click renew driving license on TIMS, it will ask you to upload your current driving license and Identity Card. However, there will be no option or exact place to upload it. Just ignore this and proceed to confirm your details and make payments.

Once you pay, you will also notice that there will be no option to book an appointment for biometrics and photo capturing. Do not fret. Although it is also cumbersome for no reason, since you already took them in the first instance when you registered for them. It is more of a repeat exercise.

Just go to your nearest NTSA offices. Do remember that the headquarters are no longer in Upper Hill, but now in community, 2^nd Ngong Avenue. Once there, you will be directed by their staff on the respective queue to take and you will retake your biometrics and photo. You will then be advised that you will receive an SMS informing you when the card is ready for collection. This can take between one week and one month or more.

However, once you undertake this process, you should be good to continue driving. You can either download the NTSA App on your phone so that you can show any traffic officer or you can ask them to also check on their phones.

Furthermore, do know that the smart driving license renewal is only for three years, same as when you were applying for it for the first time. The costs are the same as applying the first time, i.e. Ksh3000 and Ksh50 as convenience fee, making a total of Ksh3,050. This outside of the transaction costs which is today Ksh60.

This renewal is also different from previously where you could renew for one year. Moreover, should you be having the old driving license, you can still renew for one year, which is the limit currently on e-citizen and you can then print the slip and attach to the driving license.