Overview of The Vehicle Transfer Process

You need to Know the NTSA Logbook Transfer Charges and the processes of car ownership in your preferred name.  After you’ve purchased your motor vehicle and fully paid for it, the next step would be to transfer ownership from the previous owner to yourself or another preferred owner. The Government has made things easier through the NTSA. Gone are the days that you would line up at a KRA Office to facilitate the transfer of car ownership. Those were the days when brokers would prey on you to pounce on your ignorance and drain your pockets. Nowadays things have gone digital and there has been significant improvement in service delivery. 

Who is NTSA

The NTSA which is an abbreviation of National Transport and Safety Authority. This is a Government Agency or Authority that has been mandated to manage the transport sector in Kenya. Their mandate includes management of Motor vehicle records as well as driver’s records. They are also mandated to issue licenses in the transport sector.  The NTSA has a tool called TIMS that they use in their service delivery.  

What is TIMS

TIMS is an abbreviation which stands for Transport Integrated Management System. The system was created and is managed by the NTSA. This is a system used by the NTSA to manage transport related services as well as the documents involved. These services include but not limited to motor vehicle registration and ownership transfer which is the subject of this article.  

Process of Ownership Transfer

For this process to happen you need to have a TIMS account.  This is the platform where the transaction occurs. You need to get familiar with the NEW NTSA TIMS Log in Procedure – The New System. Follow the link to get familiar with the process.  

New TIMS The New NTSA TIMS Login Link: https://timsvirl.ntsa.go.ke/ NTSA Customer Support Contact details for TIMS WhatsApp: 0797556354 E-mail: info@ntsa.go.ke and complaints@ntsa.go.ke Click here to view other NTSA Contacts and office location details. About TIMS The National Transport and Safety Authority – NTSA migrated to a New TIMS Portal. This is in an effort to better their services.

The transfer process has to be initiated by the previous owner. This owner has to transfer ownership to the new owner using the NEW NTSA TIMS. Kindly note that there are charges for this transaction which we have shared below. Once the transfer has been done, the new owner has to log on to the NEW NTSA TIMS to confirm and accept ownership in the Vehicle registration Tab. This process initializes the processing of a new logbook under the new owner’s name.  

Procedure for Logbook Transfer In Summary

The Seller Should:  

Log in to NEW TIMS, then go to Vehicle Registration Tab, then Vehicle transfer tab, then apply for transfer of ownership. Follow prompt and ensure to provide all require information. You will be required to upload a copy of the logbook. Once the seller submits the information, the buyer should receive a notification of the transaction.  

The Buyer Should:  

Log in to NEW TIMS, then go to Vehicle Registration Tab, then Vehicle transfer tab, then accept ownership. Follow prompt and ensure to provide all require information. Once the acceptance and confirmation are done, the information is sent to NTSA for processing and Approval.  

The NTSA Logbook Transfer Charges

Below are the charges for motor vehicle transfer. Kindly note that these charges are subject to changes.  

Vehicle Engine Capacity	Charges
Not Exceeding 1,000 CC	1,660
1,001 to 1,200 CC	1,890
1,201 to 1,500 CC	2,065
1,501 to 1,700 CC	2,410
1,701 to 2,000 CC	2,695
2,001 to 2,500 CC	3,845
2,501 to 3,000 CC	5,055
3,001 CC and Above	5,915
Trailer with less than 4 wheels	1,030
Trailer with more than 4 Wheels	1,890
Tractor	1,030

For More information on NTSA Services, visit: https://www.ntsa.go.ke/site/