Would you like to apply for a smart driving licence in Kenya? The Kenya National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) allows you to apply for a smart driving licence online through its Transport Information Management system (TIMS) website. You can now get rid of the older generation driving licence (the red booklet) and get a smaller, more advanced document.

The smart driving licence is a plastic card, the size of the national ID card, but has a chip that holds the owner’s information like name, date of birth, blood type, gender, and address. It also features a demerit point system that deducts points from drivers whenever they are stopped by traffic police for committing traffic offences. This allows the traffic police to access drivers’ histories, enabling them to identify and weed out rogue drivers from the roads.

How to apply for a smart driving licence

Before you apply, you need to create a TIMS account if you don’t have one. The process is straightforward. Just visit https://tims.ntsa.go.ke/ and click “Register An Account”. Follow the subsequent prompts to complete the registration. You will also need to have your national ID, KRA PIN, and phone number. 

The smart driving licence application attracts a KSH3000 application fee plus a KSH50 convenience fee, which comes to a total of KSH3050. So you must have around KSH 3100  in your M-Pesa to account for the M-Pesa transaction fees. 

Procedure:

1. Visit https://tims.ntsa.go.ke and log in to your TIMS account using your username or ID number, and the password you used to create your account.
2. Click “Get Code” and wait for a verification code SMS on your phone. This means you must have your phone with you (with the mobile number you used to register the TIMS account).
3. Now, enter the verification code you have just received and click “Sign In”.
4. Next, click on “Driving Licence” and select “Apply for smart driving licence” on the drop-down menu.
5. Double-check to ensure that your details are correct and click on “Next” at the bottom.
6. Now, click on “Pay”. 
7. You will be taken to a payment page where you will choose your payment method. Choose your preferred method and pay KSH3050.
8. After making your payment, click on “Complete” to complete the payment process.
9. After that, you will be directed to a page with your invoice. You can download it to your device as a PDF document.

The application process is complete. Now go back to your account and click “Smart DL Appointment” to book an appointment with NTSA where they will take your biometrics and personal information. You will receive an SMS when your smart driving licence is ready.