According to the revised Traffic Act, the NTSA introduced new regulations for driving schools, driving instructors, and the granting of driving licenses in Kenya.
This includes the introduction of the new smart driving license as well as a revised driving curriculum aimed at enhancing road safety. The regulations establish new categories for driver’s licenses that identify the types of vehicles that holders of such licenses may operate.
Compared to the former driving license, the new classification has stricter qualifications and more vehicle types. A, B, C, D, E, F, and G are the first seven groupings formed from the categories. While categories E to G specify unique driving courses, categories A to D are further broken into various classes.
These are the categories:
Category A – Motorbike. Former class F-G
Category B – Light vehicle (small cars/ mini-bus). Former class B-E
Category C – Light Truck. Still class C
Category D – PSV. New category
Category E – Heavy Truck. Former class I
Category F – Persons with Disability. Former class H
Category G – Industrial, construction and agricultural plants& equipment.
Please Note: There is no combo course in the new curriculum. Only one category at a time may be studied.
Below is a series of tables with descriptions and prerequisites for each of the new categories.
Category A Driving Licenses
| Category | Description | Requirements |
| A1 Moped | Enables one to ride a motorcycle of up to 50cc No passengers allowed to be carried. No loads No passenger Minimum age of 16 years | Minimum age of 16 years |
| A2 Light motorcycle | Enables one to ride a ride motorcycle above 50cc Can carry a maximum load of 60 Kg (for up to 400cc) Can carry a passenger | Minimum age of 18 years |
| A3 Motorcycle taxi Couriers Three wheelers (e.g Tuk-tuk) | Enables one to ride a motorcycle above 100cc Can carry a maximum load of 100 Kg (for up to 50cc) Can carry a passenger | Minimum age of 21 years 1-year riding experience of category A2 |
Category B Driving Licenses
| Category | Description | Requirements |
| B1 Light Vehicle | Enables one to drive a light vehicle (passenger car) with a maximum Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 3500 kg with one light trailer (not exceeding 750 kg) Can drive a vehicle equipped with both a manual or automatic gearbox Can carry up to a maximum of 7 passengers | Minimum age of 18 years |
| B2 Light Vehicle Automatic | Enable one to drive a light vehicle (passenger car) with an automatic gear box and a maximum Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 3500 kg with one light trailer (not exceeding 750 kg) Cannot drive a vehicle equipped with a manual gearbox Can carry up to a maximum of 7 passengers Minimum age of 18 years | Minimum age of 18 years |
| B3 Professional | Enables one to drive a light vehicle (passenger car) with a maximum Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 3500 kg with one light trailer (not exceeding 750 kg) Equipped with a manual or automatic gear box Can carry up to a maximum of 7 passengers Minimum age of 21 years | Minimum age of 21 years |
Category C Driving Licenses
| Category | Description | Requirements |
| C1 Light Truck | Enables one to drive a light truck with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) exceeding 3500 kg and a maximum of 7500 kg with maximum one light trailer not exceeding 750 kg Equipped with manual or automatic gear box | Minimum age of 22 years |
| C Medium Truck | Enables one to drive a heavy truck with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) exceeding 7500 kg with maximum one light trailer not exceeding 750 kg Equipped with manual or automatic gear box | Minimum age of 24 years Two years’ experience of driving category C1 Required to undergo training |
| CE Heavy Truck with trailer | Enables one to drive a heavy truck with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) exceeding 7500 kg with a heavy trailer or semi-trailer Enables one to drive articulated vehicles (i.e. a vehicle with two or more parts that are connected so that they can move in different directions at the same time) Equipped with manual or automatic gear box | Minimum age of 28 years Four years’ experience of driving category C Required to undergo training and retesting for category CE |
| CE Heavy Goods Vehicle For Transportation of Hazardous Materials | Enables one to drive a heavy truck with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) exceeding 7500 kg with heavy trailer or semitrailer. Enables one to drive articulated vehicles Equipped with a manual or automatic gear box | Minimum age of 30 years Two years’ experience of driving category CE Required to undergo training and retesting for category CD |
Category D Driving Licenses
| Category | Description | Requirements |
| D1 Van | Enables one to drive a van with a maximum of 14 passengers. Equipped with manual or automatic gearbox | Minimum of 22 years |
| D2 Mini-bus | Enables one to drive a bus with 14 to 32 passengers Equipped with manual or automatic gear box | Minimum age of 25 years Minimum experience of 3 years driving category D1 Required to undergo training and retesting for category D2 |
| D3 Large Bus | Enables one to drive a bus with 33 or more passengers Equipped with manual or automatic gear box | Minimum age of 30 years Minimum experience of 3 years driving category D2 Required to undergo training and retesting for category D3 |
Category E Driving Licenses
| Category | Description | Requirements |
| Special professional driving license | Enables one to drive any vehicles classified under categories C1, C, CE, D, D1, D2, D3 and licensed as EC1, EC, ECE, ED, ED1, ED2 and ECD3 respectively | Minimum age of 21years Completed 3 months driving practice with any vehicle classified under categories C1, C, CE, D, D1, D2, D3 and licensed as EC1, EC, ECE, ED, ED1, ED2 AND ECD 3 respectively Class ED2 Licenses shall be endorsed for class D1 and D while Class ECE Licenses shall be endorsed for C and C1 |
Category F Driving Licenses
| Category | Description | Requirements |
| Special Driving License for Persons with Disability (PWD) | Enables one to drive a vehicle depending on the category the PWD is trained on | Minimum age of 18 years Requirement is as per the class the categories of abled drivers |
Category G Driving Licenses
| Category | Description | Requirements |
| Industrial construction and agricultural plants equipment | Enables one to operate forklift, motor grader, shovel, excavator, roller and any other special kinds of plant and equipment for which special authorization is required from the authority as defined in the Traffic Act before such plants can be registered for use. | Endorsement for class G will be done on the driving license. |
