VEHICLE NUMBER PLATE

The identity of a vehicle is its number plate. Kenyan traffic laws require this identification for vehicles to be allowed to operate in the country and is issued to car dealers or owners upon booking.

The Traffic Act Cap 403 Section 6A, sub-section (1) provides for permanent relocation of a vehicle to another Country, as long as its identification plates and registration certificate issued under the Act in respect of the motor vehicle, is returned to the Registrar for cancellation. The registrar in turn issues a deregistration certificate, that basically bears witness and marks the completeness of this process.

Illegally registered vehicles or where there was an error in registration, would warrant deregistration. Where a vehicle is no longer in use, the Traffic Act provides for cancellation of its number plate registration, hence the deregistration of the same. The owner would be responsible for making a fresh application for registration to the registrar, ensuring the due process is complete.

In August 2022, the Kenyan government introduced the new look Kenyan vehicle registration plates. The new number plates contain microchip technology, that helps prevent duplication. There is also a specially imprinted Kenyan flag, a hologram and a serial number linked to the vehicle chassis number aiming at the prevention of theft and cheating on Vehicle ownership. The numbers on the plate are written in an FE-Schrift font for the sole reason of making forgery difficult. 

To register your vehicle, visit www.ntsa.go.ke, and log into your account. Select vehicle registration and follow the process thereafter as prompted.