Which Licence Class Covers Which Vehicle

Kenya's smart driving licence classes are set out in the Traffic (Driving Schools, Driving Instructors and Driving Licences) Rules. These are the main ones for driving jobs. Weights are gross vehicle weight unless stated.

Class What you can drive Minimum age and experience
A1 Motorcycle over 50cc, with a passenger 18
A2 Motorcycle taxi, courier and three-wheeler 18
A3 Three-wheeler (tuk-tuk), up to 3 passengers 18
B1 Automatic light vehicle up to 3,500 kg, up to 7 passengers 18
B2 Manual or automatic light vehicle up to 3,500 kg, including goods vans under 3,500 kg tare 18
B3 Taxi (professional light vehicle), up to 7 passengers 21
C1 Light truck, 3,500 to 7,500 kg 22, plus 2 years on B2
C Medium truck, over 7,500 kg 24, plus 2 years on C1
CE Heavy truck with trailer, articulated vehicles 28, plus 4 years on C, training and a retest
D1 Van, up to 14 passengers 22
D2 Minibus, 14 to 32 passengers 25, plus 3 years on D1
D3 Large bus, 33 or more passengers 30, plus 3 years on D2, training and a retest
G Forklifts, graders, excavators, rollers and other plant Endorsed on your licence

Classes C1 to D3 have a maximum age of 65. Some higher classes include lower ones: B2 also covers B1, A2 covers A1, and D1 covers B1 and B2. The Rules also set classes for hazardous goods trucks (CD), articulated buses (D4), a special professional licence (E) and drivers with disabilities (F).

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Read the Advert's Class, Not Just "Driver"

A 14-seater passenger van needs D1, plus the PSV requirements if it carries fare-paying passengers. A truck over 7,500 kg needs at least C. If the advert doesn't name a class, ask the employer before you apply.

Adding a Class to Your Licence

NTSA adds classes through the NTSA Service Portal, which you log in to with your eCitizen details. First you enrol at a licensed driving school and get a provisional licence endorsed for the new class. You book the test once the provisional licence has matured after 21 days. NTSA's own FAQ says third parties or agents are not authorised to provide NTSA services. Anyone offering to "add" a class without the school and the test is not offering you an NTSA service.

PSV Jobs: What You Need

  • The right class: NTSA's PSV badge page lists B professional (B3), D1, D2 and D3.
  • Age and experience for matatus and buses: the Traffic Act only grants a licence for matatus and buses to someone over 24 who has held a car or commercial-vehicle licence for at least four years.
  • A certificate of good conduct: NTSA requires it for the badge. Apply for it yourself through the DCI's eCitizen service at dci.ecitizen.go.ke.
  • A PSV badge: apply on the NTSA Service Portal under PSV, choosing taxi, tour, institution or PSV. NTSA lists the fee as Ksh 1,050 and says the badge is issued the same day. If you drive for a Sacco, the Sacco makes the application.
  • Badge and uniform on duty: the Traffic Act requires PSV drivers to wear the badge and a uniform, which is navy blue for drivers.

The Act also requires PSV owners to employ vetted drivers who hold a certificate of good conduct, and to pay them a permanent monthly salary.

Rules for PSV and Commercial Drivers

  • Eight hours' driving: under the Traffic Act, nobody may drive a PSV or a commercial vehicle for more than eight hours in total in any 24-hour period.
  • Retest at renewal: PSV and commercial drivers must pass a driving test every three years to renew their licence. NTSA lists a driving licence renewal test among its services.
  • Vehicle checks: NTSA's 2026 commercial vehicle regulations cover vehicles over 3,048 kg tare. They require drivers to check the vehicle before and after trips and report any problem to the owner or operator.
  • Medical fitness: the Act provides for a physical fitness test every three years for PSV and commercial drivers, including eyes and hearing. In January 2026, NTSA said this had not yet been rolled out and that any rollout would be announced by official public notice. Be wary of anyone selling an "NTSA medical".

How to Spot a Fake Driver Job Advert

  • Money up front: fees for registration, interviews, training, uniforms or "badge processing", especially when paid to a personal M-Pesa number. work.ke never charges job seekers.
  • No real employer: there is no company name, or the only contact is a WhatsApp number or a free email address. TVETA, for example, has warned the public about a fake recruiter using a Gmail address in its name. It says it does not recruit through Gmail.
  • Shortcuts: promises to "fix" your licence class or PSV badge without the driving school, the test or the portal.
  • Pressure: "only three slots left", pay today, tell nobody.
  • Documents too early: the Employment Act says an employer, including an employment agency, should not require clearance certificates from an applicant unless it intends to employ them. A genuine employer can verify your police clearance on the DCI's page (dci.ecitizen.go.ke/verify) without a middleman.

For a step-by-step check before you send money or documents, read work.ke's guide on how to spot a job scam before you pay.

Where to Find Real Driver Vacancies

work.ke's driver jobs page lists current driving vacancies with links to the original adverts. work.ke checks each listing's source before it appears and doesn't collect applications. You apply on the employer's own advert, or on the advert of the named agency. Before you apply, compare the vehicle class, duty station and shifts, and check whether the quoted pay includes allowances.

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Frequently Asked Questions

No. A matatu needs a D class: D1 for vans with up to 14 passengers, or D2 for minibuses. You also need to meet the Traffic Act's age and experience conditions and hold a PSV badge. B3 is the professional class for taxis.

No. B1 covers automatic light vehicles only. For a manual vehicle of up to 3,500 kg you need B2.

Under the licensing rules, a driving licence is renewed every three years through the NTSA Service Portal.

Sources

All sources were checked on 26 September 2026.

  1. Kenya Law: Traffic (Driving Schools, Driving Instructors and Driving Licences) Rules (L.N. 28 of 2020, revised 31 December 2022). Rule 34 and the Third Schedule set out the categories, vehicles, minimum ages, experience and the maximum age of 65. Rule 35 covers renewal every three years. https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/ln/2020/28/eng@2022-12-31
  2. NTSA: Endorsement of additional classes (enrol at a licensed driving school). https://ntsa.go.ke/services/service/endorsement-of-additional-classes-on-driving-licence
  3. NTSA: Provisional driving licence (issued to existing licence holders adding classes). https://ntsa.go.ke/services/service/provisional-driving-licence-pdl
  4. NTSA: Test booking for class endorsement (after 21-day PDL maturity). https://ntsa.go.ke/services/service/test-booking-for-class-endorsement
  5. NTSA: Processing of PSV badges for drivers and conductors. Requirements are B professional, D1, D2 or D3, a certificate of good conduct and a photo; Sacco applications are made by the Sacco. Categories are taxi, tour, institution and PSV. Fee Ksh 1,050, same day. https://ntsa.go.ke/services/service/processing-of-psv-badges-for-drivers-and-conductors-psv-tours-institution. The fee and "Immediate" issue are also in the NTSA Service Charter 2026: https://ntsa.go.ke/api/downloads/94/file
  6. NTSA: FAQs ("third parties or agents are not authorised to provide NTSA services"; services accessed with eCitizen login). https://ntsa.go.ke/faqs
  7. NTSA: "Clarification on Physical Fitness Tests for PSV and Commercial Drivers", 28 January 2026. https://ntsa.go.ke/news/2
  8. NTSA: List of Services (includes "Driving License Renewal Test"). https://ntsa.go.ke/api/downloads/92/file
  9. NTSA: The National Transport and Safety (Operation of Commercial Vehicles) Regulations, 2026 (L.N. 14 of 2026). Reg. 4 covers vehicles over 3,048 kg tare; reg. 10 sets driver duties, including pre-trip and post-trip checks. Listed at https://ntsa.go.ke/downloads, file https://ntsa.go.ke/api/downloads/58/file
  10. Kenya Law: Traffic Act (Cap. 403), version of 26 April 2024. S. 2 (definition of "matatu"), s. 30(6) (retest every three years), s. 33(1)(c) (over 24 and four years' licence for matatus and buses), s. 66A (eight hours), s. 98(5) (badge), s. 103A (uniform, good conduct, monthly salary), s. 105A (fitness test). https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/1953/39/eng@2024-04-26
  11. DCI: Police Clearance Certificate (apply at dci.ecitizen.go.ke; verify at dci.ecitizen.go.ke/verify). https://www.dci.go.ke/node/272
  12. Kenya Law: Employment Act (Cap. 226), s. 9(5) and 9(9) (clearance certificates only when intending to employ; "employer" includes an employment agency). https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/2007/11/eng@2024-04-26
  13. TVETA: "Public Notice: Fraud Alert" (fake recruitment emails from a Gmail address; TVETA does not recruit through Gmail). https://www.tveta.go.ke/public-notice-fraud-alert/
  14. work.ke: Terms (never charges job seekers; checks each listing's source before it appears; you apply on the original advert). https://work.ke/terms
  15. work.ke: How to spot a job scam before you share money or documents. https://work.ke/guides/spot-a-job-scam-before-you-pay
  16. work.ke: Driver jobs in Kenya. https://work.ke/jobs/drivers