Driving licence classes in Kenya: which class each driving job needs

Almost every driving job advert in Kenya names a licence class. If you do not hold that class, your application is usually rejected before anyone reads it. This guide explains the classes on the NTSA smart driving licence, which jobs need which class, and how to move up.

Ages, years of experience and fees for each class are set by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and change from time to time. Confirm the current rules on the NTSA portal or with an NTSA-accredited driving school before you enrol.

What are the driving licence classes in Kenya?

The smart driving licence groups vehicles into classes, each with sub-classes:

• Class A: motorcycles. A1, A2 and A3 cover mopeds, motorcycles and motorcycle taxis or delivery bikes.
• Class B: light vehicles. Cars, pick-ups and light vans. B3 is the professional sub-class for people who drive for a living.
• Class C: trucks. C1 covers light trucks, C covers medium and heavy trucks, and CE covers articulated trucks and heavy trailers.
• Class D: public service vehicles. D1 covers vans, D2 minibuses such as matatus, and D3 large buses and coaches.
• Other classes cover special vehicles, such as plant and equipment like forklifts and graders.

The higher classes have minimum ages and require you to have held a lower class for a number of years first. You cannot go straight to a heavy truck or a large bus.

Which licence class does each driving job need?

• Company or personal driver: class B, and many employers prefer B3 for professional drivers.
• Delivery rider or boda boda rider: class A, for the size of motorcycle you will ride.
• Delivery van or pick-up driver: class B, sometimes C1 for larger vans.
• Truck driver: C1, C or CE, depending on the weight of the truck and whether it pulls a trailer.
• Matatu, school bus or coach driver: the right D sub-class, plus a PSV badge. Read our guide to getting a PSV badge.

How do you add a class to your licence?

You train for the new class at an NTSA-accredited driving school, pass the test for that class, and have it endorsed on your licence through the NTSA portal. Keep the training certificate and test results: some employers ask to see them.

What else do employers check?

• That your licence is valid and in date. Renew it before it expires; an expired licence is the same as no licence to an employer.
• A certificate of good conduct, especially for company, school and NGO drivers.
• Your driving record. A clean record with no serious offences counts in your favour.
• Years of experience in the class the job needs, not just years of driving.

How do you show your licence on a CV?

Put your licence classes near the top, next to your name: for example "Driving licence: B, C1, C". Add your years of experience in each class and any badges, such as a PSV badge. Our guide to writing a driver CV shows the layout, and you can browse driver jobs in Kenya once it is ready.