NTSA Issues New Data On Driving Licenses, Urges Applicants To Track Progress
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has recorded a sharp increase in the number of driving licences issued to vehicles, with new official data showing that the total number of licences rose to nearly 2 million in 2025.
This comes amid persistent concerns over allegations of delays in the issuance of the critical documents by some motorists, an issue NTSA has previously denied.
According to the latest figures contained in the KNBS 2026 Economic Survey Report, the total number of driving licences issued increased by 15.5 per cent from 1.69 million in 2024 to 1.95 million in 2025.
The report revealed that a majority of the licences issued during the 12 months were original driving licences that were given to new drivers across the country.
Data from NTSA shows that original driving licences rose from 1,684,095 in 2024 to 1,933,641 in 2025.
This indicates that there was a sharp growth in the number of Kenyans joining the country’s transport sector either as private motorists, commercial drivers, or motorcycle operators.
The report also showed that duplicate driving licences increased significantly from 2,831 in 2024 to 13,189 in 2025, with foreign driving licences processed by NTSA standing at 2,831 in 2025, the same number recorded in 2023.
At the same time, the authority reported an increase in PSV licences issued by capacity. The licences rose by 12.1 per cent to 67,569 in 2025 compared to 60,282 in 2024.
Among the categories that recorded notable growth were PSV vehicles with 8 to 18 seats, whose licences increased from 34,654 in 2024 to 41,699 in 2025.
At the same time, licences for vehicles with 19 to 25 seats also rose sharply from 749 to 12,065 during the same period.
However, some categories recorded a decline. PSV licences for vehicles with 26 seats and above dropped from 22,758 in 2024 to 12,785 in 2025, with licences for PSV vehicles carrying 0 to 7 passengers also declining from 2,121 to 1,020.
The data further shows changes in NTSA’s PSV categorisation beginning in 2024, with some vehicle classifications updated to reflect seating capacities more accurately.
The increase in driving and PSV licences shows the continued expansion of the country’s transport industry, increased vehicle ownership, and rising demand for commercial transport services.
Meanwhile, despite the increase in licence issuance between 2024 and 2025, motorists have continued to protest delays in processing the documents, with some taking to social media to express their frustrations.
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According to select motorists, they have been forced to wait for their documents for more than three months despite making payments for the services.
In response, NTSA recently urged Kenyans who applied for their licences to track the progress of their application through the dedicated service status portal:servicestatus.ntsa.go.ke.
To access the service status portal, applicants are required to enter the NTSA website and click on ‘Online Services’, then proceed to ‘Other Services‘.
Click on the ‘Uncollected Smart Driving Licenses and Number Plates’ and the selection option.
Under the options button, select whether you want to check the status of your driving license or number plate.
NTSA Issues New Data On Driving Licenses, Urges Applicants To Track Progress
