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Number plate cost in Kenya (2026): standard, special and personalised

What each kind of number plate costs, what the fee covers, how to apply on eCitizen and how to pay by M-PESA.

DW
by Reviewed by Josephine Njeri 6 min read Updated 10 November 2026Verified 10 Nov 2026

What each plate costs

Plate typeWhat you getCost
Standard reflectiveThe next number in the national series, such as KEA 123AKES 3,050 a pair
Special numberA combination you choose inside a series already released, if it is freeKES 30,000
PersonalisedA name, nickname or brand instead of the usual letters and numbersKES 1,000,000
Personalised, replacementA new plate when a personalised one is defaced or lostKES 50,000
Personalised, moved to another car2% of the personalised fee, on top of the normal registration feeKES 20,000

Standard plates: KES 3,050 a pair

Every new registration gets the next number in the national sequence, now in the KE series that started at KEA 001A. The new digital reflective plates cost KES 3,050 for the pair through eCitizen. They carry a microchip, a hologram and the Kenyan flag, and the lettering is built to be read by traffic cameras.

If your car still has old non-reflective plates from before 2022, you have to upgrade to the reflective pair at the same price. Plates already in the KD series or earlier do not need to change to KE.

The 2022 fee schedule in the Traffic Rules lists KES 2,000 for a pair and KES 1,100 for a single plate. The price you pay today is the KES 3,050 eCitizen charges for the new plates. You may see KES 3,800 quoted online, made up of KES 3,050 plus a KES 50 eCitizen fee and KES 700 for RFID. We could not find a source for those two extra charges, so check the total on your eCitizen invoice before you pay.

Special numbers: KES 30,000

A special plate lets you choose the number, for example a birthday, a lucky number or matching numbers across a fleet, while keeping the standard format. It costs KES 30,000. You can only pick from a series NTSA has already released: while the current series is KE, you cannot reserve a number in a later one. If someone already has the number you want, you have to choose another.

How to apply

  1. Log in to eCitizen and open the NTSA portal.
  2. Select your vehicle and click View, then open Motor Vehicle Services.
  3. Choose Reflective Number Plate services, then Special Number Plate.
  4. Upload the supporting documents as PDFs, tick the declaration and submit.
  5. Pay the invoice. NTSA sends an SMS when the plate is ready to collect.

Personalised plates: KES 1,000,000

A personalised plate replaces the letters and numbers with something you choose, such as your name, a nickname or a business name. The fee in the Traffic Rules is KES 1,000,000. NTSA will not approve names that are political, derogatory or likely to stir ethnic, racial or religious tension, and it can reject any application.

The costs after you buy one are set out in the same rules. Replacing a defaced or lost personalised plate costs KES 50,000. Moving the plate to another car costs 2% of the personalised fee, which is KES 20,000, plus the normal registration fee. There is no yearly charge in the schedule.

Rules that come with it

  • Public service vehicles, cargo trucks, ambulances and hearses, diplomatic vehicles, tractors and heavy machinery cannot have one.
  • If you sell the car and keep the plate, NTSA can issue a retention certificate for up to six months.
  • A plate not put on another vehicle within six months goes back into NTSA's safekeeping.

How to apply

  1. Log in to eCitizen and open NTSA New Services.
  2. Under your profile, choose Apply for Personalised Plates.
  3. Enter the car's current registration number and the name you want.
  4. Upload the logbook and other documents, submit and pay.
  5. NTSA tells you when the plate is approved and ready to collect.

Paying by M-PESA

All three are paid through an eCitizen invoice. On M-PESA, pay to the government paybill 222222 and use the eCitizen invoice number as the account. Pay the exact amount on the invoice, keep the M-PESA message, and wait for the invoice to show as paid before you leave the page. If it does not update, see eCitizen payment not reflecting.

Questions people ask

How much is a number plate in Kenya?

A standard pair of reflective plates costs KES 3,050 on eCitizen. A special number of your choice inside the current series costs KES 30,000. A personalised plate with a name or word costs KES 1,000,000.

Is there an annual fee for a personalised number plate?

Not in the fee schedule of the Traffic Rules. The KES 50,000 figure that circulates online is the charge for replacing a defaced or lost personalised plate, not a yearly fee.

Can I move my personalised plate to another car?

Yes. The Traffic Rules charge 2% of the personalised fee, which is KES 20,000, on top of the normal registration fee. If you sell the car first, NTSA can give you a retention certificate that holds the plate for up to six months.

Can I choose any number I like for KES 30,000?

Only a number inside a series NTSA has already released, and only if nobody else holds it. You cannot book a number in a series that has not started yet.

Which vehicles cannot get a personalised plate?

Public service vehicles, cargo trucks, ambulances and hearses, diplomatic vehicles, tractors and heavy machinery.

Sources

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