Naturally, human beings are designed to care about social status, especially those that shape how we are viewed, received, and recognized. So, when it comes to buying the most preferred car, the ideal drive is about the badge as much as where the wheels can get the owner. A personalized number plate is one that reads the preferred name of the owner. Personalized number plates are reserved for only registered owners of motor vehicles with civilian registration numbers.
Requirements for applying for a personalized number plate
Custom number plates adorn the look of your vehicle and at the same time speak a lot about you, your choices and your personality. If you’re a civilian and want to stand out from the rest on the roads, you can have a customized number plate. These number plates are issued by NTSA subject to fulfilling the following requirements.
a. Eligibility
The vehicle must have been registered with civilian numbers. The process does not apply to:
- Public Service Vehicles (PSV)
- Commercial Motor Vehicles i.e., cargo trucks (either private or for hire)
- Service vehicles, i.e., ambulance and funeral hearse
- Diplomatic vehicles
- Tractors
- Heavy machinery
b. Cost
- It costs Ksh 1,000,000 to register a personalized car number plate.
- For replacement of lost or defaced personal plate is Ksh 50,000.
- The annual charge is Ksh 50,000.
c. Conditions
- The number plate should contain a minimum of four characters and a maximum of seven characters.
- The characters must be in capital letters.
- It must be embossed in blue, with a reflective white background for both front and back plates.
- Any signs, symbols or names which may be deemed abusive or offensive are prohibited. Names of political parties and names that provoke ethnic or racial tensions are also not allowed.
d. Requirements
- The message to be displayed on the number plate.
- Proof that the applicant is the registered owner of the vehicle.
e. Transfer
A personalized number plate is not transferable to another party. If a person intends to transfer the personalized identification plate to another motor vehicle upon disposal of the vehicle which initially had the personalized identification plate, a retention certificate may be issued by the Authority for a period not exceeding six months.
f. Validity
The personalized number plate has to renewed annually.
How to get a personalized number plate in Kenya
Here is the procedure involved in obtaining a customized number plate.
- Visit NTSA offices with your documents.
- The receiving officer upon receiving your application documents will check them against a check list to confirm that all are presented.
- The receiving officer attaches a check list to the lodged documents and records critical information of the documents to a register.
- The certificate of clearance (COC) is retrieved and attached to the application documents.
- The documents are examined to ensure that details of the vehicle are in order and the lodged papers are genuine. If the examining officer is satisfied that the documents are in order he/she recommends for approval, otherwise they are rejected.
- The recommended documents are passed on to the approving officer who examines the documents further and if satisfied that they are in order, approves for registration by signing and stamping.
- The basic data of the vehicle is captured in the cash receipting system (CRS) to enable for registration fees collection. The amount payable is communicated to you.
- The documents are forwarded to the cash counter for payment of registration fees. Amount payable is obtainable in the cash receipting system once the engine capacity is keyed in.
- Number plate, if approved by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, is allocated and a sticker indicating the number is affixed on the application form A.
- Scanning of form A and certificate of clearance is done.
- The applicant is issued with the number plates as soon as they are ready, and road license for the vehicle after vehicle details are recorded. You will then be required to sign a number plates issuing register.
