Government · 6 min read
How to apply for a PSV badge online (NTSA)
Matatu, bus and taxi drivers: the requirements for a PSV badge — good conduct certificate, driving licence, medical certificate — and how to apply.
By Dismus Nganyi · Published 8 November 2026
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Want to handle it yourself? Continue with the guide.
Anyone driving a public service vehicle — matatu, bus or taxi — needs a PSV badge from NTSA. The badge confirms you are qualified, vetted and medically fit to carry passengers. Application is done through the NTSA section of eCitizen, but the supporting documents take time, so start with those.
The requirements
- A valid Kenyan driving licence for the class of vehicle you will drive
- A Certificate of Good Conduct from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) — applied for on eCitizen
- A medical certificate from a recognised medical practitioner
- Your National ID and KRA PIN details
- Any training or endorsement certificates NTSA asks for your vehicle class
Get the documents first
The Certificate of Good Conduct is usually the slowest document. Apply for it on eCitizen under the DCI services well before your PSV application. The medical certificate must be current — an old one can be rejected. Keep clear scans or photos of everything; you will upload them.
Steps to apply for the badge
- 1Sign in to your own eCitizen account and open National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
- 2Open the PSV driver or badge application service.
- 3Fill in your details exactly as on your ID and driving licence.
- 4Upload the Certificate of Good Conduct, medical certificate and any other documents asked.
- 5Pay the official invoice shown and save the receipt.
- 6Follow the portal’s instructions on vetting, any tests, and how the badge is issued.
Renewals and discipline
The badge is not permanent — renew it as required and keep your good conduct certificate and medical certificate current. Traffic offences and passenger complaints can affect your badge. If your badge is suspended, the portal or NTSA office will tell you the steps to restore it.
Who exactly needs the badge
The badge is for drivers of public service vehicles: matatu and bus drivers, taxi and ride-hailing drivers operating as PSVs, and drivers of school and staff transport where required. Conductors have their own PSV requirements too. If you only ever drive a private car, you do not need a PSV badge. If you are moving from private to PSV driving, the badge is part of the switch — plan for it before your first shift, not after your first checkpoint.
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The Certificate of Good Conduct in detail
This DCI certificate deserves its own plan because it is the usual bottleneck. You apply through eCitizen under the police or DCI services, pay the official invoice, and have fingerprints taken at a designated centre. Processing takes time, and the certificate has a validity period — apply too early and it may be stale by the time NTSA sees it; too late and your badge application waits. A few weeks before your badge application is the sensible window.
After the badge is approved
Carry the badge whenever you are on duty — checks at stages and roadblocks ask for it alongside your driving licence. Keep the underlying documents current: an expired medical certificate or a stale good conduct certificate can surface at renewal. And guard your record: serious traffic offences and sustained passenger complaints can cost you the badge, and with it, your livelihood.
Costs to plan for across the whole process
The badge itself is one invoice on eCitizen, but the full journey has several official charges: the Certificate of Good Conduct, the medical examination, any training or tests for your class, and the badge application. List them before you start so the total does not surprise you halfway. Each is paid through its official channel with a receipt — keep them all, because renewals and future applications are easier when you can show a clean paper trail.
Switching between PSV classes
A badge tied to one class of PSV work does not automatically cover another. Moving from a 14-seater matatu to a bus, or from a taxi to a school van, can require additional endorsements, tests or documents. Before you take a new driving job, check in the NTSA portal what your current badge covers and what the new role demands. Employers who tell you to ‘start today, papers later’ are asking you to carry their risk — at a checkpoint, the driver answers first.
A quick recap
The PSV badge is a document chain: driving licence, Certificate of Good Conduct, medical certificate, then the application in the NTSA section of eCitizen. Start the slow documents first, upload clear copies, pay only the official invoices and keep every receipt. Once approved, carry the badge on duty and keep the underlying documents current. Drivers who treat the badge as a profession’s licence — not a formality — are the ones who keep it.
Tip: Sacco and company employers often help with PSV paperwork. If you drive for one, ask what they handle before you pay for anything yourself.
Keep your passwords, reset links and one-time codes private. Cyber Kenya can guide you and prepare details, but you complete sign-in and verification yourself. Any official government charge is separate from Cyber Kenya’s assistance fee.
