NTSA logbook transfer on eCitizen: the complete process

When a vehicle changes hands in Kenya, the ownership record must change in the NTSA system. The transfer is done on eCitizen: the seller starts it, the buyer accepts it, the fee is paid, and NTSA issues a new logbook in the buyer’s name. Until that happens, the vehicle is still legally the seller’s — with all the risk that carries.

What both sides need

• Seller: an eCitizen account linked to the vehicle, plus the buyer’s ID and KRA PIN details
• Buyer: an eCitizen account in their own name, linked to their National ID
• The vehicle’s registration number and logbook details
• For vehicles under financing: a clearance or consent letter from the financier
• M-Pesa or another payment option for the transfer invoice

Seller’s steps

1. 1Sign in to eCitizen and open National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
2. 2Open the vehicle transfer service and select the vehicle.
3. 3Enter the buyer’s details exactly as on their ID and KRA PIN.
4. 4Submit the transfer application. The buyer now gets a notification to accept.

Buyer’s steps

1. 1Sign in to your own eCitizen account and open the NTSA section.
2. 2Find the pending transfer and confirm the vehicle details — registration number, make, chassis and engine numbers.
3. 3Accept the transfer and pay the official invoice shown.
4. 4Wait for NTSA to process, then follow the notice to receive your new logbook.

Before any money changes hands

Buyers: do a motor vehicle search (copy of records) first. It confirms the registered owner, the engine and chassis numbers, and whether there are caveats on the vehicle. A seller who refuses a search is a red flag. Sellers: do not hand over the original logbook before the transfer is accepted and paid in the system.

Common problems

• Buyer’s details rejected: the ID or KRA PIN does not match eCitizen records — correct the account first
• Transfer stuck after payment: keep the receipt and follow up with NTSA with the reference number
• Vehicle has a caveat: the financier or a court order must lift it before transfer

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Fees and how payment works

The transfer fee depends on the vehicle — engine capacity and class are the usual drivers — and the exact figure appears on the eCitizen invoice before anyone pays. Agree in advance who pays: in many sales the buyer pays the transfer fee, but it is a negotiation point, not a rule. What is not negotiable is the channel: payment goes through the official eCitizen checkout, and the receipt belongs to whoever paid.

Special situations

• Financed vehicles: the financier’s caveat must be lifted before transfer. Get the clearance letter first.
• Company vehicles: the transfer runs through the company’s account, and company documents may be required.
• Deceased owner: transfer happens after succession documents are issued. NTSA will ask for the grant and related papers.
• Imported or newly registered vehicles: confirm the first registration is complete before attempting a transfer.

After the transfer completes

The buyer should confirm the vehicle now appears in their own eCitizen account and follow the notice for the new logbook. Update insurance into the new owner’s name immediately — an insurance policy in the old owner’s name is a claim dispute waiting to happen. The seller should keep a copy of the sale agreement and the transfer confirmation; if the vehicle is later misused, those papers prove when it left your hands.

The sale agreement that protects both sides

The portal transfer moves the record, but a written sale agreement moves the risk. Put the vehicle’s registration, chassis and engine numbers in it, the agreed price, the date, and signatures of both parties with ID numbers. State clearly when possession and risk pass — usually on payment and handover. For the seller, this is proof you no longer control the vehicle if it is later involved in an offence. For the buyer, it is proof of purchase while the logbook is being processed. Two copies, one each, kept for years.

Why some transfers stall

The most common cause is a mismatch between the buyer’s eCitizen account and their ID or KRA PIN records — the system cannot attach the vehicle to a person it cannot verify. The second is a caveat the seller did not mention. The third is simply that one party never completes their half: the seller submits, but the buyer never accepts, or the buyer accepts but never pays. If your transfer has sat still, check which stage it is waiting at in the portal, then chase the person or record responsible for that stage.

Tip: Meet at a safe place and complete both sides of the transfer on the same day. A half-done transfer leaves one of you exposed.

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