How to Transfer Car Ownership in Kenya on eCitizen (NTSA)

To transfer car ownership in Kenya, the transaction goes through the National Transport and Safety Authority's online services, which you sign in to with eCitizen. Under the eLogbook system that NTSA set to go live on 10 June 2026, the new owner downloads the electronic logbook from their eCitizen account once the transaction is complete. The Traffic Act gives the seller seven days to report the transfer.

Who handles car ownership transfers in Kenya?

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). In its eLogbook notice, NTSA describes itself as a State Corporation established through an Act of Parliament and entrusted with motor vehicle registration, inspection and licensing services under the NTSA Act, No. 33 of 2012.

Its online services run on the NTSA service portal, which tells users to sign in with their eCitizen login credentials to access all NTSA services. Make sure both the seller and the buyer have a working eCitizen account before the day of the sale: the buyer will need one to receive the eLogbook.

What is the eLogbook, and what changed in June 2026?

NTSA announced the replacement of the paper Certificate of Registration (the logbook) with a digital version, the eLogbook. According to its public notice:

• The eLogbook is integrated into motor vehicle registration processes, including new registrations, transfers of ownership and changes of particulars.
• Its go-live date was set for Wednesday 10 June 2026.
• Owners access, view, download and verify their eLogbook through their eCitizen account once a transaction is complete.
• NTSA's stated aim is to cut service timelines from an average of 3 to 7 days to same-day or instant service.

For a buyer, the document to look for at the end of the process is the eLogbook in your own eCitizen account, showing your name and the right chassis number.

What does the law require from the seller and the buyer?

Section 9 of the Traffic Act (Cap. 403) sets two deadlines:

• The seller (the registered owner) must, within seven days of the transfer, inform the registration authority in the prescribed form, with the new owner's details, and deliver the registration book with the transfer fee.
• The buyer may not use the vehicle on a road for more than 14 days after the transfer unless registered as its owner.

The same section covers the case where the seller does not cooperate. If the registered owner has died, left Kenya, cannot be traced or refuses to comply, the Authority may register the vehicle in the new owner's name on payment of the prescribed fee. This is what people mean by a forced logbook transfer. Ask NTSA which documents it needs in that situation before you start.

What do you need before you start?

• An eCitizen account for each party
• The vehicle's logbook (paper or eLogbook), and the chassis number on the car to compare with it
• A written sale agreement in two copies, signed by both parties: names, date, chassis number, mileage and price
• The original logbook as a PDF, which the seller uploads; the fee is shown on the portal at payment

We could not find an official NTSA or eCitizen page listing the documents required for a transfer and the fee in October 2026. Rely on what the official service shows when you apply, not on lists shared on WhatsApp.

How does the transfer work, step by step?

1. Verify the logbook before any money changes hands. The NTSA service portal has a public Verify Logbook tool ("Check the validity of a logbook here"). Its instructions refer to the code generated by scanning the logbook's QR code and to the chassis number. Compare the result with the chassis number on the car.
2. Inspect the car. Follow our used car inspection checklist and bring a mechanic.
3. Sign the sale agreement. Both parties keep a copy.
4. Lodge the transfer on NTSA's online service. According to NTSA's service page, the seller starts it: log in to eCitizen, open the NTSA service portal, choose vehicle transfer, upload the original logbook as a PDF, enter the buyer's details and submit to pay. The buyer then accepts the consent notification on their own account.
5. Pay fees only on the official platform. Never send a fee to an individual's phone number or to an "agent" who promises to speed things up.
6. Download the eLogbook. Once the transaction is complete, the new owner accesses and downloads it from their eCitizen account. Check the name and the chassis number.

How much does a logbook transfer cost?

NTSA does not publish the amount on its service page: the portal shows it when the seller submits. We could not open an official NTSA or eCitizen page stating the transfer fee in October 2026. The fee due is displayed on the official service at the payment step. Be wary of figures circulating on social media, and of anyone asking you to send the fee to them personally.

When should the buyer pay the seller?

No official rule fixes the order. What protects both sides is to write it into the sale agreement: when the money is paid, how, and what happens to the transfer at that point. The seller should not release the car before the money shows in their own account. The buyer should not pay in full before the logbook has been verified and the chassis number checked. Our guide on avoiding online scams in Nigeria and Kenya explains how to confirm a payment and spot forged messages.

Where can you get help?

NTSA directs the public to its nearest office, to the NTSA Help Desk at Huduma Kenya Centres, and to its email address, info@ntsa.go.ke.

Selling or buying a car in Kenya?

Our tips on pricing, photos and safe payment were written for Nigeria but apply just as well in Kenya. When you are ready, post a free ad for your car on AfricaSoco, with your logbook details ready for serious buyers, or browse cars for sale.