NAIROBI,Kenya July 14 – Motor vehicle owners have six months to collect printed logbooks lying at National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) offices or risk having the documents disposed of under the agency’s records management policy, as government accelerates the transition to a fully digital vehicle registration system.
In a public notice, NTSA said it will no longer store printed logbooks that remain uncollected beyond six months, urging motorists with pending documents to collect them immediately to avoid disruptions when seeking vehicle-related services.
“After the six months period, all uncollected logbooks will be disposed of in accordance with the Authority’s policy,” NTSA said.
The authority warned that motorists without the current or original logbook will be unable to access services that require proof of vehicle ownership, including applications where a copy of the logbook must be attached.
NTSA said the collection process remains free of charge. Vehicle owners collecting the documents must present their previous logbook together with a valid identification document for verification at the designated NTSA office or collection centre.
The authority added that all its offices operate from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to facilitate collections and assist clients.
The directive comes barely days after NTSA rolled out the electronic vehicle registration certificate, popularly known as the e-Logbook, marking the beginning of the phase-out of paper logbooks for new vehicle registration and ownership transactions.
Under the new system, vehicle owners can access, download and verify their logbooks through their personal eCitizen and NTSA Service Portal accounts, eliminating the need for physical collection after registration or transfer of ownership.
The digital certificates are issued instantly and incorporate security features such as digital signatures, encryption and QR code verification to curb forgery and speed up transactions involving buyers, banks, insurers and Saccos.
NTSA says the e-Logbook is part of broader reforms aimed at reducing bureaucracy, cutting processing times from several days to near-instant service, improving transparency and eliminating fraud associated with paper-based vehicle ownership records.
The authority also says the digital platform will enable real-time ownership updates, online vehicle transfers and easier verification by law enforcement agencies and financial institutions.
However, the authority clarified that the six-month disposal notice applies only to already printed but uncollected logbooks. Motorists who already possess valid physical logbooks should continue keeping them safely, as they remain valid ownership documents during the transition to the electronic system.
NTSA has advised motorists with enquiries to seek assistance through its official communication channels, the nearest NTSA office or Huduma Centre, while warning the public against fraudsters claiming to issue e-Logbooks outside the official NTSA Service Portal.
