11 Different Types Of Number Plates In Kenya & Their Meanings

In Kenya, there are 11 Types Of Number Plates and the format of number plates for vehicles is as follows:

• The first two letters represent the county where the vehicle is registered. For example, “KA” is for Nairobi County, “KB” is for Mombasa County, “KC” is for Nakuru County, and so on.
• The third letter represents the class of vehicle. “K” is for private vehicles, “G” is for government vehicles, “Z” is for diplomatic vehicles, “J” is for trailers, and so on.
• The fourth and fifth digits are random numbers that are assigned by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to identify the vehicle.
• The sixth and seventh digits represent the year of registration. For example, “17” would indicate that the vehicle was registered in 2017.
• The last letter is usually a random letter, but it can also be used to indicate the month of registration. For example, “A” is for January, “B” is for February, and so on.

So, a typical Kenyan number plate might look something like this: “KAJ 123A”.

There are 11 types of number plates in Kenya that are most important to know.

Also, you might have been seeing different number plates from various autos and wondering why the unique number plates for certain vehicles, below is a detailed list of every unique number plate available in Kenya.

MUST READ: How To Apply For New Digital Number Plates In Kenya

11 Types of Number Plates in Kenya You Need to Know are:

1. Civilian Vehicle Number Plates

Public vehicles are the common vehicles on Kenyan roads and are commonly used by citizens. Their plates have a white oblong number plate on the front bumper and a yellow oblong or square number plate on the rear bumper.

The numbering begins with K.. written in black against a white or yellow background.2. Government of Kenya – GKPlates

Government of Kenya plates denotes vehicles owned by the government like police cars.

3. County Government Vehicles

County government vehicles have a unique numbering for precise identification. The format for county government plates is:

Two numbers-two letters-three numbers-one letter

For instance: 47 CG 456A  47 – County Code, CG – County Government

4. County Governors Vehicles

Certainly, the format is unique for Governors’ vehicles only. It follows the format: GVN 37A

Where: GVN – denotes Governor

            037 – denotes county code, in this case, 37 for Kakamega

5. Parastatals and Government Institutions

These are organizations or institutions under the government of Kenya including commissions’, companies, hospitals, public schools, universities, and colleges under the administration of the government.

Besides the number plates of these vehicles are similar to civilian vehicles; however, the difference is in the background. The generation plates are in white color written on a dark blue background.

6. Customized Number Plate

A vehicle has the right to customize customized number plates at a huge fee. Identically it will cost you up to 1 million Kenyan Shillings to make a customized number plate with a unique name on it.

7. Diplomatic Number Plate

These are specific vehicles belonging to foreign embassies based in Kenya. Also, diplomatic number plates are given to embassies as a symbol of recognition of Kenya as an Independent state. Evidently, they are written in white color against a red background

                  e.g.: 99 CD 19 K

                        99 – code for a specific country

                        CD – chartered diplomat

                        K – Shows country where the embassy is based, in this case, Kenya

MUST READ: Diplomatic Number Plates In Kenya

8. International NGOs

Presently, International Non-governmental organizations have a unique category of number plates numbering written against a red background and starting with KX.

For instance, KX 05 D 59

            KX – denoting international NGO

            05 D – denoting specific NGO and rank of the officer

9. Kenya Defense Forces – KDF

Kenya Defense Forces have a unique plate numbering that adheres to international numbering while on their missions. Unlike other government and parastatal agencies, KDF vehicle plates do not begin with GK.

10. Trailer Plates

If you have been keen, you must have noticed that trailers have a unique plate numbering from the engine truck.

Equally important, It is because a trailer can haul various trailers continually. Plates are uniquely written in yellow color and begin with Z followed by numerical numbers.

11. Motorbikes and Tuktuk

Motorbikes, Tuktuks, and any other special kind of vehicles have a unique plate with a yellow background written with four-letter plates black in color.

Did you know that the shape of a number plate depends on whether a vehicle is new or used? Vehicles from a showroom with zero mileage have a rear rectangle-shaped number plate with numbers written across the whole plate. Lastly, imported second-hand vehicles have a square rear number plate with numbers written in two rows.