People walk into a Huduma Centre, ask for "a licence", and assume Kenya has one. It doesn't. Kenya has classes, and the class you pick on the application form decides what you may legally drive for the next three years.
This is the short version. If you already know the alphabet of NTSA classes, skip to the bottom for the part most people get wrong.
What each class covers
Class A · Motorcycle. Anything two-wheeled with an engine, plus tricycles. A separate practical test on a motorcycle is required. If you ride a boda boda, this is the one.
Class B · Light vehicle. Saloon cars, station wagons, light pickups and small SUVs (gross weight under 3,500 kg, fewer than nine seats). This is what most learners apply for. If you're going to drive a personal car in Nairobi, you want Class B.
Class C · Commercial vehicle, medium. Heavier vehicles than Class B, up to a certain gross weight. Think small lorries and delivery vans above the Class B ceiling.
Class D · Heavy commercial vehicle. Lorries above the Class C ceiling. This is the licence to apply for if you're driving long-haul trucks.
Class E · Trailer / articulated vehicle. Tractor-trailer combinations. Requires Class D first.
Class F & G · Public service. Matatu, bus, and passenger services. F is the light PSV class (matatus); G is for heavier buses. These have additional checks beyond the standard test.
There are a couple of additional codes (taxi/PSV endorsements, learner classes) but for someone applying for a personal licence in 2026, the four that matter are A, B, C, and D.
The shortcut
If you're applying for your first licence and want to drive your own car, Class B. Almost no first-time applicants need C or D.
How to pick
There are three honest questions to ask yourself, in order.
1. What will I drive most often this year? If the answer is "a saloon I share with my family", Class B. If the answer is "the family Probox van for work", check the gross vehicle weight before you assume Class B; some commercial Proboxes tip into Class C.
2. Will my employer require a class above B? Logistics firms, distribution companies and any role driving a fleet truck will want at least Class C, sometimes D. Apply for the higher class if so; you can drive lower-class vehicles on a higher-class licence.
3. Am I planning to do PSV work? If yes, you'll need an F or G endorsement on top, plus the PSV badge. This is not the form you fill on day one; get Class B (or C/D) first, get experience, then return for the endorsement.
The mistake most people make
The most common mistake is over-applying. Someone wants to be ready for "anything", picks Class C "just in case", then sits a practical test on a 5-tonne lorry they have never driven and won't drive again. The test fee is the same as Class B, but the practical is meaningfully harder, and the failure rate reflects it.
Apply for the licence you'll actually drive on. You can add classes later. Upgrading is cheaper than the second attempt at a class you didn't need.
Then what?
Whatever class you're chasing, the theory test is the same shape: highway code, road signs, right-of-way and basic mechanical knowledge. The questions overlap by 90% across classes; what changes is the practical. If you haven't drilled signs yet, the Pelican trainer is the fastest entry point, and the quick test mode sits you under timed conditions.
For the full step-by-step process (TIMS, PDL, theory, practical, Smart DL), the 2026 NTSA walkthrough is the companion piece to this one. And once you have the licence, the bit nobody studies for is in our unwritten rules of Kenyan roads post.
One letter. Three years. Pick on purpose.