MOTOR LICENSING · DRIVERS
Driver’s licence
The national driver’s licence is produced jointly by the State licensing authority and the Federal Road Safety Corps. Capture happens here, production is federal, and the licence is valid throughout the Federation for three or five years.
How a driver’s licence is issued
A first-time driver begins with a learner’s permit, valid for six months, which allows supervised driving while learning. The applicant then attends an accredited driving school, passes the driving test administered by the vehicle inspection officers, and is captured — photograph, fingerprints and signature — at a licensing station. The capture is transmitted to the Federal Road Safety Corps, which produces the card.
The licence itself is national. A licence captured in this State is valid in every State of the Federation and is renewable anywhere. What the State provides is the capture, the test and the collection point; what the Federal Road Safety Corps provides is the card and the national database entry behind it.
A temporary paper licence is issued on the day of capture and is valid until the card is ready, normally within twenty-one days. It carries the same force as the card and should not be treated as a lesser document at a checkpoint.
From learner to licence holder
Obtain a learner’s permit
₦6,000, valid for six months. Requires proof of identity, proof of age (18 or above) and a passport photograph. Allows supervised driving only.
Train at an accredited driving school
The school issues a certificate of competence on completion. Applications without one are not scheduled for a test.
Book and pass the driving test
Administered by a vehicle inspection officer: highway code, vehicle control, road positioning, manoeuvring and hazard awareness. The result is recorded against the applicant record.
Biometric capture
Photograph, fingerprints and signature captured at a licensing station and transmitted to the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Pay the licence fee
₦15,000 for three years or ₦21,000 for five, against revenue head 12070016 or 12070017.
Collect the card
A temporary paper licence is issued the same day; the card is normally ready within twenty-one days and collected at the capture station.
Driver licensing charges
| Service | Fee | Validity | Revenue head | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learner’s permit | ₦6,000 | 6 months | 12070018 | Age 18+, proof of identity, passport photograph |
| Driver’s licence — first issue, 3 years | ₦15,000 | 3 years | 12070016 | Driving school certificate, passed test, biometric capture |
| Driver’s licence — first issue, 5 years | ₦21,000 | 5 years | 12070017 | As above |
| Renewal — 3 years | ₦15,000 | 3 years | 12070016 | Expiring or expired licence, biometric refresh |
| Renewal — 5 years | ₦21,000 | 5 years | 12070017 | As above |
| Replacement of a lost licence | ₦8,000 | Balance of term | 12070021 | Police extract and sworn declaration |
| Upgrade to a commercial category | ₦12,000 | Balance of term | 12070016 | Additional test for the vehicle class |
| International driving permit endorsement | ₦18,000 | 1 year | 12070017 | Valid national licence and passport |
Documents required
- National Identification Number slip or national identity card.
- Proof of age — birth certificate, declaration of age or international passport.
- Two recent passport photographs.
- Certificate of competence from an accredited driving school (first issue only).
- The expiring or expired licence (renewals only).
- Police extract and sworn declaration (replacements only).
- Medical fitness certificate, for applicants aged 65 and above and for commercial categories.
- Evidence of payment of the licence fee.
Driving without a valid licence
Driving without a valid licence is an offence under the National Road Traffic Regulations and attracts a fine, and the vehicle may be impounded until a licensed driver takes charge of it.
A licence obtained without a test — through any person offering to "arrange" one — is void, will fail verification against the national database, and exposes the holder to prosecution. There is no legitimate route to a driver’s licence that does not include a test.
Renew before expiry: an expired licence carries the same consequences as no licence at all.
Apply or renew
Book a capture appointment at any of the four zonal licensing stations.