MOTOR LICENSING · RENEWAL
Vehicle licence renewal
A vehicle licence runs for twelve months and must be renewed before it expires. Renewal takes about four minutes on the portal, and the Service warns you five times before the date and once after.
What renewal covers
A renewal normally bundles two charges: the vehicle licence, which is the annual road tax, and the roadworthiness certificate, which requires a physical inspection. Commercial passenger vehicles add the hackney permit. The plate number and the proof of ownership are not renewed — they were paid for once and remain valid until the plate is replaced or the vehicle is sold.
Roadworthiness is what makes a renewal more than a payment. Private vehicles are inspected once a year; commercial and articulated vehicles every six months, because they carry passengers and loads and cover far more distance. The inspection can be booked for a slot at any accredited lane, and the result is recorded against the vehicle before a certificate can be produced.
A licence that has already expired can still be renewed — there is no point at which a vehicle becomes permanently unlicensable — but the expired period attracts the fine and, where the lapse is long, the vehicle may be required to pass a fresh inspection before the licence is reissued.
Renewing in five steps
Enter the plate number
On the vehicle owner portal or at a zonal station. The system retrieves the vehicle record, the current expiry date and any outstanding fine.
Book the roadworthiness inspection
Choose a lane and a slot. Bring the vehicle, the current certificate and the insurance certificate. The 22-point result is recorded on the spot.
Review the demand notice
The notice itemises the licence fee, the roadworthiness fee, the hackney permit where applicable, and any fine for a lapsed period.
Pay
Bank branch, POS, online card, transfer, USSD, Remita or direct debit. Electronic payments post to the vehicle record within minutes.
Collect the disc and certificate
Printed at the station or dispatched to the address on the record. The electronic copies appear in the portal immediately and are what an officer scans at a checkpoint.
What a renewal costs
| Vehicle category | Vehicle licence | Roadworthiness | Hackney permit | Annual total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private saloon — below 2.0 litres | ₦12,500 | ₦7,500 | — | ₦20,000 |
| Private SUV / 4x4 — 2.0 litres and above | ₦22,500 | ₦7,500 | — | ₦30,000 |
| Commercial bus — 15 seats and below | ₦18,500 | ₦12,500 | ₦6,500 | ₦37,500 |
| Commercial truck / lorry | ₦32,500 | ₦12,500 | ₦6,500 | ₦51,500 |
| Articulated vehicle / tanker | ₦45,000 | ₦18,000 | ₦6,500 | ₦69,500 |
| Motorcycle | ₦5,500 | ₦3,500 | ₦3,000 | ₦12,000 |
| Tricycle (Keke) | ₦8,500 | ₦4,500 | ₦3,000 | ₦16,000 |
| Government vehicle | ₦6,000 | ₦4,000 | — | ₦10,000 |
When you will be reminded
-
60 DAYS
First notice
Sent by SMS and email. Early enough to book an inspection slot at a convenient time rather than the last week of the month.
-
30 DAYS
Second notice
SMS, email and WhatsApp, with the amount payable itemised so there is no surprise at the counter.
-
14 DAYS
Third notice
Sent with a direct link to the renewal, and an in-app notification in the vehicle owner portal.
-
7 DAYS
Fourth notice
A reminder that inspection lanes are busiest in the last week of the month.
-
1 DAY
Final notice
The last warning before the licence lapses and the fine becomes payable.
-
+7 DAYS
Post-expiry notice
Sent once after expiry, stating the fine that has accrued and how to regularise. Enforcement follows if it is ignored.
If you have already lapsed
Renew anyway. The fine for an expired licence is ₦25,000 and for an expired roadworthiness certificate ₦15,000, and neither grows by waiting — but the risk of impoundment does.
A vehicle impounded for an expired licence attracts a release fee of ₦30,000 and a storage charge of ₦2,500 for each day it is held, in addition to the fine and the outstanding licence fee.
Where the vehicle has been off the road for the lapsed period, apply for a non-use declaration with evidence before renewing; the fine may be waived by the Director of Motor Vehicle Licensing.
Renew now
Four minutes on the portal, one inspection visit, and the disc in your hand the same day.