THE cost of acquiring a driver’s licence or vehicle number plate in Nigeria is set to rise from June 8, 2025, following the Joint Tax Board (JTB)’s approval of a revised pricing structure.
This adjustment, which will be implemented across the country, was formally announced by the JTB in May 2025.
According to the Board, the new rates have been introduced in response to the integration of enhanced security features in the production of driver’s licences and number plates, as well as escalating incidental production costs.
In an official public service announcement, the JTB stated: “The Joint Tax Board (JTB) has approved a new price adjustment for motor vehicles and motorcycle number plates and driver’s licences.
“The price adjustment is due to the introduction of enhanced security features on the number plates and driver’s licence, and the incidental cost of production. The new price is effective Sunday, June 8, 2025.”
As Nigeria’s apex tax coordination body, the JTB has directed all relevant government agencies and motor vehicle licensing authorities to enforce the new rates accordingly.
Under the revised structure, a standard motor vehicle driver’s licence will now cost ₦15,000 for a three-year validity and ₦21,000 for five years. For tricycles, the fees are set at ₦7,000 for a three-year licence and ₦11,000 for five years.
Number plate fees have also seen significant changes. Standard private and commercial vehicle number plates will now cost ₦30,000, while articulated vehicle plates are priced at ₦90,000.
Dealer vehicle plates will cost ₦100,000, and out-of-season plates will be ₦150,000. Fancy vehicle plates, which typically include custom or prestige designs, will now cost ₦400,000.
Government vehicles are not exempt from the changes. A standard government vehicle number plate will cost ₦80,000, with the fancy variant priced at ₦120,000. Motorcycle number plates have been raised to ₦12,000 for standard and ₦50,000 for fancy designs. Government-issued motorcycle number plates will now cost ₦20,000 for standard and ₦50,000 for fancy plates.
This is not the first time the JTB has implemented an upward review of such fees. In March 2021, during its 147th meeting held in Kaduna, the Board approved a similar increase. At that time, the cost of standard private and commercial vehicle number plates rose from ₦12,500 to ₦18,750, and fancy plates jumped from ₦80,000 to ₦200,000.
Motorcycle number plates increased from ₦3,000 to ₦5,000, articulated vehicle plates from ₦20,000 to ₦30,000, and out-of-series plates from ₦40,000 to ₦50,000. Government fancy plates rose from ₦15,000 to ₦20,000.
Driver’s licence fees were also affected, with the three-year licence moving from ₦6,000 to ₦10,000, and the five-year licence from ₦10,000 to ₦15,000. Motorcycle and tricycle licences were raised from ₦3,000 to ₦5,000 (three years) and from ₦5,000 to ₦8,000 (five years).
As in the past, the 2025 adjustments are attributed to increased production expenses and the adoption of improved security technology to curb forgery and enhance identity verification.
