Home / About Us / Highway Authority

Highway Authority

In the absence of an independent national Highway Authority office, the Authority is currently housed in the MICTTD with its functions executed by the Highway Authority Committee closely in line with the Public Highways Protection ACT (1989). The Committee’s membership consists of representatives from Office of the Attorney General, the Kiribati Police Services, Public Utilities Board (PUB), Plant & Vehicle Unit ( PVU), Ministry of Public Works & Utility (MPWU), and Ministry of Internal Affairs ( MIA). The Committee is normally chaired by the Secretary but he has designated this role to the Deputy Secretary at present.

The Committee’s functions basically follow on those stipulated in the ACT that entails protection and management of the public roads so that they are maintained to the standards that guarantee safety to the roads’ users. Under the ACT, the following activities are prohibited doing to the public roads: destruction of the structure of the public roads by way of digging, removing any part of the road including the curbs/bricks at the side-walls, the road signs, and so on; laying refuse of any kind on the roads, and putting anything within the boundaries of the public roads that would cause obstructions and hence, unsafety to the roads’ users. Anyone who gets caught doing any of these illegal activities are subject to imprisonment up to 3 months.

Anyone who would destroy the structure of the roads for any purpose they believe may be right, they should lodge in their application using the standard application form to seek approval of the Highway Authority Committee. 

To execute the other functions of the Highway Authority on issuing driving and vehicle licenses, first to apply for a driving license for the first time, the applicant must apply first for the Learner’s permit. In receiving such a permit, the applicant is granted a Provisional Driving License upon production of the following items: birth certificate; police clearance certificate; 1 passport photo; and a $1.50 fee. This provisional driving license is valid for 6 months only and the license holder is not allowed to take on any passenger on board within this whole learning period. After having successfully completed the driving test for 6 months, the applicant can be awarded a permanent Driving License upon production of the following items: certification from the Police that the applicant has successfully completed the driving test; and a $15.00 fee. A driving license is valid for one year only and can be renewed upon production of an expired Driving License to be returned to the police in exchange of the police certification (renewal form) that the license holder is eligible for reissuing a renewed driving license, and a renewal fee of $10.00.

To apply for a vehicle or disc license for the first time, the vehicle owner must produce the following: police certification that the vehicle is safe to use on the public roads (road worthiness); and a fee at various rates according to the vehicle class and their capacity. The vehicle class currently used in Kiribati consists of 5 classes: Class A includes Buses (upto 10 tonnes); Class B includes Light Truck, 4wd Pick Up, Dyna, Land Cruiser; Class C includes Sedan and Station Wagon; Class D includes Motorbikes; and Class E includes Heavy Duty Trucks and Machines (upto 25 tonnes). The vehicle license is valid for one year only and can be renewed by following the same procedure given above but with a lower fee of $10.00 every class at each capacity level. The rates for each vehicle class at each capacity level is accessible on this website.

FAQ

The Highway Authority Office is located at the Ministry of Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development (MICTTD Headquarters) in Betio, Tarawa (opposite the Wishing Star)

If you are applying for the first time then you need to:

  • Collect a form for provisional driving license (cost AUD$1.50) at the Licensing Office - Highway Authority 
  • Fill out the form and bring it to the Traffic Unit at the Kiribati Police Service (Betio, Tarawa) to enable a 6 month driving training
  • After the 6 months lapsed you will undergo a driving test that will be conducted by the Traffic Unit.
  • If you pass the test, bring the signed form back from the Traffic Unit to the Licensing Office where a new driving license can then be issued

Other things required are:

  • A birth certificate available at the Ministry of Justice in Bairiki, Tarawa
  • 1 Passport-size photo
  • A police clearance from the Kiribati Police Service in Betio, Tarawa
  • A fee of AUD$15.00 for a driving license 1 year validity period

For renewal of driving license, you need to

  • Bring your expired driving license to the Traffic Unit to enable collection of renewal form from the Police Office
  • For those who lost expired driving license issued at BTC or TUC, you should collect a copy from either Council as a proof that you are actually an eligible driver.
  • Having got such a copy, bring it to Traffic Unit to enable collection of renewal form
  • Bring the signed renewal form from the Traffic Unit back to the Highway Authority Office for issuing a renewed driving license

Other things required:

  • Pay renewal fee of AUD$10.00

Visit the Licensing Office at Highway Authority to ascertain that you have applied and been issued a Driving License before

If you have been issued a driving license from the Highway Authority Office, you can be issued a new driving license at the price of AUD$10.00

If you still have a valid (yet lost) driving licnese issued from BTC or TUC, you can either:

  • get a copy of your driving license from either council and bring it to the Traffic Unit to enable providing the signed form required for issuing of a new driving license at the price of AUD$10.00
  • where a copy of your driving license are not available from either council, visit the Traffic Unit for assistance on providing the signed form required for issurance of a new driving license at the same price of AUD$10.00

For a new vehicle license

  • Visit the Garage Unit at the Kiribati Police Service in Betio for road worthiness inspection of vehicle, and a signed inspection form will be provided upon completion of vehicle inspection.
  • Bring the signed inspection form to Highway Authority office.
  • A new vehicle license (disc) is issued at various prices depending on the vehicle class and engine capacity.  See fees for each vehicle class.
  • A new plate number (which is shown on the license/disc) is also issued at a given price for a given vehicle class.
  • A new plate number is printed by a contracted company (Hanan, Betio) at its own given price. 

Other things required:

  • License fee 
  • Foreigners are to bring their foreign licenses to the Traffic Unit to collect a Conversion of Foreign Driving License form
  • Complete the Conversion of Foreign Driving License form and submit it to the Highway Authority to issue local driving license at a cost of AUD$15.00