Driving licence in Mali: test, documents, fees, duplicate and renewal
Regional Transport Directorate (driving licence section)
In Mali, you take the driving test through the Regional Transport Directorate, and the final licence is issued by the National Transport Directorate. No law requires you to go through a driving school before the test, the official portal points out. This page follows its three sheets: obtaining, duplicate and renewal.
Key points (checked on 17 October 2026)
- Where: the driving licence section of the Regional Transport Directorate, or the transport subdivision of the cercle.
- Documents: copy of the birth certificate extract, residence certificate, 4 ID photos, 5,750 FCFA in tax stamps, medical certificate in some cases, nationality certificate for foreigners.
- Fees: 4,000 FCFA file fee, 5,000 FCFA road safety levy, 4,000 FCFA for each test.
- Timeline: provisional receipt within 7 days of the test, final licence about a month later.
Getting the licence
The file. At the driving licence section of the Regional Transport Directorate, the section head records the file and passes it to an inspector, who checks it. The file is then recorded by the licence division and handed to the inspector who organises the test.
The test. It has a theory part and a practical part. In Bamako, as in Kayes, tests take place Tuesday to Thursday, according to the sheet. After a failure, you retake it the following week; after a second failure, a month later; after six attempts, you start again as a new candidate.
Receipt, then licence. After the test, the inspector draws up the list of successful candidates. The candidate receives a pass slip, which does not yet allow driving, then a provisional receipt from the regional director within 7 days at most. The National Transport Directorate then records the licence in the national file, gives it a number and issues the final licence. You collect it at the licence section, showing the slip or receipt and your identity card, about one month after filing the pass slip.
| Fees (portal sheet) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tax stamps | 5,750 FCFA |
| File fee | 4,000 FCFA |
| Road safety levy | 5,000 FCFA |
| Each test attempt | 4,000 FCFA |
| Driving school, light vehicle licence (indicative) | 110,000 FCFA |
| Driving school, heavy vehicle licence (indicative) | 150,000 FCFA |
The "obtaining" sheet also lists registration, customs and roadworthiness fees: they relate to registering a vehicle, not to the licence.
The portal provides the licence data entry form and the medical certificate to print.
Duplicate after a loss
Apply at the licence section of the regional directorate or subdivision. Documents: an application with a 200 FCFA stamp, a certificate of loss from the police or town hall showing the licence number, a residence certificate from the police, 4 ID photos, a 3,750 FCFA tax stamp and, for categories C, D and E, a medical examination form. You also pay 3,000 FCFA to the National Directorate, 2,000 FCFA to the National Road Safety Agency (ANASER) and 6,000 FCFA for the medical examination. Allow one month on average.
The certificate of loss is free at the police station: see our page on declaring lost or stolen documents.
Renewal
Category A and B licences are renewed only when needed (expired, illegible or damaged). Periodic renewal concerns categories C, D and E (public transport, heavy vehicles): every five years up to age 45, then every three years, then every two years after 55, according to the sheet (which reads "beyond 4 years", clearly meaning 45).
Documents: the old licence, an application with a 200 FCFA stamp, a residence certificate from the police, gendarmerie or town hall, 4 ID photos, a 3,750 FCFA stamp and, for categories C, D and E, the medical examination form. Fees: 3,000 FCFA (National Directorate), 2,000 FCFA (ANASER) and 6,000 FCFA for the medical. Timeline: one month on average.
Contact given by the sheets: National Transport Directorate, Darsalam, Bamako; 20 22 41 12 or 20 22 64 63.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a driving licence cost in Mali?
Excluding driving school: 5,750 FCFA in tax stamps, a 4,000 FCFA file fee, a 5,000 FCFA road safety levy and 4,000 FCFA per test attempt, according to the official portal.
Is driving school compulsory?
No: no law requires driving school training before the test, according to the portal.
How long does it take?
A provisional receipt within 7 days of the test, then the final licence about a month after the pass slip is filed.
Does a category B licence need renewing?
Only when needed. Periodic renewal concerns categories C, D and E.
Official sources (checked on 17 October 2026)
- Government of Mali, procedures portal, Driving licence (obtaining) (French): procedure, documents, fees, timeline, forms.
- Government of Mali, procedures portal, Driving licence (duplicate) (French).
- Government of Mali, procedures portal, Driving licence (renewal) (French).
- Decree no. 07-075/P-RM of 8 March 2007 setting the fees for National Transport Directorate services (cited by the sheet).