Getting a Grenada Driver's Licence as a Resident: Step by Step

The visitor's local permit that car hire desks issue at the counter is meant for short stays. Once you live in Grenada, work here, or simply stay long enough that renting a permit every few months stops making sense, you need a proper Grenadian driver's licence. The process is not complicated, but it is split between two offices, and that is where most people lose a morning.

The Traffic Department of the Royal Grenada Police Force, based on the Carenage in St George's, handles applications, learner's permits, driving tests and licence classes. The Inland Revenue Division of the Ministry of Finance collects the fees, and its online payment portal now lets you pay many licence and vehicle charges by card. This guide walks through both routes: learning from scratch, and moving over from a foreign licence.

Who needs a Grenadian licence, and when

Visitors who drive on a foreign licence must carry a temporary local permit, normally sold by the car rental company or available from the Traffic Department. That permit is designed for holidays. If you hold a work permit, have residence status, are a student on a long programme such as those at St George's University, or have become a citizen, plan on a full Grenadian licence instead.

Grenadians returning from abroad are in a similar position. A licence from the United Kingdom, Canada or the United States does not automatically convert, and a lapsed Grenadian licence from years ago needs to be dealt with at the Traffic Department rather than ignored. Driving without the right licence can void your motor insurance, which matters far more than the fine if you are ever in a collision.

Grenada drives on the left, roads are narrow and steep, and route buses stop wherever passengers wave. The Traffic Department has discretion over whether experienced foreign drivers must sit a practical test, so ask the question directly when you apply rather than assuming either way.

Learning from scratch: the full route

First-time drivers, including school leavers, go through the complete sequence. Expect several visits spread over weeks, and bring copies of everything.

1. Get a medical certificate. A local doctor confirms you are fit to drive, including an eyesight check. Keep the original; the Traffic Department may retain it.
2. Apply for a learner's permit at the Traffic Department with proof of identity (passport, birth certificate or national ID), passport-size photographs and the medical. Non-nationals also bring their work permit, residence document or student acceptance letter.
3. Pay the fee at the Inland Revenue Division or through its online portal, and keep the receipt; you will be asked for it.
4. Practise with a licensed driver beside you. Learners must display L-plates and should not drive alone.
5. Book and sit the test. Tests cover road rules and practical driving, including hill starts, reversing and junction work. Practical examination days are scheduled by the Traffic Department and notices are published when they change.
6. Collect your licence once you pass and have paid the licence fee for the class you need.

Moving from a foreign licence

If you already drive, the application is shorter but the paperwork is heavier. Bring your valid foreign licence (with an official translation if it is not in English), your passport with proof of status in Grenada, two passport-size photographs, a medical certificate from a local doctor, and evidence of your address. Non-nationals are usually asked for a work permit, residence document or, for students, an acceptance letter from the institution.

The Traffic Department may issue a licence based on your foreign one, or may require a practical test. Officers look at the type of licence you hold, how long you have held it and whether it covers the vehicle class you want. A licence that only allows automatic cars, or one issued recently, invites more questions.

Do not surrender or let your foreign licence lapse just because you now have a Grenadian one. Many people need it again when they travel or move, and replacing a licence from overseas is slow.

Licence classes, upgrades and renewals

Classes matter. Grenadian licences are issued by class, from ordinary cars and light vehicles to heavier goods vehicles and passenger vehicles. Check the class printed on your licence before driving a pick-up with a heavy load, a minibus or any commercial vehicle.

The 2024 D-class upgrade. In April 2024 the Traffic Department announced that drivers who had held a B, C or C1 licence for at least five years could upgrade to D class without a new driving test, for a modest fee. Initiatives like this are announced through government notices and local news, so watch for them rather than assuming the rule still applies.

Paying online. The Inland Revenue Division and the police launched an online payment portal for driver's licence fees, vehicle registration and inspection, payable by debit or credit card with an electronic receipt. First-time transactions and upgrades usually still need an in-person visit.

Renewal periods vary. The length of validity depends on the option paid for, and fees change with budgets. Note your expiry date somewhere you will see it; police roadblocks check licences and insurance together.

From overseas. Residents who are abroad when a renewal falls due can sometimes arrange it with a receipt and the document sent in. Ask the licensing office how before you leave.

The paperwork that travels with your licence

A licence is only one of three documents police check at roadside stops. The other two belong to the vehicle: proof of motor insurance, and the vehicle's registration and inspection, both of which are renewed separately and paid for through the Inland Revenue Division and its online portal. If you buy a used car, make sure the transfer of ownership is completed properly and the registration is in your name before you insure it; insurers and the police both work from the registered owner.

Third-party insurance is the legal minimum, but on Grenada's narrow roads, where minor scrapes with route buses and parked cars are common, many residents choose comprehensive cover. Insurers usually ask for your licence when you take out a policy, and some charge more for drivers who have held a local licence only briefly, even if they drove for years abroad. Keep a copy of your foreign driving record or an insurer's no-claims letter from home; some local companies will consider it.

Carriacou and Petite Martinique follow the same national rules. Residents there deal with the police and revenue offices in Hillsborough for many routine matters, but some licensing steps may still require a trip to St George's, so ask locally before booking the ferry.

Mistakes that cost people a second trip

Most wasted visits come down to the same handful of problems. Check this list the night before.

• Arriving with photocopies only. Bring originals and copies of passport, permits and your foreign licence.
• Forgetting the medical certificate, or bringing one from a doctor abroad. Use a doctor in Grenada.
• Paying at the wrong window or losing the receipt. The Traffic Department will ask for proof of payment from Inland Revenue.
• Going on a public holiday or the week of Carnival in August, when offices run thin and queues build.
• Assuming a car rental permit is enough for a resident. It is a visitor document, and insurers may refuse claims from residents driving on it.
• Leaving it until the last week of a work permit renewal. Licences tied to your status can stall if the permit itself is still being processed.
• Driving a family member's vehicle without checking that the insurance covers you as a named or permitted driver.

Frequently asked questions