Cayman DVDL Fee Structure 2026: Caymanian vs Non-Caymanian Driver's and Vehicle Licence Fees

From 1 September 2026 the Cayman Islands charges two DVDL fee scales, and a non-Caymanian pays CI$225 for a 3-year driver's licence where a Caymanian pays CI$68, three times the undiscounted Caymanian rate. Non-Caymanian spouses and civil partners of Caymanians pay the Caymanian rate, and private car licence fees now split into two tiers as well, though by a far smaller margin. This guide sets out every driver's and vehicle licence fee from the gazetted regulation, explains who pays which tier, explains the 31 August 2026 revision that cut the non-Caymanian rates and discounted Caymanian multi-year licences, and shows what a first-time driver pays.

Key takeaways

Two-tier fees started on 1 September 2026 under the Traffic (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (SL 34 of 2026), with the driver's licence figures revised by the government on 31 August 2026. Caymanian 1-year fees match the old single-tier figures, and 3, 5 and 10-year licences are now discounted by 10%, 15% and 20%.
A full Groups 0-3 licence costs a non-Caymanian CI$75 for 1 year, CI$225 for 3 years, CI$375 for 5 years or CI$750 for 10 years, against CI$25, CI$68, CI$106 and CI$200 for Caymanians. The originally approved rates of CI$200, CI$600, CI$1,000 and CI$2,000 were cut before they took effect.
Tests and learner's licences split too: the written test is CI$100 versus CI$25, the road test CI$200 versus CI$50, and the learner's licence CI$120 versus CI$60.
Spouses and civil partners of Caymanians pay the Caymanian rate. Permanent residents and work-permit holders pay the non-Caymanian rate.
Private car licence fees also differ by tier (CI$180 versus CI$200 for 12 months on a car up to 2,500 cc). Rental cars and roll-on trailers rise for everyone, and rental motorcycles, rental trucks and other trailers have new single-tier fees; private motorcycles, taxis and private trucks are unchanged.
Customers aged 65 or over, including non-Caymanians, qualify for the reduced fee, and anyone charged the wrong tier can ask any DVDL office for a review and reimbursement.

Driver's licence fees from 1 September 2026: the full table

The table below follows the government's 31 August 2026 release and the DVDL licence fees page, which revised the driver's licence figures first gazetted in SL 34 of 2026, the regulation that rewrites the fee schedule in regulation 27 of the Traffic Regulations (2026 Revision). The final column is the single-tier fee everyone paid before 1 September 2026.

Transaction	Caymanian	Non-Caymanian	Before 1 September 2026
Learner's licence (six months)	CI$60	CI$120	CI$60
Written (theory) test	CI$25	CI$100	CI$25
Driving (road) test	CI$50	CI$200	CI$50
Full licence, Groups 0-3, 1 year	CI$25	CI$75	CI$25
Full licence, Groups 0-3, 3 years	CI$68	CI$225	CI$75
Full licence, Groups 0-3, 5 years	CI$106	CI$375	CI$125
Full licence, Groups 0-3, 10 years	CI$200	CI$750	CI$250
Full licence, Groups 0-4 (Group 4), 1 year	CI$40	CI$120	CI$40
Full licence, Groups 0-4, 3 years	CI$108	CI$360	CI$120
Full licence, Groups 0-4, 5 years	CI$170	CI$600	CI$200
Full licence, Groups 0-4, 10 years	CI$320	CI$1,200	CI$400

Renewals cost the same as a first issue for the same term, so a non-Caymanian renewing for 3 years pays CI$225 and for 10 years CI$750. One caution: on 2 September 2026 the DVDL page still listed the old CI$750, CI$1,250 and CI$2,500 figures for non-Caymanian Group 4 renewals, so confirm those at the counter. Group 4 covers all vehicles except Groups 1 and 1A motorcycles. The written test fee is charged per appointment, so a resit means paying it again at your tier.

Who pays the Caymanian rate and who pays the non-Caymanian rate?

The regulation creates two tiers with one extension. New regulation 27(1A) states that "the fee payable by the spouse or civil partner of a Caymanian, who is a non-Caymanian, shall be the fee prescribed for a Caymanian." Spouse means a party to a marriage; civil partner follows the Civil Partnership Act 2020.

There is no carve-out for permanent residents or work-permit holders, so both pay the non-Caymanian rate. They pay CI$225 for a three-year licence or CI$750 for a 10-year licence, compared with CI$68 and CI$200 for Caymanians. The Cayman Compass reported on 1 September 2026 that naturalised residents who have not been granted Caymanian status also pay the higher rate.

Two points remain open. SL 34 and section 2 of the Traffic Act do not define "Caymanian" for fee purposes, though the DVDL says it verifies status electronically from government records and, where that fails, manually against a voter's ID, passport, birth certificate, status certificate or letter, or marriage or civil partnership certificate. And SL 34 has no transition rule for licences bought before 1 September 2026. If either affects you, ask the DVDL directly.

The original schedule was expected to raise about CI$9.6 million a year. After a public backlash, the government announced on 31 August 2026 that revenues had run ahead of budget and cut the non-Caymanian licence rates from eight times to three times the Caymanian rate. For the background, read the September 2026 fee-increase explainer.

How the fees were revised on 31 August 2026

SL 34 of 2026, gazetted in July, set non-Caymanian licence fees at eight times the Caymanian rate: CI$200, CI$600, CI$1,000 and CI$2,000 for 1, 3, 5 and 10 years. In late August the DVDL Licence Fees page began showing lower figures, and on the evening of 31 August 2026 the government confirmed them in a press release: non-Caymanian full licences fall to about three times the Caymanian rate, and Caymanians receive 10%, 15% and 20% discounts on 3, 5 and 10-year licences. Minister Jay Ebanks said the government "listened carefully to the concerns raised and took the time to review the fee structure before implementation"; Finance Minister Rolston Anglin said revenues had exceeded expectations in the first half of 2026, so the reduction would not hurt government income.

As of 2 September 2026 the DVDL legislation page still carried only SL 34 with the July figures, and we found no gazetted amending regulation, so the press release and the DVDL fee page are the published authority for the revised amounts. The test and learner's licence fees were not changed.

Vehicle licence fees from 1 September 2026

Private motor cars are the only vehicle category with a Caymanian and non-Caymanian split, and the gap is small compared with driver's licences. SL 34 sets these fees for 12, 24, 36 and 60 months.

Private motor car	Tier	12 months	24 months	36 months	60 months
Up to 2,500 cc or up to 4 seats (excluding driver)	Caymanian	CI$180	CI$360	CI$540	CI$900
Up to 2,500 cc or up to 4 seats (excluding driver)	Non-Caymanian	CI$200	CI$400	CI$600	CI$1,000
Over 2,500 cc or up to 8 seats (excluding driver)	Caymanian	CI$200	CI$400	CI$600	CI$1,000
Over 2,500 cc or up to 8 seats (excluding driver)	Non-Caymanian	CI$225	CI$450	CI$675	CI$1,125

Other categories also change on 1 September 2026, with both tiers paying the same (12, 24, 36 and 60 months):

Rental cars up to 2,500 cc: CI$400, CI$800, CI$1,200 and CI$2,000 (was CI$365, CI$730, CI$1,095 and CI$1,825).
Rental cars over 2,500 cc: CI$500, CI$1,000, CI$1,500 and CI$2,500.
Rental motorcycles: up to 50 cc CI$250, CI$500, CI$750 and CI$1,250; 50-125 cc CI$300, CI$600, CI$900 and CI$1,500; over 125 cc CI$400, CI$800, CI$1,200 and CI$2,000.
Rental trucks up to 4,000 lbs: CI$500, CI$1,000, CI$1,500 and CI$2,500.
Roll-on trailers: CI$50, CI$100, CI$150 and CI$250 (was CI$20, CI$40, CI$60 and CI$100). Other trailers up to 2,000 lbs: CI$75, CI$150, CI$225 and CI$375.

Private motorcycles, taxis and limousines, and private trucks are unchanged. The DVDL Grand Cayman vehicle fee web page still showed the pre-September single-tier table on 30 August 2026.

Fees that did not change

Most administrative fees stay single-tier at their Traffic Regulations (2026 Revision) amounts:

Upgrade of licence: CI$40 (the DVDL page also lists a Group 4 upgrade at CI$50, unverified in the regulation).
Duplicate licence: CI$40.
International driving permit: CI$60.
Transfer from an overseas licence: CI$50.
Vehicle inspection: cars CI$35, CI$70, CI$105 or CI$175 for 14, 26, 38 or 62 months; motorcycles CI$30, CI$60, CI$90 or CI$150.
Road Code booklet: CI$10.

Cayman Brac, Little Cayman and over-65 reductions

Residents and vehicles of Cayman Brac or Little Cayman pay 75% of the Grand Cayman fees under regulation 27(2), and drivers over 65 get 50% off driver's licence applications and renewals and vehicle registration and licensing under regulations 27(7) and 27(8). The DVDL confirmed on 31 August 2026 that customers aged 65 or over qualify for the reduced fee whether or not they are Caymanian. How the Sister Islands reduction interacts with the non-Caymanian tier is unverified: the regulation does not say whether a non-Caymanian Sister Islands resident pays 75% of CI$225 for a 3-year licence, and the DVDL Cayman Brac fee page still showed pre-September single-tier figures on 30 August 2026. Confirm at the District Administration Building before you pay.

Worked examples: what a first-time driver pays

A non-Caymanian who starts from scratch after 1 September 2026 and passes both tests first time pays CI$645 for a 3-year licence: learner's licence CI$120, written test CI$100, road test CI$200 and the 3-year licence CI$225. A Caymanian on the same path pays CI$203: CI$60, CI$25, CI$50 and CI$68.

With a 10-year licence instead, the non-Caymanian total is CI$1,170 (CI$120 plus CI$100 plus CI$200 plus CI$750) and the Caymanian total is CI$335 (CI$60 plus CI$25 plus CI$50 plus CI$200). Every written-test resit costs another CI$100 for a non-Caymanian (CI$25 for a Caymanian); expect the road-test fee to apply again too, but confirm with the DVDL. Practise with our free Cayman Islands driving test questions and read the Cayman Islands driving test guide before you book. ExamReady is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with the DVDL or the Cayman Islands Government.

How and where to pay

The DVDL processes fees in Cayman Islands dollars, with credit cards and US cheques processed at 0.82 and US cash at 0.80; online payments take credit or debit cards. Book the written test through the DVDL scheduling page, which lists CI$25 for Caymanians and CI$100 for non-Caymanians from 1 September 2026. The fee is refunded only if you cancel at least 24 hours in advance, and after two cancellations you must rebook and pay again.

Renewals can be done in person or through the My DVDL e-Services portal. You can renew a driver's licence up to six months before expiry, online driver renewal must be completed within 30 days of expiration, and online vehicle renewal needs at least 3 clear months left on the inspection. In person, go to the George Town HQ at #990 Crewe Road or the West Bay, Breakers, Cayman Brac or Little Cayman offices. For the application steps, see how to get a Cayman Islands driver's licence.

Official sources

Traffic (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (SL 34 of 2026) (gazetted two-tier fees, in force 1 September 2026; driver's licence figures since revised)
Cayman Islands Government, 31 August 2026: Government Confirms Revised DVDL Fees Effective 1 September (the revised driver's licence schedule)
Traffic Regulations (2026 Revision) (regulation 27 fees, as amended)
DVDL Licence Fees page (revised figures, effective 1 September 2026)
DVDL vehicle licence fee structure page (pre-September table on 30 August 2026)
DVDL FAQ: Fee Changes 2026 (Caymanian/Non-Caymanian) (who qualifies, proof documents, seniors, reimbursement)
Cayman News Service, 1 September 2026: 11th hour cut to expat driver's licence fee hike
DVDL: Scheduling an appointment for a test (test fees, booking and refunds)
Cayman News Service, 15 July 2026: expats' driver's licences to be 8 times more than locals
Cayman Compass, 9 July 2026: higher DVDL fees for non-Caymanians from September

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a Cayman driver's licence for a non-Caymanian?

From 1 September 2026, a Groups 0-3 licence costs a non-Caymanian CI$75 for 1 year, CI$225 for 3 years, CI$375 for 5 years or CI$750 for 10 years. Add the learner's licence (CI$120), written test (CI$100) and road test (CI$200), and a first 3-year licence totals CI$645.

Do permanent residents pay the Caymanian rate?

No. SL 34 has no carve-out for permanent residents or work-permit holders, so both pay the non-Caymanian rate: CI$225 for a 3-year licence or CI$750 for 10 years.

Do spouses of Caymanians pay the lower fee?

Yes. Regulation 27(1A) provides that a non-Caymanian spouse or civil partner of a Caymanian pays the fee prescribed for a Caymanian: CI$68 rather than CI$225 for a 3-year licence. The DVDL accepts a marriage or civil partnership certificate as proof, and says eligibility is reassessed if the marriage or partnership ends.

Do vehicle licence fees change too?

Yes, but only private cars split by tier: a car up to 2,500 cc costs a Caymanian CI$180 for 12 months and a non-Caymanian CI$200. Rental cars and roll-on trailers rise for everyone, and rental motorcycles, rental trucks and other trailers have new single-tier fees, while private motorcycles, taxis and private trucks are unchanged.

When do the new fees start?

The Traffic (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 come into force on 1 September 2026; Cabinet made them on 1 July 2026 and they were gazetted on 7 July 2026. SL 34 has no transition rule for licences bought before that date. The government revised the driver's licence figures on 31 August 2026, the day before they took effect.

Are Cayman Brac fees different?

Yes. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman residents and vehicles pay 75% of the Grand Cayman fees under regulation 27(2). Whether that applies to the full non-Caymanian rate is unverified, so check at the District Administration Building before you pay.

Cayman DVDL Fee Structure 2026: Caymanian vs Non-Caymanian Driver's and Vehicle Licence Fees