If you’ve ever replaced your vehicle’s lost logbook, updated your logbook details after an engine swap, or replaced your lost or defaced number plate, you’ve come across the word ‘’tape lifting.’’
It’s a requirement when doing all those things.
To keep you up to date, I will delve into the ins and outs of tape lifting in Kenya.
But before we do that, let’s understand what tape lifting is:
What Is Tape Lifting?
In Kenya, when you buy a new or used car, you’re issued with a vehicle registration certificate.
It’s a document that contains information like color, design, mileage, and engine capacity of the vehicle.
It also contains the vehicle registration number, your personal data, and exhaust emissions.
Other important information contained in the vehicle registration certificate is the engine number and chassis number of the vehicle.
The chassis number is also referred to as the vehicle identification number (VIN).
Tape lifting is where the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) ascertains that the engine number and the chassis number match those in your vehicle registration certificate when you want to replace your lost log book or number plate.
Ideally, tape lifting is used to prevent and fight log book forgery cases and vehicle fraud cases.
It’s also used to determine the vehicle manufacturer and how old a vehicle is.
Tape-Lifting Report
Once the DCI complete the tape lifting process and ascertains that the engine number and chassis number match the ones on your vehicle registration certificate, they issue you with a tape lifting report.
It’s, essentially, a written report of the findings of the tape-lifting exercise.
How Tape Lifting is Done
If you’ve lost your logbook and need a tape-lifting report to enable you to replace it, you’ll have to obtain a police abstract first.
You’ll then drive the vehicle to the DCI headquarters located along Kiambu road or the nearest DCI office in your area.
Once you explain what you want and provide the police abstract, DCI offices will begin the tape-lifting process, also referred to as tape-lifting forensics.
They’ll obtain the engine number, which is clearly visible(imprinted) on the vehicle’s engine, and the chassis number, which can be found printed on the dashboard, hood, door, rear-wheel or boot of your vehicle.
They’ll then search the vehicle’s details online.
They’ll head over to the NTSA website to check the vehicle’s engine number and chassis number.
If the details match with the engine number and chassis number they’ve obtained from your vehicle, they’ll check the details against your vehicle registration certificate.
Once they authenticate that the engine number and the chassis number match those on your vehicle registration certificate, they write a tape lifting report.
How Much Does Tape Lifting Cost?
Tape lifting is free. You just need to visit a DCI office near you with the police abstract and your logbook.
Tape lifting is not only important when looking to replace your vehicle’s lost logbook, update your logbook details after an engine swap, or replace your lost or defaced number plate.
It’s also important when buying a new or used vehicle.
When buying a new or used car, it’s hard to tell how old it is.
The tape lifting will help you know the age of the car, the manufacturer and other details.
It will also help you know whether the previous owner of the vehicle changed the engine to protect you from vehicle identification problems in the future.
