NPF Clarifies Online Steps For Character Certificate, Tinted Permit
Motorists and job seekers navigating Nigeria’s tightening documentation regime now have a clearer roadmap, following fresh guidance from the Nigeria Police Force on how to secure a Police Character Certificate and a Tinted Glass Permit through its digital portal.
The guidelines, published on the Police Specialised Services Automation Project platform known as POSSAP, allow applicants to complete most of the process online before appearing in person for biometric capture. The portal, accessible at possap.gov.ng, has become the sole official channel for both services.
For the Police Character Certificate, applicants must complete an online request form capturing their identification type, whether National Identification Number, Bank Verification Number or international passport, alongside the identification number, full name, phone number, email, gender, state and local government of residence, residential address and optional alternative contact details.
The certificate, often called a police clearance certificate, is widely required for foreign employment, visa processing, immigration, residency applications and adoption. The Force has consistently maintained that only the Nigeria Police Force can issue it and that Nigerian embassies abroad cannot. The official POSSAP fee has been widely reported at 30,000 naira, though applicants have complained of higher informal charges at some commands, a gap the police attribute to unauthorised middlemen.
The Tinted Glass Permit follows four stages: selecting the service, completing the request form, confirming the submitted details, and paying through the portal. Applicants provide the same personal particulars required for the character certificate.
That permit carries heavier political weight. Reintroduced in April 2025 by the then Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, it rests on the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act of 1991, a military era law that bars tinted vehicle glass without police authorisation. The official fee is 14,200 naira annually, with one account putting the total at 17,050 naira after a separate vehicle identification verification charge of 2,850 naira. The permit is valid for one year, and the police have said renewals will cost less than the initial charge.
Enforcement, initially slated for mid 2025, eventually began on October 2, 2025 after repeated extensions. The rollout drew resistance. On September 2, 2025, the Nigerian Bar Association sued Egbetokun at the Federal High Court in Abuja, questioning the legality of the policy and whether proceeds were flowing into the Federation Account. Police spokesman, Chief Superintendent Benjamin Hundeyin, defended the charge as necessary for maintaining the digital infrastructure, insisting the process was backed by law, while the Force stressed that no court order had halted implementation.
The leadership steering that policy has since changed. Egbetokun resigned in February 2026, citing family reasons, and President Bola Tinubu appointed Tunji Disu as Inspector General of Police on February 24, 2026. The permit framework, however, remains in force.
Across both services, the Force has set firm conditions. It reserves the right to approve or reject any application on operational and security grounds, and warns that false information, forged documents or fake biometric data will trigger automatic rejection and possible penalties. Applicants resident in Nigeria must appear in person for biometric capture on their scheduled date, typically at a State Intelligence Bureau located in state capitals or at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Payments, the Force insists, must be made only through the POSSAP invoice generated during application, and no additional money should be demanded at police formations for capture or collection. Each request attracts a one time, non refundable processing fee, and issuance requires a minimum of 72 hours.
The guidance lands amid wider public frustration over the cost and reliability of the portal, with some motorists reporting congestion and unofficial charges well above the gazetted rate.