summary

The Minister of Transport has published draft amendments to the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 under the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996). The key proposed changes are:

1. 1. Doubling physical card validity: Extending driving licence cards for light motor vehicles and motorcycles from 5 years to 10 years.
   2. Clarifying licence permanence: Formally codifying that a driving licence is indefinite, separating the legal right to drive from the administrative validity of the plastic card.
   3. Transition grace period: Granting a temporary legal grace period of up to 3 months for motorists who apply for renewal before their current card expires.

The 10-year validity applies strictly to:

• • Code A1 & A: Motorcycles and motor tricycles.
  • Code B: Standard light motor vehicles (passenger cars, SUVs, bakkies up to 3,500 kg GVM).
  • Code EB: Light motor vehicles towing medium/heavy trailers.

Under proposed Regulation 108(5)(a)(ii), heavy commercial and public transport vehicles (Codes C1, C, EC1, and EC) remain on a 5-year renewal cycle. The Department argues that heavy vehicle operators carry higher road safety risks and require more frequent regulatory oversight.

(Note: Professional Driving Permits [PrDPs] remain on a strict 2-year renewal cycle under Regulation 115 regardless of card validity).

No. The draft explicitly amends Regulation 101(2) to state:

“A driving licence issued in terms of the Act shall be valid indefinitely unless suspended or cancelled…”

Your licence (the certified competency/right to drive) does not expire. The card (the physical identity token issued under Regulation 108) is merely proof of that right. An expired card is an administrative infringement—not the criminal offence of driving without a licence.

While the law affirms that your licence is indefinite, Regulation 100(6) specifies that the physical card serves as lawful proof on the road. Until national enforcement directives and roadside policing SOPs are formally updated, motorists with expired cards still risk being issued administrative fines or harassed by uninformed roadside officers.

No. Existing cards in motorists’ wallets retain the printed expiry date on the back of the card. You do not need to rush out to replace a currently valid card; however, when you next renew at a DLTC, your newly issued card will carry the 10-year validity.

Under proposed Regulation 108(7):
If you apply to renew your Code A or B card on or before its expiry date, your old card remains legally valid until the new card is produced, capped at a maximum of three (3) months.

South Africa has experienced repeated national backlogs where card printing took 4 to 6 months due to breakdowns at the state’s sole centralised printing facility.

If the state takes longer than 90 days to print and dispatch your new card, your 3-month grace period lapses. Through no fault of your own, you become technically unlawful on the road, leaving you vulnerable to traffic fines, insurance claim disputes, or being forced to buy an expensive Temporary Driving Licence.

This is one of the primary criticisms raised by road safety organisations. A person’s visual acuity, night vision, and peripheral sight can deteriorate significantly over a decade.

Currently, most DLTCs force drivers to use internal, often faulty optical testing machines. Civil society and the optical industry are lobbying for the Department to integrate the eNaTIS portal with registered optometrists (HPCSA accredited). This would allow optometrists to upload certified test results directly to the system before a driver visits the centre.

The draft regulations published in Government Gazette 55205 do not specify tariffs. However, because DLTC transaction fees fund municipal centres and the RTMC, there is serious public concern that authorities will increase renewal fees to offset the 50% drop in renewal volume.

Not in this specific notice. While the Department has repeatedly promised a transition to digital licences accessible via smartphone apps, this draft gazette deals strictly with the physical polycarbonate card.

Currently, motorists are still required to visit a DLTC in person twice: once to capture biometrics and once to collect the card. Many submissions to this campaign demand that the Department introduce an optional home/office courier delivery service to eliminate collection queues completely.

Public comments must be submitted within 30 calendar days from the gazette publication date (17 August 2026).

• • Official Closing Date: Wednesday, 16 September 2026.