# summary

- Link: https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/
- Published: 2026-08-18T13:21:22+02:00
- Author: dearSA

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[ have your say](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/#havasay)

### _Questions and answers_

[What exactly is government proposing in this amendment?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1763554389233-fdb8fee6-6da45520-2543834b-4dc3)

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.  a. _Doubling physical card validity:_ Extending driving licence cards for light motor
        vehicles and motorcycles from 5 years to 10 years.
     b. _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.
     c. _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.

[Which vehicle licence codes are covered by the 10-year extension?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1763554389265-aa09206a-77665520-2543834b-4dc3)

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.

[Why are heavy vehicles (buses and trucks) excluded from the 10-year rule?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1763554389298-fbc55a3c-817c5520-2543834b-4dc3)

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)._

[If my licence card expires, is my driving licence cancelled?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1771840733358-e4b2d08e-b226834b-4dc3)

**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.

[Will traffic officers stop fining drivers for expired cards?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1771840767171-e194ee95-bf82834b-4dc3)

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.

[Does my current 5-year card automatically become valid for 10 years?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1787051206527-6d682895-dc02)

**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.

[What is the proposed 3-Month Grace Period (Regulation 108(7))?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1787051245871-fe4b61c3-c89e)

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.

[Why is the 3-month grace period considered a major trap?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1787051271705-52605fb4-6938)

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.

[Won't road safety suffer if eyesight is only tested once every 10 years?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1787051294229-f739e14e-b176)

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.

[Can I submit an eye test from an independent optometrist instead of queuing at the DLTC?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1787051358964-85728f02-1f17)

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.

[Will the cost of renewing a driving licence card double?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1787051380247-f9de7b5f-89b2)

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.

[Are Digital Driving Licences (mDL) included in this gazette?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1787051407209-38fc82c4-72d7)

**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.

[Why can't renewed cards simply be couriered to our homes?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1787051438167-b12879b5-5647)

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.

[What is the deadline for public comment?](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/#1787051467738-ee7912cf-7ee5)

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

    - Official Closing Date: Wednesday, 16 September 2026.

The draft regulations

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### _In the News_

    - BusinessTech — [Driving licence card extension in South Africa officially gazetted, with details on what happens to existing cards](https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/870729/driving-licence-card-extension-in-south-africa-officially-gazetted-with-details-on-what-happens-to-existing-cards/)
    - TopAuto — [10-year driver’s licence cards get the green light in South Africa](https://topauto.co.za/news/161066/10-year-drivers-licence-cards-get-the-green-light-in-south-africa/)
    - MyBroadband — [Proposed rules for 10-year driving licences in South Africa published](https://mybroadband.co.za/news/motoring/663047-proposed-rules-for-10-year-driving-licences-in-south-africa-published.html)
    - NewsDay — [New 10-year driving licences for South Africa coming sooner than expected](https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/25496/south-africa-getting-10-year-driving-licences-sooner-than-expected/)
    - SA News — [Renewal of driving licence cards continues until 10-year extension is legislated](https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/renewal-driving-licence-cards-continues-until-10-year-extension-legislated)
    - Citizen — [Driving licence renewal period could soon be extended to 10 years](https://www.citizen.co.za/review-online/news-headlines/local-news/2026/08/18/driving-licence-renewal-period-could-soon-be-extended-to-10-years/)
    - MoneyWeb — [Cabinet approves 10-year driving licences for light vehicles](https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/cabinet-approves-10-year-driving-licences-for-light-vehicles/)
    - IOL — [Good news for motorists as Cabinet approves 10-year driving licences](https://iol.co.za/news/2026-07-30-good-news-for-motorists-as-cabinet-approves-10-year-driving-licences/)
    - SABC News — [AfriForum welcomes extension of driving licence card validity](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/afriforum-welcomes-extension-of-driving-licence-card-validity/)

### _Statements and media releases_

Click on a logo to view.

Want to display your organisation’s statement? [Click here. ](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/drivers-licence-validity/summary/ licence@dearsouthafrica.co.za?subject=org info for licence card regulations info page)

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### Cape Independence Party

 **CAPEXIT Party strongly opposes the Business Licensing Bill in its entirety on
all points:**

**Preferential licensing**
 The Bill explicitly empowers the Minister to grant licences
on a “preferential” basis and to impose conditions that advance “historically disadvantaged
individuals” or other designated groups. This is nothing less than state-sanctioned
racial and ideological discrimination dressed up as transformation policy.

CAPEXIT rejects the notion that the state has any legitimate role in deciding which
racial or social group may or may not operate a business. Such preferential licensing
will:

    - Reintroduce apartheid-era economic controls under a new ideological banner;
    - Create a cronyist system where access to markets is determined by political
      connections and demographic criteria rather than merit, innovation or consumer
      demand;
    - Discourage both domestic and foreign investment, as investors will rightly
      fear that their businesses can be denied licences or subjected to arbitrary
      conditions on racial or political grounds.

No free society licenses businesses on the basis of the owner’s skin colour or historical
narrative. This clause alone renders the entire Bill unconstitutional and morally
indefensible.

**Principles of business licensing**
 The Bill fails to articulate any coherent,
objective, or proportionate principle for requiring a general business licence in
the first place. Instead, it presumes that every enterprise – from a street vendor
to a multinational corporation – must seek prior permission from the state simply
to exist and trade.

This reverses the fundamental principle of a free economy: citizens should be free
to engage in lawful economic activity without state permission unless there is a
clear, evidence-based justification (e.g. public health, safety or environmental
protection).

The Bill provides no such justification. It is a blanket assault on economic freedom,
reminiscent of the licence-permit raj that crippled India’s economy for decades.
Requiring a general “business licence” in addition to existing sector-specific permits(
liquor, health, zoning, etc.) serves no legitimate public purpose – only the purpose
of expanding state control and creating new opportunities for rent-seeking and corruption.

**Powers of inspectors**
 The Bill grants inspectors extraordinarily broad and invasive
powers, including warrantless entry into private premises, seizure of documents 
and goods, and the ability to close businesses on the spot. These powers are ripe
for abuse and will be weaponised against political opponents, non-compliant businesses,
and any entrepreneur who refuses to pay bribes.

In a country already plagued by corruption scandals, handing unelected officials
the power to enter and shut down businesses without judicial oversight is an open
invitation to extortion. Small businesses, spaza shops, and informal traders – many
of them immigrant-owned – will be particularly vulnerable to harassment and shakedowns.
Far from promoting transformation, this will simply create a new class of “licence
inspectors” who enrich themselves at the expense of the poor.

**More red tape**
 South Africa already ranks poorly on the World Bank’s Ease of
Doing Business index, largely because of regulatory overreach. This Bill adds yet
another layer of costly, time-consuming bureaucracy on top of SARS registration,
municipal permits, B-BBEE compliance, UIF, COIDA, sector SETA requirements, and 
dozens of other licences.

The compliance costs – application fees, mandatory consultations, endless paperwork,
and the risk of arbitrary refusal – will crush startups and force thousands of small
businesses to close or remain informal. Jobs will be lost, investment will flee,
and the tax base will shrink. The Western Cape, which has consistently outperformed
the rest of South Africa precisely because of lighter and more efficient regulation,
will see its competitive advantage deliberately sabotaged by Pretoria.

**Conclusion**
 The Business Licensing Bill is not reform – it is economic sabotage.
It centralises power in the hands of an already overreaching and underperforming
national government, reintroduces racial criteria into commerce, and erects new 
barriers to entrepreneurship at a time when South Africa desperately needs growth
and jobs.

CAPEXIT calls for the complete withdrawal of this Bill. The people of the Western
Cape, and indeed all South Africans who believe in freedom, will not accept a return
to a permit-based economy controlled by bureaucrats and political gatekeepers.

For a free, prosperous, and non-racial future, this Bill must be rejected in its
entirety.