South Africa’s new traffic fine laws launching today

The launch of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) has officially begun.

This was confirmed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who announced that AARTO will be implemented in 62 municipalities starting today, 1 July 2026.

This announcement provided details about the general rollout of the system, including the new process for issuing traffic fine notices and penalties.

The new AARTO regulations were introduced in the Government Gazette of 30 June 2026, which entirely repeal the 2008 regulatory framework.

As of today, the AARTO rollout has entered Phase 2, bringing the country’s largest municipalities under the new administrative system for traffic infringements.

This includes metros Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mangaung, Ekurhuleni, and Durban, but not the City of Cape Town.

Tshwane and Johannesburg, which previously used a pilot version of the system, have been incorporated into the new national framework.

Under the new laws, traffic violations are valued at R100, and total fines are calculated by multiplying this value against the penalty points assigned to a specific offence.

Motorists who receive fines can receive a 50% discount if they pay within 32 days. After this period, a courtesy letter is issued, which adds a R100 fee and revokes the discount.

Individuals who fail to pay within another 32 days will trigger an enforcement notice and receive another R100 fee.

Traffic infringements can be served electronically via the AARTO website, confirmed digital addresses, or regular mail, while sensitive notices must be sent via Registered Mail.

Once an enforcement order is sent, the infringer will be blocked from renewing their vehicle licence disc and driver’s licence, and registering new vehicles until the order is resolved.

Fleet operators have 32 days to nominate the driver responsible for the offence.

While the AARTO rollout has officially begun, Phase 2 does not include the new demerit point system, which will only be added in Phase 4.

Once it is implemented, drivers will accumulate points on their licences for various traffic offences.

If a driver is not nominated, the demerit points will be attached to the vehicle or the company operator card.

All motorists start with zero points, and infractions will incur a varying number of points depending on the severity of the offence.

Once a person exceeds 15 points, their licence will be suspended for a period of three months for every point over the limit. During this time, driving a vehicle is treated as a criminal offence.

If a licence is suspended for a third time, it will be permanently cancelled, and the motorist will be required to retake their learner’s and driver’s tests to receive a new card once the suspension period is over.

The government will also provide a rehabilitation service for suspended drivers, allowing them to shave time off their ban if they complete the course.

Demerit points are reduced by one for every three months of offence-free driving. Completing a rehabilitation programme will remove four points.

AARTO going ahead despite opposition

While the Presidency and the Department of Transport are going ahead with the AARTO rollout, various industry stakeholders have voiced their concerns over the new laws.

The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) filed an urgent Pretoria High Court application to stop the launch of the country’s new traffic fine laws this week; however, the application was dismissed.

SALGA said the court dismissed its case on 30 June 2026, citing a lack of urgency.

“The ‘for lack of urgency’ reasoning by the court only means that the merits of this case will have to be argued at a later stage and not on an urgent basis,” the organisation said.

SALGA chairperson of the Public Transport and Roads Working Group, Sebang Mtlhabi, said the organisation was disappointed by the case’s outcome.

“The reality of the matter is that the core issues that we wanted the court to provide relief on are still being argued. Our legal team is preparing to take the matter forward,” he said.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has also been critical of the rollout.

It highlighted that AARTO relies on the South African Post Office to perform one of its key administrative functions.

“Government has not explained how this critical statutory function will operate fairly and reliably while the Post Office remains in business rescue and continues to face significant challenges,” it said.

In an interview with Cape Talk, OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage raised other concerns about the administration process.

“There’s a lot of number plate planning, this is our biggest problem, and if people ride on your number plate, which they can do, it’s very easy, and you start picking up fines and disputing them, they decline those disputes, that’s where the problems are going to arise,” he said.

He also spoke about the 50% discount on fines, saying that while it is meant to encourage people to pay, he does not believe it will actually increase the number of people who pay.

“Fines should be fines, and people should avoid traffic fines and drive properly, and if you do get them, then pay them,” said Duvenage.

He warned that when people do not pay their fines, it risks collapsing the whole system.

The CEO highlighted that the City of Cape Town is effectively collecting traffic fines, which is why they have raised objections.

The minister has temporarily exempted the City of Cape Town from the AARTO rollout.

Duvenage said that AARTO is also compromising municipalities’ ability to collect revenue from traffic fines, as a portion of the money now goes to the national body.