14 mistakes that can cost you your driver’s licence in South Africa

While the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) is still in its infancy, South African motorists can expect the introduction of a demerit system sooner rather than later.

Currently, the AARTO Act, which is in Phase 2, is in effect in 62 municipalities across the country, including metros Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mangaung, Ekurhuleni, Durban, Tshwane and Johannesburg.

Once it reaches Phase 3 – which it is expected to do in the third quarter of 2026 – it will be introduced to 151 municipalities nationwide.

Phase 4 is where demerit points will be introduced, although this system does not have a specific launch date in the Road Traffic Infringement Agency’s (RTIA’s) Annual Performance Plan.

The agency’s implementation plan for the new system is somewhat vague, although the plan is to issue demerit notices over the medium term, beginning in 2027/28.

That being said, if further delays are experienced, RTIA’s broader strategy has always been to roll out the system over the 2025-2030 period.

Under this system, traffic violations will be split into two categories, with minor cases treated as “infringements” while more severe actions will be classified as “offences.”

The Road Traffic Infringement Agency will handle infringements, while offences will continue to be the responsibility of the country’s legal system.

Once implemented, drivers will receive a varying number of demerit points on their licence, depending on the severity of the violation.

The following table shows the fine amounts and demerit points incurred for common driving violations:

Getting your licence suspended

When the AARTO Act’s demerit points system takes effect, all motorists will start with zero points, regardless of past infringements.

Any newly committed infractions will incur a varying number of points depending on the severity of the offence, until a motorist reaches a threshold of 15 points.

Once this occurs, the motorist’s driver’s licence will be temporarily suspended, while every point accumulated over the 15-point limit will result in a 3-month licence suspension.

Points could accumulate through incremental infractions, like exceeding the speed limit by 20km/h fifteen times, or even in a single incident of speeding without your driver’s licence and under the influence.

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

The government will provide rehabilitation services for drivers with suspended licences, allowing them to shorten the suspension period.

Demerit points will be reduced by one for every three months of offence-free driving, while completing a rehabilitation programme will remove four points.

Regarding the payment of fines, motorists will receive a 50% discount if they pay fines within 32 days, after which a courtesy letter is issued, adding a R100 fee and revoking the discount.

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

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.