Benefits of a professional driving permit – and what you need to get one

A professional driving permit (PrDP) allows its holder to drive on public roads in South Africa while transporting goods, dangerous goods, or passengers for income.

This permit is issued in addition to a standard driver’s licence and therefore does not replace it.

A PrDP only applies to vehicles in certain categories, comprising:

• Breakdown vehicles
• Goods vehicles under 3,500kg
• Dangerous goods vehicles (e.g. fuel tankers)
• Light motor vehicles indicated for carrying passengers (taxis)
• Any vehicle for which an operating licence must be issued
• Busses and motor vehicles designed to carry 12 passengers or more

Applicants must be 18 years or older to qualify for a goods vehicle PrDP, 21 years or older for a passenger vehicle PrDP, and 25 years or older for a dangerous goods vehicle PrDP.

What you need

To apply for a PrDP you will need a form of identification such as an ID, driver’s licence, or passport; four identical black-and-white photographs; a proof of address; and the application fee.

Moreover, any individual who wishes to get a PrDP must have a valid driver’s licence for that class of vehicle which has never been suspended before, be declared medically fit by a doctor in the past two months, have never been convicted of a criminal offence or paid an admission-of-guilt fine, and must not have a criminal record for driving under the influence.

If the candidate is requesting a dangerous goods vehicle PrDP, they must also be certified by an approved training body and never have been found guilty of a crime where violence was an element.

When applying, the applicant must present the correct paperwork to prove that they adhered to all of the above rules for the application to be considered.

Once the PrDP is acquired, the operator or owner of the vehicle may not let another person drive it on a public road unless they have a valid permit.

Where to go

Individuals can apply for a PrDP at any driving licence testing centre (DLTC) in the country by completing the “Application for professional driving permit (PD1)” and “Medical certificate application (MC)” forms, and performing an eye test either at the DLTC or beforehand and bringing the certificate along.

After payment has been received, the DLTC will direct the candidate to a police station to request a conviction report for proof of a clean criminal record.

If all is in order, the permit will take a maximum of 12 weeks before it is ready, after which the applicant will be informed that they can collect it.

It’s required to present a form of identification when collecting the PrDP, and any permits not collected within 120 days will be destroyed.

What it costs

The cost of a PrDP is dependent on the location.

Candidates usually have to pay both an application fee upon submitting the forms as well as an issuing fee when collecting the permit.

In Gauteng, for example, the application fee is R96, while the issuing fee is R204. In KwaZulu-Natal, the costs are R150 and R250, respectively.