South African motorists enjoy a 21-day grace period before they are fined for driving with an expired car licence disc.
The grace period is calculated from the expiry date of the current licence disc, as per the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
Should you not renew your vehicle licence within this period you stand to be penalised in more ways than one.
If you are pulled over by a traffic officer with an expired licence disc after the grace period has passed, you could be fined a substantial amount depending on the licensing authority and the duration of the expiration.
In 2020, the RTMC said that motorists could be fined up to R1,000 if found with an expired driver’s licence disc, and it’s unclear, though likely, if that amount increased over the last four years.
Say you were lucky enough not to be caught out by the cops, you’ll still pay an unavoidable late renewal penalty when attempting to get an updated disc.
This penalty is equal to 10% of the annual licensing fee for every month the disc has expired.
As a more practical example; if you live in Gauteng and drive a car that weighs between 1,000kg and 1,250kg, the renewal fee works out to R432.
Therefore, should you not renew the disc within the grace period, you’ll be liable to pay a penalty of R43.20 for every month you waited before the renewal.
Cheapest disc renewals in South Africa
South Africa is currently experiencing a boom in online vehicle licence disc renewals following the launch of several such services over the last few years.
The most affordable renewal service is currently offered by FNB, which is running a promotion until December 2024 that allows motorists to renew their vehicle licence discs for just R69, which includes admin and delivery costs.
Other service providers are also available depending on your location, such as Shoprite, Spar, Renewonline, and Disky.
It should be mentioned that out of these providers, Spar is the only one that does not have an online service. Customers are required to visit participating Spar outlets to submit their applications, and they must pick up their new discs at the same location once ready.
You can compare the cost of these various licence disc renewal services in the table below:
| Service | Availability | Admin fee | Delivery fee | Total cost |
| FNB | Nationwide | Included | Included | R99 (R69 promo) |
| Natis Online | Nationwide | Included | R99.00 | R99 |
| South African Post Office | Nationwide | R72.00 | R75.00 | R147 |
| Shoprite Money Market | Nationwide | R110.25 | R74.75 | R185 |
| Spar | Select stores | R199.00 | Included | R199 |
| Renewonline | Nationwide | R100.00 | R115.00 | R220-240 |
| Disky | Nationwide | R169.00 | R70.00 | R239 |
It’s worth pointing out that the prices detailed in the above table are not what you will pay to renew your car’s licence disc.
The total cost depends on the tare weight of your car and the address at which it is registered.
Heavier vehicles do more damage to the country’s roads and are therefore required to pay higher licence fees to compensate for this, as these funds are earmarked for road maintenance and upgrades.
Passenger cars in South Africa generally range between 750kg for small hatchbacks like the Renault Kwid, to 2,500kg for something along the lines of the Ford Everest adventure SUV. The former will pay less for their new disc, while the latter will pay more.
Additionally, provincial traffic departments have the liberty to set and update their rates for vehicle licence renewals as they see fit.
Limpopo is the most recent one to do so in 2024, while the Eastern Cape has not updated its fees since 2018.
At present, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are the priciest provinces in which to renew vehicle licence discs, whereas the North West ranks as the most affordable.
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