How long you can drive with an expired licence in South Africa before getting fined

You can drive with an expired driver’s licence card for up to three months before being eligible to be fined.

However, this grace period comes with a caveat, according to the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa).

If you can prove that you applied for a new card before your current one expired, you’ll enjoy the full three months of stress-free driving.

However, if the card already expired at the time of application for a replacement, you must also apply for a temporary driver’s licence and keep proof thereof in the vehicle if you don’t want to be fined.

Driving with an expired card can net you hefty fines as the law stipulates that drivers must have a valid licence card on them at all times.

Depending on where you live, you may be prosecuted through the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act or the Criminal Procedures Act (CPA).

Aarto is currently only in effect in the municipalities of Tshwane and Johannesburg.

Under these regulations, operating a vehicle on a public road with an expired driving licence card calls for a fine of R2,000 and three demerit points on your licence.

Outside the confines of these municipalities, traffic infringements are handled by the CPA, therefore, fines will vary from location to location.

In the Western Cape, the Chief Magistrates in collaboration with Magistrate Cluster Heads and Traffic Authorities determine the fines applicable to motorists, Traffic Services spokesperson Maxine Bezuidenhout told TopAuto.

This suggests that other provinces will have the same powers.

If you believe you were penalised unfairly, you are allowed to challenge the fine in a court of law regardless of whether it is based on Aarto or the CPA.

In the unlikely event of your arrest – which generally only happens in rare cases with repeat offenders – you have a right to legal representation and the right to remain silent, said Outa.

You must be informed of the reason for your arrest as well as be presented with a warrant for your arrest.

Outa advises to immediately seek legal advice from an attorney if you are detained and emphasises that you are within your rights to apply for after-hours bail.

“The process at a police station can take a while, so be patient,” said the civil rights organisation.

If you are denied any of the above, you can bring a civil action claim against the arresting officer.

700,000 South Africans at risk

Hundreds of thousands of motorists are at risk of getting in trouble with the law due to a backlog in driver’s licence renewals in South Africa.

The National Department of Transport recently confirmed that the country’s sole driving licence printing machine has been out of order since 5 February 2025.

As a result, the Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) has accummulated a backlog of 747,748 licence cards.

The DLCA, situated in Pretoria, is an entity under the DoT which is responsible for the production of the entire country’s cards.

On 8 May 2025, the backlogs per province stood at:

Working hours for staff at the DLCA have been extended to ensure the backlog is eliminated as swiftly as possible.

“With the current catch-up plan, updates on the backlog reduction will be provided as and when significant progress is made,” said the Department of Transport.

“However, the backlog reduction is also dependent on the number of orders being received on a daily basis.”

Motorists across the country are advised to keep their old cards handy even if they’re expired.

They should ideally also apply for a temporary licence to avoid getting in trouble with law enforcement should they be pulled over.