New launch date for South Africa’s driver’s licence penalty system

The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act will be implemented across 69 municipalities in South Africa from Wednesday, 1 October, 2025.

This is according to the Deputy Minister of Transport, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, who spoke about the plan during his Budget Vote Speech in early July.

Hlengwa explained that 69 municipalities are prepared to implement the Aarto system in October, but the remaining 144 are not ready and will only be able to roll it out in early 2026.

“The Aarto will be rolled out in different phases according to municipal readiness from 1 October 2025 for the 69 municipalities which are ready for the rollout,” he said.

“This is phase 2 of the Aarto rollout programme, while phase 3 will be rolled out on 1 February 2026 for the 144 municipalities that will only be ready then.”

The minister cited national crash statistics during his presentation, arguing that Aarto is essential to correct driver behaviour out on the roads.

According to the research data used by the minister, roughly 80% of road accidents in South Africa are caused by human error, necessitating government intervention to bring about a meaningful change in the way motorists behave themselves.

“To ensure positive changes in road user behaviour, the department will roll out the Aarto Act, central to which is the demerit system that systematically aims at containing road user behaviour,” he said.

The long road to Aarto

Aarto has been controversial since its inception, with many drivers voicing their disdain for a demerit-based licence system.

This led to years of legal disputes over the new legislation, which includes the Aarto Act and Aarto Amendment Act.

These two acts were ultimately found to be constitutional and valid by the courts in July 2023.

Aarto was originally meant to go live on 1 July 2020, but this was later pushed back to 1 July 2024.

However, the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) and Department of Transport (DoT) failed to meet the 2024 launch date.

The National Automobile Dealers Association later confirmed that the acts’ full implementation had been delayed again, and that the department was looking at a new launch window around mid-2025.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that false reports sprang up in June 2025, claiming that Aarto had gone live nationwide.

These reports, which were published on websites operated by the “Delhi Marketing Agency,” were quickly debunked by the RTIA and DoT.

“The RTIA and Department of Transport will release an official statement when the next phase is implemented. Stay tuned for updates on the official Aarto platforms,” said the DoT.

How Aarto works

The Aarto Act’s main contribution is a demerit point system where motorists accumulate points on their licence when committing traffic offences.

Once the system is fully implemented, all drivers will begin with zero points on their licence, and will accumulate points when they pay the fines for their infringements.

An individual can rack up to 15 points before their licence is suspended. The length of the suspension period is calculated at three months for every point over the 15-point threshold.

This means that even two points over the limit will take a person’s licence away for half a year.

Driving a car during this time is treated as a criminal offence, and licences can only be suspended twice.

If a person exceeds the limit a third time, their licence will be revoked, forcing them to redo their learner’s and driver’s exam once the suspension is lifted.

The DoT stated that it will provide a “driver rehabilitation programme” for repeat offenders, and that individuals who complete the course will have their ban period reduced.

Importantly, demerit points are only valid for three months before they expire, meaning it will take multiple offences in a relatively short period for a person to lose their licence.

That being said, the demerit system is not a replacement for fines, as drivers will accumulate both depending on the infringement.

The table below shows the fine and demerit amounts that will be distributed for common traffic offences in South Africa: