A South African driving licence card is normally valid for five years. Renew it at least four weeks before the card’s expiry date. Historic COVID-19 renewal extensions are no longer a current renewal deadline; check the transport authorities’ current notices if there is a new disruption.
If you apply after the card expires, apply for a temporary driving licence while waiting for the replacement. An expired card does not cancel the underlying driving qualification, but you must carry valid proof when driving. Ask the DLTC what documents apply to your situation.
The government service guide gives a normal production period of four to six weeks, but backlogs can cause delays. Keep your application and payment receipt, ask the DLTC how to track the card and what to bring for collection, and check the printed details when it arrives.
Do not drive relying only on an expired card. Confirm whether the statutory three-month extension for a renewal submitted before expiry applies, and obtain a temporary licence where required. Keep the expired card and proof of a timely application if using that extension.
How to Renew Drivers Licence
- Contact the Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) to find out their specific requirements and submit them at the office.
- Use the official NaTIS online service for available renewal bookings and participating centres at https://online.natis.gov.za/#/
- Fill out the application for renewal of the driving licence card, which is known as the DL1. This form is available at the Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC).
- Submit your optometrist report alongside the licence renewal application if you decided to do the eye test at the optometrist closest to you.
- Complete the document to show notification of change of particulars or address of an organisation (NCP) or a person.
NB: A representative may collect a card only when the prescribed authorisation and identification requirements are met. Arrange this with the DLTC beforehand; the transport guidance requires the representative’s certified ID and an affidavit explaining why you cannot collect in person.
Drivers licence renewal requirements
- An original ID and a copy of your identity document (ID) or your old driving licence card. You can present a valid South African passport in the absence of any of the other two documents.
- Four black and white ID photographs but do well to consult with the centre to know the exact number of photos they require. It is possible to take photos at the DLTC to save yourself the stress.
- Proof of residence address like a utility bill in your name. If the bill is not in your name, then the person in whose name the bill is in must make an affidavit to show that you live at that address. Attach the utility bill to the affidavit when going. Bring a letter from your local ward councillor to confirm your residential address if you live in an informal settlement.
- Renewal fees and accepted payment methods vary by licencing authority. Confirm the current tariff and whether the centre accepts cash, cards or another method before attending.
- You can do an eye test at the optometrist centre closest to you. The optometrist will charge an amount that is specific to them. Then submit the report alongside your licence renewal application. However, you can do the eye test at the Drivers Licence Testing Center of your choice. The eye test will be included in your licence fee.
- Your fingerprints will be taken at the centre, and the cost of this is included in your licence fee.
- You have to take along extra money if your driver’s licence has expired. It will serve as the temporary licence fee. A temporary licence is a legal document that permits you to drive in South Africa while waiting for the original licence. It lasts 6 months and will keep you out of legal trouble.
NB: If your driver’s licence is missing or was stolen, you need an affidavit from the police that states that it was stolen or you lost it.
Drivers licence renewal cost
The cost of renewing a driver’s licence in South Africa is relative, depending on where you live. You don’t have to pay an extra fee or penalty for the late renewal of your driver’s licence. Here are the towns, the cost of renewing a driver’s licence, and the cost of getting a temporary driver’s licence. Some places require that you pay a different sum to renew the driver’s licence and another amount for the temporary driver’s licence. Other areas combine the costs into one fee.
- Cape Town
Cape Town’s published service page lists R140 for a renewal and R185 if the card has expired, including the R45 temporary-licence fee. Confirm the current municipal tariff and payment methods with the centre before your visit.
- Johannesburg
Johannesburg fees and temporary-licence charges depend on the current tariff. Confirm the amounts and payment methods with the selected DLTC and use the official NaTIS portal for available bookings.
- KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)
KwaZulu-Natal renewal and temporary-licence fees must be checked with the relevant DLTC. Do not assume the old R250/R92 figures or cash-only payment rule still apply.
- Mpumalanga
For Mpumalanga, confirm the renewal and any temporary-licence fee with the relevant DLTC; R185 is not a verified current province-wide tariff.
- Pretoria
Gauteng has a new system to book driver’s licence renewal online. Visit the NATIS portal at https://online.natis.gov.za to see the entire list of all the DLTC offices in Gauteng.
Also Read: How to Book And Apply For a Learner’s Licence Online
Where to renew driver’s licence
Online booking does not remove the need to attend a participating DLTC for the eye test and fingerprints. Follow the official booking instructions and confirm the location; do not assume that any nearby Post Office can renew a driving licence card.
Collect the card within the period specified by your DLTC. Cape Town’s current service guide states that uncollected cards are destroyed after 120 days, so the old blanket 90-day claim should not be relied on.
International applicants have to be in the country to renew their licence because of the new fingerprint and eye test policy. However, they can assign someone else to collect it if they leave the country before it is released.
Contact your relevant municipality or DLTC for renewal enquiries. The number 131084 is not a verified South African national licence-renewal helpline.
