The Cabinet has approved the extension of driving licence card validity in South Africa, which will increase the time between renewals from 5 to 10 years.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni confirmed the approval on Thursday, 30 July and stated that the extension of the validity period for licence codes A, A1, B and EB. This will only apply to light motor vehicles.
Heavy, commercial and transport vehicles will adhere to the current renewal cycles of between two and five years, and professional licences will remain on the two-year cycle.
“The change aligns with international best-practice, enhances administrative efficiency, reduces the frequency of renewal for motorists, and eases demand pressure within the licensing system,” Ntshavheni said.
The changes are not yet in effect and still require legislative amendments. Until these amendments have been processed and gazetted, motorists are still required to adhere to the current five-year validity period and ensure their expired cards are renewed.
In 2026, the Transport Department noted that the cost-benefit analysis was still being processed, and once it was considered, a change would be presented to Cabinet.
The extension was officially placed into the department’s short- and medium-term goals in April 2026, with the plan to have the cabinet’s approval by the end of 2026/272 (March 2027).
This target has now been reached far ahead of schedule. The broader plan was to have the extension approved for submission to Parliament by the end of the 2027/28 period (March 2028); however, this could now also happen much sooner.
