Good news for people with expired driver’s licence cards in South Africa

The Department of Transport has been silent on delays surrounding the production of driving licence cards, and there are unconfirmed reports that the country’s only driving licence printer is out of action, leaving many motorists without valid driving licences.

While driving without a valid licence can result in a hefty fine, there are protections in place for those who can prove that they’ve applied for a new licence.

A MyBroadband reader informed us of their experience in May 2024, when they were stopped by police with a licence that was five months past its expiry date.

Fearing a hefty fine or even arrest, the reader explained the situation to the traffic officer.

After proving to the officer that they had already applied for a new licence and were waiting for confirmation that it was ready, they were free to proceed.

According to the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), a driver’s licence card remains valid for three months past expiry, provided the holder has already applied for a new card within that grace period.

Outa emphasised that keeping the receipt of their renewal application is critical.

However, given that the reader was no longer within the grace period, Outa speculates that the officer may have simply misinterpreted the timeframe, meaning the expired licence holder may have just gotten lucky.

“The traffic officer might have been aware of the aforementioned, but maybe got the period wrong,” Outa told MyBroadband.

The civil action organisation also provided a pamphlet outlining a motorist’s rights when pulled over in such a situation.

It says motorists have the right to request the officer’s details and to refuse to pay a fine on the spot if demanded.

“An officer may NOT demand payment at the scene for this fine,” Outa said.

“Motorists with expired licences can be fined and are not supposed to be arrested.”

Moreover, if a motorist believes they were unfairly fined for driving with an expired licence, they can challenge it in court.

Another big driver’s licence backlog

Various sources in the Western Cape have reported significant production delays. JP Smith, the City of Cape Town MMC for safety and security, recently revealed that no new driving licences have been issued in the city in 2025.

This is despite Cape Town Driving Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs) receiving nearly 60,000 applications between 1 January and April 2025.

“To date, not a single had has been received for those applications from the DLCA in Pretoria,” said Smith.

This came after a MyBroadband reader informed us that they had applied to renew their licence at a DLTC in the Western Cape, only to be told that that centre, in particular, hadn’t issued any new cards this year.

Smith is urging transport minister Barbara Creecy to address these issues hastily.

“We experienced the same issue at the start of 2022, and the fact that nothing has changed three years later is an absolute indictment on those responsible,” he said.

The Department of Transport has not confirmed the status of the printing machine. However, it could be a while before it is returned to service if it is out of action.

This is because significant repairs must be done abroad. For reference, the machine was sent to Germany in 2022 to be repaired, resulting in a significant production backlog.

Creecy alluded to printer issues in March 2025. She said a significant production backlog forced DLTCs to issue temporary licences to motorists.

“It’s common knowledge that the existing machine is very old,” the minister said. “We are trying to enhance maintenance efforts so that it can resume printing.”

Her choice of the wording “resume printing” raised alarm bells. However, the department has not provided feedback to questions asking for clarification about what the minister meant.