Driving licence penalty points system gets new launch date

Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa says the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) system will be implemented in 69 municipalities from 1 October 2025.

Presenting his Budget Vote speech on Wednesday, 2 July 2025, Hlengwa said the 69 municipalities will be ready to roll out Aarto in October, while the remaining 144 that are not ready will 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,” the deputy minister 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.”

Hlengwa cited research showing that more than 80% of crashes on South Africa’s roads are due to human error, necessitating government efforts to change behaviour.

“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.

Following an extensive legal battle, the Aarto Act and Aarto Amendment Act were found to be constitutional and valid in July 2023.

This cleared the path for implementing the system on 1 July 2024. Government had initially planned to implement the system on 1 July 2020.

However, the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) and Department of Transport missed the July 2024 launch date.

The National Automobile Dealers Association (Nada) said the two acts’ full implementation had been delayed again, adding that the department had revised plans to launch it in mid-2025.

Nada and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) — the group that launched legal action to block Aarto — said government would likely miss the target.

Sowing confusion were fake reports of the system’s imminent implementation, which surfaced in June 2025. The false information was published by websites operated by the “Delhi Marketing Agency”.

The fake articles appeared to have been created using artificial intelligence and featured prominently on Google News recommendations pushed to Android users in South Africa.

The false reports duped reputable publications, prompting the RTIA to issue a statement confirming the information was false and that no pronouncement had been made regarding the national rollout of Aarto.

“The information being circulated about the Aarto rollout date is fake news!” it said.

“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.”

Points demerit system

Central to the Aarto Act is a demerit point system through which motorists accumulate points on their licence if they commit traffic offences.

When the system is fully implemented, motorists will begin with no demerit points on their licence, and accumulate them when they pay the fines for infringements.

Drivers can accumulate up to 15 points before their licence is suspended. The licence will be suspended for three months for each demerit point over the threshold.

For example, motorists who have accumulated 18 demerit points at the time of suspension will have their licence suspended for nine months.

During the suspension, motorists cannot drive any car and doing so will be treated as a criminal offence. Moreover, licences can only be suspended twice.

If a motorist exceeds the points threshold a third time, their licence will be cancelled, forcing them to redo their learner’s licence and driving licence once the suspension period is over.

The Department of Transport will offer a “driver rehabilitation programme” for frequent infringers whose licences were cancelled. Motorists who complete the programme will have their ban periods reduced.

Demerit points are only valid for three months before they expire. Therefore, it would require a series of minor infringements or several more serious offences for a licence to be suspended.

The table below summarises some of the fines and demerit points that will apply to common road traffic violations once the system is fully implemented.