Renewing your car licence in South Africa

Is it time for you to renew your car licence? While it may seem like a lot to renew your car licence every year, these licence fees help maintain, build and upgrade our South African road infrastructure. And this, in turn, allows us to drive safely and prevent car damage due to poor road conditions.

Renewing your car licence can be confusing, and finding up-to-date information can take time. Therefore, we’ve decided to answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

Car licence renewal providers recommend that you renew your licence four weeks before the expiry date in case of delays. You can usually find this expiry date on the licence disc on your car’s windscreen. Additionally, you’ll receive an SMS or email telling you when it’s time to renew your licence.

If your motor vehicle licence is no longer valid, you must renew it, or you will have to pay a fine. However, you do have a 21-day grace period after the expiry date to get a new licence disc without being penalised.

Where you decide to renew your car licence usually depends on your location and what you’re willing to spend. For example, The Post Office, the National Traffic Information System’s (Natis) online portal and the retailer Spar provide vehicle licence renewal services nationwide.

On the other hand, Pick n Pay offers licence renewal everywhere except in the Western Cape. Gauteng and Cape Town Metro motorists can make use of FNB’s service. And while PayCity is the cheapest renewal provider, it doesn’t service the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal or the Western Cape outside of the City of Cape Town.

Alternatively, you can apply for renewal through your municipality online or at your local traffic department.

You don’t need to book an appointment when renewing your licence online. However, it’s best to make a booking if you’re going to renew your licence in person at the post office or the traffic department to avoid waiting in long queues.

To renew your car licence, you will need your identity document (ID), proof of address, motor licence renewal notice (MVL2) and the licence fee. If you need a notice for renewal, complete an Application for Licensing of Motor Vehicle (ALV) form to take with you.

If you live in an informal settlement, you’ll also need an official date-stamped letter from your ward councillor confirming your address.

When your car licence is due for renewal, you’ll get an SMS or email to let you know that it will expire soon. Alternatively, you can download your notice from the RTMC website. If, in the past, you received your notice via physical mail, you’ll need to make use of a digital alternative, as they no longer post renewal notices.

Sometimes, such as when applying to get your new vehicle registered in your name, you won’t get a notice. If this is the case, you should fill out and sign an ALV form to licence your vehicle.

Both the Post Office and Natis charge an administration fee of R72. The Post Office’s delivery fee also costs R75, while Natis charges R99. You can, however, collect the licence at your nearest branch to avoid paying a delivery fee.

Between the two retailers, Spar’s renewal service is cheaper at R199, but you’ll need to collect in-branch. Pick ‘n Pay’s service costs R329 for both the disc and delivery.

PayCity’s licence renewal costs R113.85, including delivery to main centres. However, delivery to an outlying region will cost you more.

The cost of FNB’s service is R199 and includes delivery.

How long you wait for your disc after applying for renewal depends on the service provider, but it can take anything from two to six weeks. For this reason, we recommend applying for renewal four weeks before the expiry date.

Motor vehicle licences for personal use need to be renewed every 12 months.

If you don’t renew your car licence, you must pay late licencing penalties and arrears. 

At Prime South Africa, we like to make things easy for you, and we hope we’ve done this by answering your questions on car licence renewals. If you’re looking for a dedicated insurance provider that will also make car insurance easy for you, view our budget-friendly cover options or apply for a quote online now.

Are you uncertain which car insurance option is the best fit for you? Find out more about the different types of car insurance in our blog here.

This article provides general information on renewing your motor vehicle licence. For exact fees and information for your specific car, contact your licence renewal service provider.

Remember to always buy car insurance with much thought and only through a certified financial services provider. At the time of writing this article, the above information were correct but could change at any time.

Reach out to us today to learn more about getting affordable, comprehensive car insurance with fixed premiums* and a reduce-to-zero excess*. *Terms and conditions apply.