SA Government sets date for driving licence demerit system rollout
Traffic officer checking driver’s licence at roadside stop.
South African motorists will soon face a new chapter in road traffic enforcement as the long-awaited Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Act (Aarto) is set for phased national rollout, starting on 1 December 2025. President Cyril Ramaphosa officially signed the proclamation last Friday, putting the wheels in motion for a system that has been delayed for over two decades.
The rollout will begin in 69 municipalities this December, with the remaining 144 municipalities joining on 1 April 2026. However, the much-discussed demerit points system will only come into effect nationwide on 1 September 2026. Although Aarto has been piloted in Johannesburg and Tshwane for more than 12 years, the demerit system itself has not yet been operational anywhere in the country. Once active, drivers will lose points for traffic offences and risk suspension or cancellation of their licences if they accumulate too many points—on top of any fines imposed.
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Aarto was originally passed into law in 1998 but has faced numerous delays and legal challenges. In 2023, the Constitutional Court upheld the government’s plan to introduce the demerit system, overturning an earlier high court ruling that had declared the law unconstitutional. Critics such as the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) and the Automobile Association (AA) argue that Aarto may burden motorists unfairly and prioritise revenue collection over improving road safety. South Africa’s roads remain perilous, with over 10,000 fatalities annually and road crashes costing the economy more than R1 trillion over the past seven years.
Despite these concerns, the government maintains that Aarto is a crucial tool for improving road safety by replacing a fragmented patchwork of municipal bylaws and criminal prosecutions with a streamlined administrative process. Under Aarto, the Road Traffic Infringement Authority (RTIA) will manage traffic infringements, thereby eliminating the need for court involvement. Notices will be served electronically, and an appeals tribunal will hear disputes. RTIA spokesperson Monde Mkalipi emphasises that Aarto aims to foster voluntary compliance, warning drivers that consequences—including licence suspension—will be enforced more swiftly to encourage safer behaviour on the roads.
With the start dates now official, drivers have just over a year to prepare for significant changes in how traffic offences are handled across South Africa.
