OUTA says proposed 10-year licence validity will provide relief for motorists

South African motorists could soon spend less time in queues and save money on licence renewals after Cabinet approved a proposal to extend the validity of driving licence cards for light motor vehicles from five to 10 years.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has welcomed the proposal, describing it as a long-overdue reform that could ease pressure on South Africa’s strained licensing system.

The ten-year validity period will apply only to licence codes A, A1, B and EB. Heavy commercial and public transport vehicles will remain subject to the existing five-year renewal cycle, while professional driving permits (PrDPs) will continue to be renewed every two years.

The organisation says the move will help alleviate pressure on a licencing system plagued by backlogs and allegations of corruption.

OUTA CEO, Wayne Duvenage, says the decision comes nearly six years after the organisation first called for an extension during the COVID-19 licensing crisis.

“Government has finally accepted that forcing motorists through an inefficient renewal system every five years wastes time and money without making our roads safer,” said Duvenage.

OUTA research across 35 countries found that the average driving licence validity period is 8.5 years, ranging from three to 20 years.

The organisation has also dismissed concerns that longer renewal periods could compromise driver fitness, saying eyesight is the only health-related check conducted during licence renewals. 

Duvenage says countries with 10-year licence validity periods generally have much lower road fatality rates than South Africa.

“In countries where the validity period is 10 years, they have much lower road fatality statistics than South Africa. The natural tendency for people when their eyesight conditions change is to get glasses. People don’t like driving cars when they can’t see – it endangers their own lives, so we don’t believe this is an issue,” said Duvenage. 

He added that corruption during first-time licence applications remains a bigger concern than corruption during renewals. Duvenage argues that less frequent renewals could reduce opportunities for corruption by limiting motorists’ interaction with licensing authorities.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transport has cautioned that the proposed change is not yet in force.

The necessary amendments to the road traffic regulations must still be published for public comment and legal scrutiny before implementation.

Motorists have therefore been advised to continue renewing expired driving licence cards under the current five-year system until the new regulations officially come into effect.

OUTA has called on the department to provide a clear implementation timetable and clarify whether the 10-year validity period will apply only to new licence cards or also to those already in circulation.

🚨 LICENCE VALIDITY EXTENDED

Cabinet has approved a ten-year validity period for light motor vehicle driving licences, doubling the current five-year period.

🔗 https://t.co/fMOFsz13M2 #GovZAUpdates #CapableState pic.twitter.com/QsHByomTOZ

— Department of Transport (@Dotransport) July 31, 2026