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- More than 1 million South African vehicle licences will expire at the end of September.
- There is a 21-day grace period after a vehicle licence expires, after which a 22% penalty fee is added each month the vehicle licence is not renewed.
- Vehicle licences can be renewed online at a fee.
When last did you check that your vehicle licence is still valid? More than 1 million licence discs will expire at the end of September, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC). Failing to renew your vehicle licence on time could incur unnecessary penalty fees.
With fuel prices increasing by almost R2 a litre, electricity tariff hikes and stage 6 indefinite load shedding, we don't need any extra costs in such challenging economic times. The RTMC has warned South African motorists to check their licence expiration dates.
The organisation says it sends monthly SMSes and emails to motorists with upcoming expiration dates. Still, it can only do so if people or vehicle owners are registered on the National Administration Traffic Information System (NaTIS).
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The RTMC says some vehicle owners still try to use the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse for not renewing their vehicle licences. However, the organisation has given several extensions to motor vehicle licence expiry dates, resulting in many renewals falling between August and December.
The organisation also says 1 049 412 motor vehicle licences are expiring in September and must be renewed by the end of the month. It's important to note that there is a 21-day grace period after the expiry date to a renew vehicle licence without additional costs, however, penalties for late renewal will be charged after that.
Should your vehicle licence expire at the end of September and you only renew it the following month at the end of October, be prepared to pay a 22% penalty in addition to your vehicle licence renewal fee or for every month after that.
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Renewing vehicle licences has become incredibly easy, though. For one, the RTMC sends email reminders with MVL1 forms to assist vehicle owners. This is to avoid queues and time-wasting; owners can now fill in the form online and make the necessary payment at the convenience of their homes. A courier will then send a new motor vehicle licence within three to five days.
News24 Motoring reader recently shared her experience of renewing her vehicle licence on the NaTIS online portal and could not believe when she received her new disc within the same week.
Vehicle owners can also use various platforms such as Pick n Pay's vehicle renewal service, FNB, PayCity, ChatBack, and many private small businesses. Of course, with convenience comes an additional fee, including service and delivery fees. This could cost anywhere from R171 to R460 in addition to your vehicle licence renewal fee, depending on where you live. For any of these, you would need a copy of your ID, proof of address (not older than three months), and a permission letter to allow another party to renew your vehicle licence on your behalf.
Also, note that vehicle licence renewal fees differ between provinces and municipal regions, and on the type of vehicle you drive – depending on its weight. Vehicle licence fees could cost anywhere between R350 to R972 within the 21-day grace period.
Then there's still the simple process of going to your closest municipality or traffic licence centre, and all you need is your driving licence or ID. I prefer this as most centres are open on Saturdays too, and I've almost always renewed my vehicle licence in less than five minutes.
