South African motorists with light vehicle and motorcycle licences could eventually go 10 years between renewals after Cabinet approved doubling the current five-year validity period.
However, the change is not yet in force. Legislative amendments must first be completed, meaning motorists must continue renewing their driving licence cards under the existing system until government announces an implementation date.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced the decision on Thursday, 30 July 2026, following a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 29 July 2026.
According to the official Cabinet statement, the 10-year validity period will apply only to licences issued under Codes A, A1, B and EB.
These categories cover motorcycles and light motor vehicles, including light vehicles towing trailers within the relevant weight limits.
Heavy commercial and public transport vehicle licences will not qualify for the extended period and will remain subject to their existing two- or five-year renewal cycles.
Professional Driving Permits will also retain their two-year renewal period.
Confirming that motorists cannot immediately rely on the extended period, Ntshavheni said:
“The implementation of the extended validity period requires legislative amendments. Motorists must therefore continue to renew expired driving licence cards until the new law takes effect.”
Government expects the longer renewal cycle to reduce the administrative burden on motorists while easing pressure on driving licence testing centres and the wider licensing system.
“The change aligns with international best practice, enhances administrative efficiency, reduces the frequency of renewals for motorists and eases service-demand pressures within the licensing system,” added Ntshavheni.
The decision was also confirmed in an official SAnews report published following the Cabinet briefing.
The approval brings movement to a policy debate that has continued for several years.
In 2022, then-Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula tasked the Road Traffic Management Corporation with researching the feasibility of extending the validity period to 10 years.
The proposal subsequently stalled, with the Department of Transport indicating in 2024 that the five-year validity period would remain unchanged.
Discussions resumed under Transport Minister Barbara Creecy. By 2025, government was considering an eight-year validity period for Codes A1, A, B and EB, subject to a cost-benefit analysis and further approval processes.
The Department’s earlier planning documents still referred to an eight-year period and envisaged Cabinet consideration during the 2026/27 financial year.
Cabinet’s latest decision therefore goes further than that proposal by approving a full 10-year period for the qualifying licence categories.
Despite the policy approval, no commencement date has been announced. The necessary amendments must still move through the legislative process before licensing centres can begin issuing cards with the longer validity period.
Existing cards also do not automatically receive an additional five years. Motorists remain bound by the expiry dates printed on their current cards and must continue renewing them accordingly.
Cabinet’s decision marks a significant change to South Africa’s driving licence system, but its practical effect will depend on how quickly the legislative amendments are finalised and implemented. Until then, the current renewal rules remain in place.
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