This is how long you can drive with an expired licence in SA
Do you know how long you can drive with an expired license in South Africa before being fined?
South Africa currently faces an extreme backlog of driver's licence renewals.
This is due to the country's only driving licence printing machine being out of order for some time.
Although it was reported that the machine had been fixed and was back in operation since May 8, 2025, the backlog remains, and a catch-up plan is underway.
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But what about the people who are now driving around with expired driver's licences?
According to TopAuto, motorists can drive around with an expired driver's licence card for up to three months before being fined.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) warns, however, that this still comes with its own conditions.
Only if a person can prove that they applied for a new driver’s licence before the current one expired will they be allowed to drive with the expired one for up to three months.
If the card has already expired when applying for a new one, motorists will have to apply for a temporary driver’s licence and keep proof thereof.
South Africa's driver's licence backlog
According to TopAuto, the Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) has accumulated a backlog of 747,748 licence cards due to the printing machine being out of order since February 5, 2025.
Working hours for staff at the DLCA have been extended in an attempt to catch up with the backlog.
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"With the current catch-up plan, updates on the backlog reduction will be provided as and when significant progress is made," said the Department of Transport.
"However, the backlog reduction is also dependent on the number of orders being received on a daily basis."
As of May 8, 2025, the backlog per province was:
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