This article contains information on how to do your license disc renewal in South Africa in 2024.
Renewal of a car license is very important and compulsory for drivers who have gone through the
teaching of a
driving instructor, as it indicates that the car has passed a roadworthy examination and that you have formally gained title ownership of it. As a car owner, license disc renewal must be done annually before it expires. Failure to renew your licence, you will be liable to pay late licensing penalties and arrears.
Fortunately, you are given a 21-day grace period if you have not renewed the expired motor vehicle licence. However, the grace period is calculated from the expiry date of the current licence disc. The issue is that many people don’t even know where to begin when it comes to license renewal resulting from either expiration, misplacement or whatsoever reason.
Renewing a vehicle licence disc can be dreadful and frustrating, due to long queues of people lining-up at traffic departments, but no matter how frustrating it is, it is mandatory.
The grace period is calculated from the expiry date of the current licence disc.
HOW TO GO ABOUT THE LICENSE DISC RENEWAL
License disc renewal is not the same for all cars. Irrespective of that, apart from going to the license office which can be very stressful due to the long queue, different online means have been devised.
Bi-annual motor vehicle licence renewal
Licences for buses must be renewed every six months because their certification of road worthiness is valid for six months only.
If your vehicle is used for public transport or is a heavy load motor vehicle, Go to your nearest registering authority or post office that issues motor vehicle licences to obtain a road worthiness certificate. You will however, be required to go with the following:
- Your identity document
- Proof of residential address e.g. utility account. If the utility bill is not in your name, the owner of the bill must make an affidavit declaring that you live at the address and the utility bill must be attached to the affidavit.
- If you stay at an informal settlement, you must bring a letter with an official date stamp from the ward councillor confirming your residential address
- Motor vehicle licence renewal notice (MVL2).
In a situation where you did not receive a renewal notice, you will need to complete form ALV (Application for Licensing of Motor Vehicle)
For a vehicle registered in an organisation or company’s name
You’re required to go with the following:
- Business certificate of the organisation or company
- Identity document of proxy
- letter of proxy
- motor vehicle licence renewal notice (MVL2). If you did not receive a renewal notice, complete an Application for Licensing of Motor Vehicle form (ALV).
1. THROUGH RENEWONLINE
To make the process considerably easier, Renewonline offers South African citizens and businesses the option to renew their vehicle licence discs online. There are other companies involved in online renewal in South Africa but Renewonline is the most affordable online renewal company in the market and delivers vehicle licence discs faster than any other online licence renewal company.
Also, while other renewal companies charge delivery fee per licence, Renewonline charges one delivery fee. This means that you can renew more than one vehicle at the same time and get to pay only one delivery fee.
With renewonline, no form of paperwork is involved in the process. This means that every part of the short 3-step renewal process is done online saving you time and money. Once the request for
renewal has been processed, the renewed licence disc will be delivered to your door anywhere in the country in only 48 hours.
For Individuals that may wish to renew at a physical point of contact, Renewonline also offers the option to do so at various retailers across the country. These retailers include selected Spar stores, PostNet outlets, Safari Outdoor outlets, Family Pet Centre outlets and Pick‘n Pay outlets.
Renewonline also offers renewals for companies that have a whole fleet of vehicles, allowing companies to renew their entire fleet at once.
2. THROUGH CAPE TOWN’S E-SERVICE PLATFORM
The City of Cape Town has found a way to make renewing car licence easier with their e-Services platform.
Process Involved:
- Register on the e-Services website by entering your personal details.
- Enter your car’s details.
- Make payment using the banking details provided via email. Also, you can make a direct deposit at any bank or do an EFT using online banking.
- Once you complete these processes you’ll receive your new car licence in your post box after 10 business days.
3. THROUGH CHATBACK
This is a new online service that allows South African car owners to renew their car licence on WhatsApp using a few simple steps.
How To Use This Medium:
You can either scan the QR code on the website, SMS the word “renew” to 44155 or add ChatBack to your contacts and WhatsApp them on 066-202-6685 to sign up and get started.
After that, you will be prompted to follow the steps below:
- Submit your vehicle registration number
- Get a quote and make payment via PayFast
- Specify your delivery address and attach a copy or photo of your ID document and proof of residence.
- Check the status of your licence renewal by sending “status” to the ChatBack WhatsApp number
After completing the necessary processes, you will have to wait for the application to be processed. The application is processed on the same day.
It has been identified that many people tend to misplace license disc for drivers license. They are not the same thing but that not withsti, renewal of both is very important as a car owner.
Before now, drivers license is usually valid for 5 years before expiration. To be on the safe side and save cost, licence must be renewed at least four weeks before it expires. You will find the expiry date on the driver’s licence. If you’ve left it late and your licence has already expired or is close to expiring, you’ll need to apply for a temporary driving licence as well, which is an added expense.
REQUIREMENTS AT THE DRIVING LICENSE TESTING CENTRE
If your driver’s licence is still valid but expiring soon, you will need:
- Your South African ID book, temporary ID certificate or passport.
- Your current driver’s licence card.
- A copy of your identification document.
- Two black-and-white or colour ID-sized photograph
- The renewal fee in cash (there are no card machines at the centres).
- Proof of residence
If your driver’s licence has already expired you will need:
- Your South African ID book, temporary ID certificate or passport.
- A copy of your identification document.
- Your current driver’s licence card.
- Two black-and-white or colour ID-sized photographs
- The renewal fee in cash
- Proof of residence
- Extra money to apply for a temporary driver’s licence which will fill the gap and give you legal permission to drive until your renewed permit is ready to be collected. The temporary license is valid for only six months.
If your driver’s licence has been misplaced or stolen:
- You will need all of the above excluding current licence card.
- An affidavit from the police stating that your licence card was lost or stolen.
RENEWAL OF DRIVER’S LICENCE AT THE DRIVING LICENCE TESTING CENTRE:
- Ask for DL1 application form at the ‘Enquiries Counter’ and fill all the necessary sections out at the centre.
- Join the queue in the waiting room for eye tests. You can also choose to visit an optometrist before the time to have your eyesight tested. Just remember to bring along the certificate issued by the optometrist.
- If you pass the eye test, a staff member will scan your fingerprints and put it on the system.
- Make the necessary payment at the designated point.
On completion of the necessary processes, you are required to wait for till you receive a notification for collection. It usually takes about 6-8 weeks for a new driver’s licence to be processed. However, if you do not hear anything after 8 weeks, call the centre and follow up.
Tips to consider when renewing your South African driver’s licence:
- Give yourself enough time to complete the whole application process and be prepared to wait in queues which can take up to five hours.
- Arrive early in the morning to dodge the long lines.
- To be on the safe side bring a pen to fill out your DL1 form.
- When you collect your renewed card, be sure to check that it is, in fact, yours and that all the details are correct to avoid the frustration.
Renewing a license disc is not difficult except for the long queues encountered. This is why online avenues have been created to reduce the stress and pressure. While license disc is renewed every annually, drivers license is renewed every five years but is on the verge of been extended to ten years validity.
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