The Department of Transport has officially gazetted a new set of regulations which make provision for expired driving licences to be regarded as valid identification documents in South Africa, provided that motorists comply with clearly defined requirements. This decision comes at a time when the nation continues to grapple with a significant backlog in the production of new cards, a crisis directly linked to the repeated breakdowns of the country’s only licence card printing machine.
Key takeaways
- Expired licences remain valid for three months if renewed on time: Motorists can use their expired licence card as identification during this grace period, provided they carry the renewal receipt.
- Temporary licences are compulsory if renewal is late: Drivers who apply after their licence has already expired must obtain a temporary permit, valid for six months or until the new card is issued.
- Backlog relief is underway but risks persist: While the backlog has been reduced significantly and backup printing capacity is planned, long-term system failures could still trigger widespread non-compliance.
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Details of the Grace Period Arrangement
According to the government notice published on Friday, 26 September 2025, drivers whose licence cards have reached their expiry date are granted a three-month grace window during which the expired card remains legally acceptable. This extension, however, only applies on the condition that the driver can demonstrate they lodged an application for renewal before the card lapsed. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has previously explained that this arrangement is not a fresh concession but has long formed part of the established renewal process, emphasising that timely renewal applications effectively secure a three-month buffer period.
To benefit from this leniency, motorists are required to carry both the expired physical card and the official receipt issued at the licensing office to confirm that a renewal application has indeed been submitted.
A useful tip for drivers is to take both a digital photograph and photocopies of their renewal receipt, as these may serve as additional proof if the original gets lost during travel or roadblocks.
Stricter Rules When Deadlines Are Missed
If a motorist allows their licence to expire before submitting the renewal paperwork, the rules become considerably tougher. In such situations, drivers are compelled to apply for a temporary driving licence at the same time as the renewal. This temporary permit remains valid for six months, or until the new permanent card is produced, whichever comes first. Airlines have also been officially instructed to accept expired licences where these conditions are met, a move aimed at preventing unnecessary disruptions to domestic and international travel for affected South Africans.
Origins of the Backlog
The crisis stems from the ageing state-owned printing equipment responsible for producing driving licence cards. The machine, which has now been in use for more than a quarter of a century, failed in February 2025 and remained non-operational until early May. During this three-month outage, the backlog escalated dramatically, peaking at over 700,000 outstanding cards and leaving many motorists in an uncertain position.
Experts have compared this to a production line collapse at a car factory, where one faulty machine can halt the entire operation, highlighting the dangers of relying on a single point of failure.
By mid-September, officials reported that the backlog had been reduced to 336,028 pending cards, which, while still significant, marked substantial progress compared with the earlier figures. The machine itself has a history of persistent failures, having suffered more than 160 breakdowns during its operational life, each incident plunging the system into further difficulty. For context, the printer is said to be an early model imported from Europe in the late 1990s, and technicians have struggled for years to source spare parts, often scavenging from other decommissioned units abroad.
Current Mitigation Efforts
Since the restoration of the printing machine in May, the Driving Licence Card Authority (DLCA) has instituted 24-hour production shifts in an attempt to restore order. The target is to shrink the backlog to a manageable level before the close of the year. Authorities have expressed cautious optimism that the backlog might be entirely eliminated by December 2025, a timeline that would provide relief to thousands of drivers in time for the busy festive season. Industry insiders suggest that working staff on continuous shifts is not sustainable in the long run, as fatigue and burnout could once again slow production and create another bottleneck.
Plans for Backup Printing Capacity
In an effort to prevent such crippling bottlenecks in the future, the Department of Transport has begun preparing an interim safeguard. In July, Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy revealed that a memorandum of understanding had been signed with the Department of Home Affairs. This agreement sets out a framework for the Government Printing Works, which already produces official documents such as passports and Smart ID cards, to act as a backup facility for driving licence cards. The new system is expected to come online in October, providing additional stability while long-term reforms are under consideration.
Civil Society Concerns About Compliance
Despite these stopgap measures, doubts persist. Civil rights organisation AfriForum has sounded warnings that the ongoing instability of the licence system could eventually undermine compliance levels. The group has pointed to the collapse of other state-mandated schemes, such as the failed e-toll initiative and the widespread disregard for television licence regulations, as examples of what happens when government obligations are perceived as unreasonable or impractical.
AfriForum’s campaign representatives have argued that motorists cannot reasonably be expected to meet renewal deadlines if the state itself cannot provide a consistent and reliable system. The organisation has suggested that driving licence renewals could evolve into another arena of public resistance, with citizens increasingly unwilling to comply in the face of bureaucratic failure. Commentators have warned that such resistance could even inspire broader civil disobedience movements, particularly in areas already struggling with administrative inefficiencies such as healthcare and municipal billing.
Conclusion
Although the gazetted regulations extend some relief to motorists caught in the backlog, especially those requiring valid identification for travel or administrative purposes, the broader structural issues remain unresolved. The interim printing solution may offer temporary stability, but unless a long-term fix is implemented, South Africa risks repeating the cycle of breakdowns, delays, and public frustration. For ordinary motorists, the best advice is to always renew well before the expiry date, keep meticulous records, and follow updates from the Department of Transport closely to avoid last-minute surprises.
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