You must renew your driver's licence four weeks before its expiry date.
Elderly drivers or drivers who are older than 70 years old will face the same requirements when applying or renewing their driver’s licences.
This was confirmed to The Citizen by the Department of Transport on Monday.
The clarification follows reports on various platforms that senior drivers in the country will face new licence requirements from January 2026.
New regulations for the elderly?
“Transport authorities have introduced more rigorous renewal procedures to ensure that senior motorists remain fit to drive safely. These changes seek to maintain road safety while preserving the independence and mobility of elderly citizens.
“Anyone who is 70 years old or older must renew their licence before the deadline to prevent losing their driving privileges or facing penalties. The updated system now requires drivers to complete extra medical assessments during the renewal process,” one online report claimed.
ALSO READ: I renewed my driving licence, it was a breeze and stress-free
Not true
However, Transport Department and Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy’s spokesperson Collen Misibi told The Citizen, this is not true.
“I’m not aware of any [new regulations] or different categories in terms of older and younger people, in our legislation. So I think what applies to young people also applies to older people. So when you renew your licence, you have to do the eye test and so forth. So, I haven’t seen any new regulations; there isn’t any new regulation.”
Precautions
Msibi urged South Africans to take precautions against fake news about the so-called new regulations for driver’s licences for the elderly.
“It’s definitely fake news. I think I saw that thing last year as well, something that was circulating in the United States. We don’t have new sets of regulations for older citizens. So the law is the same for everyone.
“And just to warn people about fake news. In some cases, you’d find an article that only applies in another country, but when people read it, they think it’s in South Africa. There is something like that circulating,” Msibi said.
Renewals
According to South African government regulations, you must renew your driver’s licence card four weeks before its expiry date.
If you renew it after the expiry date, you will have to apply for a temporary driving licence at an additional cost while waiting for your driver’s licence to be issued.
Requirements
- You will not be required to take a driving test when you renew your driver’s licence.
- You will undergo eye testing and have your fingerprints taken.
- Alternatively, you can have your eyes tested by an optometrist and submit the report at the driving licence testing centre (DLTC).
- If your sight has worsened from the date on which your licence was issued, new conditions will be attached to your licence.
Your new driver’s licence will be ready in about four to six weeks.
Contact your local licensing office to find out how much the renewal costs.
ALSO READ: Driver’s licence expired while printing machine is broken? Here’s what you should do
