If you own a car, you may have noted that you didn’t get a reminder notice this year about renewing your licence. Have you checked on your windscreen for when your licence expires? Unfortunately, AARTO (Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences) is currently not sending these notices out, which may mean that many people have either forgotten to renew them or may not know how to do it…

But you can’t put it off. It may be one of those things that we dread doing, but it’s part of owning a vehicle and being a responsible citizen. In South Africa, motorists are required by law to renew the licence on their vehicle every year, and it’s your responsibility as the vehicle’s owner to ensure that it’s roadworthy.

Cara Muller from MyBroadband says that a car licence indicates that the car has passed a roadworthy examination and that you have formally gained title ownership of it. You must renew your motor vehicle licence every year before it expires, or you’ll be liable to pay late licencing penalties and arrears.

“You do, however, get a 21-day grace period if you have not renewed the expired motor vehicle licence, calculated from the expiry date of the current licence disc,” says Muller. Here is an outline of what you need to do in order to successfully renew your car licence in South Africa.

Take the following to your nearest licencing department or post office:

• Green barcoded ID book (or new smart card).
• Proof of residential address such as a utility bill. If somebody else's name appears on the bill, the owner of the residential property must attach an affidavit to the utility bill.
• Motor vehicle licence renewal notice (MVL2). If you don’t have the renewal notice, or didn’t receive it in the post, complete the ALV1 (Application for Licensing of Motor Vehicle) form.
• Appropriate licencing fees – generally these are accepted in cash only, so check beforehand.

If you are an organisation, you’ll need to take the following:

• The organisation’s business certificate.
• ID of proxy/representative.
• Letter of proxy.
• Motor vehicle licence renewal notice (MVL2). If you do not have the renewal notice or did not receive it in the post, complete the ALV1 form.
• Appropriate licencing fees – generally these are accepted in cash only, so check beforehand.

For more information on registering or renewing your car licence, please visit the government website. 

Vehicle licence fees vary by province, so take a look here to work out what you’ll need to pay.”

Capetonians can now renew online

Kurt Wyngaard wrote a very helpful blog post on this topic, detailing how Capetonians can now renew their licences online. “The City of Cape Town has found a way to make renewing your car licence easier with their e-Services platform,” he says. “Now you don't have to stand in a long queue, early on a Saturday morning. You can renew your licence online from the comfort of your own home.

All you need to do is:

1. Register on the e-Services website by entering your personal details.
2. Enter your car's details.
3. Make payment using the banking details they send to you via email. You can make a direct deposit at any bank or do an EFT using online banking.
4. After 10 business days, you’ll receive your new car licence in your post box.

If you do choose to stand in the long queue on a Saturday morning, you will need to pay with cash or card. Unfortunately, the traffic department does not accept cheques or IOUs.”

Renewing your car licence is just one of the responsibilities you have as a vehicle owner. Others include always obeying the laws of the road and ensuring that you have adequate Car Insurance to cover the expenses that may arise if something happens to your or someone else’s car.