Book a demo

On the Move · By Jansen Pistorius, co-founder · 12 November 2026 · 4 min read

2.2 million licence discs expire before December: a renewal checklist for fleets

Four dates to track per vehicle and driver: the vehicle licence disc every year with a 21-day grace period; the roadworthy and operator card for heavy vehicles, with the disc; the driver's licence card every 5 years for heavy codes; and the PrDP every 2 years.

In short: 2,248,795 vehicle licence discs expire in November and December 2026. For fleet vehicle licence renewal in South Africa, the costly delay is a blocked renewal: one forgotten unlicensed vehicle, or one AARTO enforcement order, in the company’s name could stop discs being printed for the rest of the fleet. Each vehicle and driver also carries up to four renewal dates on different cycles, which is more than a spreadsheet keeps up with.

Why November and December pile up

The RTMC says 2,248,795 vehicle licence discs expire nationwide in these two months, led by Gauteng (851,687), the Western Cape (374,761) and KwaZulu-Natal (327,014). After a disc’s expiry date there’s a 21-day grace period. After that, a late penalty of 10% of the annual licence fee is added for each month you’re late.

What stops a disc being printed

The RTMC’s bulk renewal portal for fleet owners won’t print a disc if the owner owes licence fees on other unlicensed vehicles, has an enforcement order against its name, or the vehicle needs a roadworthy certificate, among other reasons.

The disc belongs to the owner’s record, and for most fleets that’s the company. So one vehicle nobody renewed last year can hold up every disc in this year’s batch. An unpaid AARTO fine does the same once it becomes an enforcement order: NaTIS then blocks the owner from being issued a driving licence, a PrDP or a vehicle licence disc until it’s paid, according to the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA). Check the AARTO portal and settle any orders before the batch goes in. If you’re looking at how to stop fines reaching that point, see fines management.

Four dates, four different cycles

  • Vehicle licence disc: every year, per vehicle.
  • Roadworthy certificate and operator card: heavy and public-transport vehicles, renewed with the disc.
  • Driver’s licence card: every 5 years for the heavy codes, per driver.
  • Professional driving permit (PrDP): every 2 years, per driver.

Why a spreadsheet loses track

Two of the dates belong to the vehicle and two belong to the driver, so they run on different calendars. When a driver moves to another vehicle, their licence and PrDP dates have to move with them, and in a spreadsheet that means someone remembering to update another row.

A spreadsheet also doesn’t warn anyone. Someone has to open it, sort it and notice that a date is close, usually in the busiest weeks of the year. The vehicle that blocks the batch can be the one standing in the yard, still in the company’s name and no longer on anyone’s list. And when the person who keeps the file goes on leave in December, so does the knowledge of what’s due.

How a system keeps track

A renewal dates table for one depot: each vehicle's fleet number, registration and linked driver, with its licence disc, roadworthy and operator card, driver's licence card and PrDP dates. Green dates are current, amber ones show the days left, and red ones show how long ago they expired and how much grace period is left.
Every vehicle with all four renewal dates in one table. Fictional data.

In Simply Fleet, the licence disc is stored on the vehicle’s record in the asset register, and driver’s licences and PrDPs on the driver’s record, each with a reminder before it expires. Scanning the disc fills in the vehicle’s details, including the licence expiry date. The system emails the right people when a date is close, and a branch raises the renewal as a request that goes straight to the right approver.

So the renewal list is the table above, already sorted by what’s due. Nobody has to build it in November.

Renewal checklist

  1. List every vehicle in the company’s name with its disc expiry date, including the ones in the yard.
  2. Pay any unlicensed vehicles in the same batch.
  3. Check the AARTO portal and settle enforcement orders first.
  4. Book roadworthy tests for the vehicles that need one to renew.
  5. Renew online or through the bulk portal, and allow 3 to 5 working days for delivery.
  6. Check each driver’s licence card and PrDP expiry.
  7. Record each new expiry date and a copy of the disc on the vehicle record.

To see your own renewal dates in one table, book a demo. Comparing systems? Our guide to choosing fleet management software has ten questions to ask any supplier.

Sources

  1. RTMC figures via Gauteng News Agency, 27 October 2026: over 2.2 million vehicle licences set to expire
  2. gov.za: Renew a motor vehicle licence
  3. Focus on Transport: Grace period for heavy motor vehicle licences (National Road Traffic Regulations 23(3), 145(2) and 267(7))
  4. The Citizen: Will your disc or driving licence still be valid?
  5. RTMC: NaTIS online bulk renewals and its FAQ, read 9 November 2026
  6. RTIA: AARTO FAQ
  7. Western Cape Government: Proposed changes to driving licence regulations

More from On the Move: How to cut fleet costs without compromising efficiency · The importance of data-driven decisions in fleet management

See it with your own fleet.

Book a demo and we’ll show you Simply Fleet working around your operation.

Book a demo hello@simplyfleet.co.za