Transport & Vehicles
Temporary driver's licences, motor vehicle permits, special vehicle authorisations and public transport operating licences — explained in plain English.
- Temporary Driver's Licence in South Africa
A temporary driving licence keeps you legal on the road while you wait for your new or renewed card. It is issued at the Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) when you apply for a card renewal or replacement, and is valid for six months.
View requirements - Temporary Motor Vehicle Permit (Licence Disc) in South Africa
A temporary motor vehicle permit lets you legally move an unregistered, unlicensed or deregistered vehicle on public roads — for example driving a newly bought unregistered car home, or taking a vehicle to a roadworthy test. It is issued at registering authorities and is valid for 21 days.
View requirements - Special Motor Vehicle Permit (Abnormal Loads)
Abnormal load and special vehicle permits allow vehicles that exceed legal dimension or mass limits — cranes, mining equipment, transformers, prefabricated structures — to travel on public roads under the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 and its abnormal load regulations.
View requirements - Temporary Public Transport Operating Licence
Carrying passengers for reward — minibus taxi, bus, shuttle, tourist transport or charter — requires an operating licence under the National Land Transport Act 5 of 2009. Short-term and once-off needs are covered by temporary operating licences issued by the provincial regulatory entity or the municipal licensing authority.
View requirements