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Most motorists can identify with that sinking feeling you get when you’re pulled over in a roadblock and asked to produce your driver’s licence card, only to realise that you forgot to renew it.

In this situation, you’ll almost certainly drive away with a fine.

The problem is that the actual legislation surrounding expired licence cards is a bit murky.

A visit to the South African Government’s website makes it clear that you need to renew “your driving licence card four weeks before its expiry date”, failing which you will have to apply for a temporary driving licence at an additional cost while waiting for your driving licence to be issued.

There’s nothing murky about that.

At the same time, Wheels24’s Janine Van der Post writes that many South Africans are “unaware that when your driver’s licence [card] expires, it does not mean that your licence has expired too”.

There is no legal requirement which compels motorists to renew their driving licence cards. Yet countless drivers have been fined for driving with an expired licence card.

However, if you are caught without a driver’s licence card on your person, officials should then duly give a fine…

Whether your driver’s licence card expired fives years ago, five months ago, or even last week, there is no penalty, and you’ll pay the same amount to renew your licence card for R160 (prices might vary in provinces) and pay an additional R45 for a temporary licence.

The National Road Traffic Act (NRTA) 93 of 1996 states that “the period of validity of a driving licence shall be indefinite unless such a licence has been suspended or cancelled in terms of the Act”.

In other words, the only way that a licence can be suspended is if you violate the law.

However, as Jakkie Olivier, chief executive of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) told IOL last year, “the confusion is created by the fact that the NRTA does not seem to clearly differentiate between a driving licence and a driving licence card”.

Van der Post says that whether your licence expired today or five years ago, it’s still valid.

There are a few things that you should keep in mind, though.

Firstly, depending on your insurance provider, some will refuse to pay out a stolen vehicle or accident claim if your licence card has expired, so you might want to check your policy very carefully.

We’re living in risky times, and the prospect of standing in a long line to get your licence renewed is daunting, and not ideal during a pandemic.

But for now, it looks like law enforcement and official government websites are pushing for renewals, so it’s probably better to be safe than sorry.

If you’re keen to take a closer look at the law, give the NRTA a read.

[sources:sagov&wheels24&iol]