Is your car's license about to expire? Are you dreading the trip to your nearlest Driver's License Testing Centre, where you may have to queue for hours? Here's the good news:Taking the day off to run this errand is no longer a must to get your car's license renewed. Let's take a look at a few other options.
Related: How to replace a lost or damaged driver's license
1. Pay your car license disc renewal at participating post offices
Renewing at the good old Post Office will cost you only R147 in admin fees, including delivery, making it one of the cheapest options, but remember that this excludes the cost of the actual license disc for your specific vehicle. And not all post offices offer this service. (Find out here how much your specific car's license will cost in each province.)
Click the link in the heading above for a list of participating post offices (and their contact numbers) in Gauteng, KZN, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and North West. You can also call 0860 111 502 to find the Post Office closest to you that offers this service.
Related: Can you keep the car's license plates when you sell it?
What do you need to take along?
For all renewals at the Post Office or DLTC, take the following with you: The MVL2 renewal form, your ID (plus a copy of your ID), a proof of address, and the required fees.
Confused about how much it will cost for your specific vehicle? Find vehicle licensing fees for your vehicle, here.
This link from the South African government website tells you everything you need to know about renewing your car license.
2. Renew your license disc via payCity
This is also a quick and easy way and it takes around 6 minutes to complete online. You'll have to wait for about 5 to 12 business days to receive the new disc if your application was a success. But: PayCity applications are only accepted in Gauteng, Cape Town (metro only), Free State, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, KZN, and North West.
If your car is heavier than 3500 kg or your license is expired for more than 12 months, they can't help.
Cost: From R113.85
3. Get your license disc renewed online and pick up at your local grocery shop (it's cheap!)
Motorists can now renew their vehicle licence online for a discounted fee of only R185 and pay either online or in-person at the Money Market counter in any Shoprite, Checkers and Usave stores nationwide. It's one of the cheapest ways to get your license renewed: Click here for more details and to apply online!
Pick 'n Pay also offers this service, but it's not cheap at R349 which consists of R99 delivery fee and R250 admin cost.
Spar can also help, but they don't offer online applications. They charge R199.
3. Renew your car license disc online via City of Cape Town's website
Do you reside in the Western Cape? As per the Western Cape Government, you can also renew your license via the City of Cape Town’s website.
- Go to e-services.
- Under the Motor Vehicle Licensing tab, click on ‘register’ (for new applicants) or ‘login’ (for those already registered for e-Services).
- You will be prompted to complete an online registration form and will be required to upload the necessary documents.
The application process takes three working days for new applicants and two working days for applicants who are already registered. You should receive your license within 14 working days.
Related: Do you have to register and license a car as soon as you buy it?
3. Renew it online from anywhere in SA, Use renewonline.co.za
It was only a matter of time until someone realised that there's money to be made by offering renewal services online. Renewonline charges a R95 admin fee as well as an additional R115 delivery fee over and above your yearly license fee, which is determined by the category, tare weight and the expiry date on your previous disc. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks relatively straightforward, and it's not expensive. However: It's only available in Gauteng and Limpopo.
4. Use ChatBack on Whatsapp via licenserenewal.co.za
This handy license renewal website is your one-stop license disc-renewal shop! It lists the above-mentioned post offices, what you'll need, forms to download, and tells you how much your car 's license will cost in each province. It even covers private sale licensing!
To renew your license, make use of ChatBack via Whatsapp. They charge a fixed service fee of R300 which excludes the courier fee, vehicle license, as well as the R72 eNatis fee. You can also just SMS the word Renew to 44155 for more info.
5. FNB offers an online car license disc renewal service
This enables users to easily renew their license disc by scanning the license disc with their phone and paying for it via the app. The disc can then be delivered to the user’s door (or to a dependent’s). One banking app that offers this service is the FNB Nav app. Or go the Nedbank Website here for more details.
The charge for this service is an affordable R171, including delivery, but this is only for those residing in the metros of Gauteng and Cape Town.
Important points to remember:
You must renew your motor vehicle licence every year before it expires. If you fail to renew your licence, you will be liable to pay late licensing penalties and arrears.
You get a 21-day grace period if you have not renewed the expired motor vehicle licence. The grace period is calculated from the expiry date of the current licence disc.
Bi-annual motor vehicle licence renewal: Licences for buses must be renewed every six months because their certification of roadworthiness is valid for six months only. - South African Government
Selling your car? Try our new Instant Offer tool!
With the launch of our brand-new Instant Offer tool, AutoTrader has made it simpler than ever to sell your car. You will receive a market-driven assessment for your vehicle after completing this straightforward 3-step process, and you will receive a cash offer within hours - safely, easily, and with complete peace of mind.
