Got an AARTO Fine? Your Options Explained

This guide is general legal information, not legal advice. For advice on your own situation, consult an attorney, or contact Legal Aid South Africa (0800 110 110) if you cannot afford one. Information last verified on 23 July 2026.

This guide applies to an infringement notice issued under the AARTO system, currently in force in 62 municipalities as of 1 July 2026. An AARTO notice sets out several ways to respond, and choosing the right one, and acting within the deadline, can make a real difference to what you end up paying. This guide sets out each option in the order the process actually follows, from the early payment discount through to the Appeals Tribunal.

Pay Within 32 Days for a 50% Discount

The simplest option is to pay the infringement notice within 32 days of it being served on you. RTIA's own process confirms this brings a 50% discount off the full penalty. This 32 day clock runs from the actual or presumed service of the notice, and presumed service means it continues running even if you do not personally collect the notice from the Post Office, so it is worth checking your status online rather than waiting for a physical copy to arrive.

Pay in Instalments (Form AARTO04)

If you cannot pay the full amount at once, you can apply on form AARTO04 to pay in instalments. The current system allows 6 months to pay penalties up to R750, and 12 months for penalties over R750. Going onto an instalment plan removes the 50% early payment discount. If you try to pay a discounted amount, for example a R750 penalty discounted from R1,500, in instalments, the system reverts to charging the full undiscounted amount.

Nominate the Actual Driver (Form AARTO07)

If the vehicle owner was not the person driving at the time of the infringement, the owner can nominate the actual driver on form AARTO07, shifting the infringement notice to that person. This only works in the direction of an owner nominating a driver. A driver who was stopped at the roadside and personally issued with a notice cannot nominate the vehicle owner instead.

Make a Written Representation (Form AARTO08)

An infringer can make a written representation to the RTIA, which is forwarded to an independent Representations Officer. This is the route for disputing a notice, for example on the facts of the alleged infringement. If the representation is unsuccessful, an additional R200 is added to the full penalty on top of what was already owed, so a representation without a genuine basis carries a real cost if it fails.

The Appeals Tribunal Has Replaced Court Election

Older descriptions of AARTO, including some still published by RTIA itself, describe electing to be tried in court as a standalone option. That is no longer accurate. The AARTO Amendment Act repealed the automatic right to elect trial in court and replaced it with the Appeals Tribunal, an independent body accountable to the Department of Transport. Under the current process, an infringer must first make a representation (form AARTO08); if that representation is unsuccessful, the next step is an application to the Appeals Tribunal (form AARTO10 or AARTO10A), made within 30 days of the unsuccessful representation decision. Only after the Tribunal has ruled can the matter go to a Magistrates' Court, and only by way of review or appeal against the Tribunal's decision, not as a fresh trial.

RTIA's own AARTO process page still lists 'Go To Court' as an option alongside a downloadable AARTO10 poster labelled 'Election to be tried in court,' which is inconsistent with its more detailed FAQ answers describing the Appeals Tribunal as the replacement. This looks like unmaintained copy on the older process page. Follow the more specific, more recently confirmed route: representation first, then the Appeals Tribunal, with Magistrates' Court review or appeal as the final step. Outside the 62 AARTO municipalities, ordinary CPA fines still go through the Magistrates' Court by default; see How Traffic Fines Work in South Africa for that process.

If You Do Nothing: Courtesy Letter and Enforcement Order

Ignoring an AARTO infringement notice does not make it go away. If you take no action within 32 days of service of the notice, RTIA issues a courtesy letter, which removes the 50% discount and adds a R100 fee to the total payable. If you still take no action within 32 days of service of the courtesy letter, RTIA issues an enforcement order. An enforcement order electronically blocks the issuing of documents on NaTIS, meaning no driving licence, professional driving permit, or vehicle licence disc can be issued to you, and it allocates any demerit points recorded against the infringement to your name for whenever the demerit points system comes into force. An enforcement order can only be cleared by paying the full amount, including administrative fees, or through a successful revocation application on form AARTO14.

No Arrest for Non-Payment

An AARTO infringement, on its own, cannot lead to arrest for non-payment. The consequences are the enforcement order and demerit points, not a criminal record or a warrant of arrest. That is different from an actual criminal traffic offence, such as drink driving or reckless or negligent driving, which is prosecuted under the Criminal Procedure Act and can lead to arrest in the ordinary way. For where the demerit points system itself currently stands, see AARTO and the Demerit Points System: What Is Actually in Force. For the wider traffic law picture, see Traffic and Driving Laws in South Africa.