Learner's Licence in South Africa: Age, Test and Driving Rules

A learner's licence is the provisional licence every new driver needs before taking a driving test in South Africa. The rules come from the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 and its regulations, but booking and fees are handled by provinces and municipalities, so what you see at your testing centre can differ from what you read online.

This guide sets out the national rules first, then flags where provincial pages differ. Dates and figures are as of 25 October 2026.

Minimum Ages by Licence Code

Section 15(1)(a) of the National Road Traffic Act disqualifies a person from obtaining a learner's or driving licence below set ages. The national government's learner's licence page groups these into three learner codes and says the age applies on the date of the test.

So a 17-year-old can get a learner's licence for an ordinary car and practise under supervision, but cannot be issued a driving licence for that car until 18. The Act's 125 cc rule covers "any licence", so a driving licence for a small motorcycle is also available from 16.

Provincial pages vary. The Western Cape Government's learner's licence page uses the newer letter codes (A1, A, B, EB, C1, C, EC1 and EC) and lists a minimum age of 18 for Code B, the ordinary car code. That conflicts with the Act, which sets 17 for a light motor vehicle learner's licence. Eighteen is the Act's age for the Code B driving licence, not the learner's licence.

The Act also disqualifies people in other situations, whatever their age. These include anyone whose licence a court has suspended or cancelled, or who has been declared disqualified, while that order runs, and anyone with certain conditions such as uncontrolled epilepsy, uncontrolled diabetes or vision below the prescribed standard. Deafness on its own is not a disqualifying defect (section 15(1)(f)).

How Long a Learner's Licence Lasts

The national government's service page states: "The learner's licence is valid for 24 months and cannot be extended."

The original regulations set 18 months from the date of the test. Government Notice 134 in Government Gazette 32959 of 17 February 2010 extended that to 24 months. Some older official pages still mention 18 months or one and a half years; they have not caught up with the change.

Because the licence cannot be extended, plan your driving lessons and book your driving test well before the 24 months run out.

The Learner's Licence Test

Under the National Road Traffic Regulations, the examiner must be satisfied that you know and understand three things: the rules of the road, the road traffic signs, and the controls of a vehicle of the class you are applying for. The regulations allow the test to be written on the official test form or taken as an approved electronic test. An oral test is allowed only for an applicant who is illiterate, and only with the permission of the provincial MEC.

The test is now computerised. The Western Cape says all its learner's licence tests run on the Computerised Learners Licence Testing (CLLT) system. SAnews, the government news agency, reported that the computerised system was introduced in 2021 and that the national pass rate then dropped sharply, from 68% to 40%.

Pass marks

The national minimum requirements for driving licence testing centres (Notice R.93 of 7 April 2006, which finalised a 2005 draft) say at paragraph 5.4: "The applicant must obtain a minimum mark of: (a) 22 out of 28 for the rules of the road; (b) 23 out of 28 for road traffic signs; and (c) 6 out of 8 for the controls of the vehicle."

You need to reach the minimum in each part, not just an overall total. We did not find a later notice changing these marks.

Number of questions

Notice R.93 of 2006 scores the sections out of 28, 28 and 8. We could not confirm from a current primary source whether the computerised test still uses those totals, so ask your testing centre what the current test contains.

According to the national government's page, if you pass and pay the issue fee, the learner's licence is issued on the same day.

Booking the Test and What to Bring

Section 17(1) of the Act says a person who wants a learner's licence "shall in person apply therefor in the prescribed manner to an appropriately graded driving licence testing centre". The National Road Traffic Amendment Act 8 of 2024 would remove the words "in person", but as of SAFLII's consolidation (last checked October 2025) that amendment had not been brought into force.

How booking works in practice depends on where you live:

• Gauteng: the national government's page says "All Gauteng residents should apply online for their learners licence" through online.natis.gov.za.
• Western Cape: the provincial page says to visit your nearest driving licence testing centre, submit your documents, complete the LL1 form and pay the fee, after which you are given a test date. It says appointments may be cancelled only for illness, a funeral or exams (with proof), and that the fee is not refunded if you cancel.
• Other provinces: the national page tells applicants to go to their nearest driving licence testing centre to book and confirm a test date. Check your provincial transport department or municipal testing centre for any online option.

The national government's page lists what to take:

• your identity document;
• two identical ID photographs (confirm with the centre how many it needs);
• the booking fee;
• proof of residential and postal address, such as a utility account (if the account is not in your name, the account holder must make an affidavit that you live there, with the bill attached; residents of an informal settlement can bring a date-stamped letter from the ward councillor);
• the application for a learner's licence form (LL1), available at the centre; and
• a medical certificate form (MC) if you are 65 or older.

You will also need an eye test, either at the testing centre or by an optometrist whose form you hand in. The Western Cape adds that applicants under 18 need an adult they live with to confirm their address in an affidavit, signed and stamped at a SAPS office or by a Commissioner of Oaths.

Fees

The regulations leave learner's licence fees to the MEC of each province, and the national government's page simply says to contact your local licensing office for the cost.

As an example, as of 25 October 2026 the Western Cape Government lists:

The Western Cape notes that fees are subject to change. Other provinces set their own amounts.

Driving on a Learner's Licence: The Supervision Rules

The National Road Traffic Regulations set the core rule. A learner's licence holder "shall, except where such licence relates to a motor vehicle having no seating accommodation for a passenger or to a motor cycle, when driving the vehicle concerned, be accompanied in or on that vehicle by, and be under the direct personal supervision of a person seated next to him or her, or immediately behind him or her, where such person cannot be seated next to him or her, and who is in possession of a licence, other than a learner's or similar licence, authorising him or her to drive that class of motor vehicle."

In plain terms:

• The supervisor must hold a full licence, not a learner's licence, for the same class of vehicle.
• The supervisor sits next to you, or immediately behind you if that is not possible, and must actually supervise.
• Motorcycle learners do not need a supervisor on board, but the regulations say a motorcycle learner's licence does not allow you to ride on a public road "while carrying another person".
• No paying passengers: a learner's licence does not authorise carrying persons for reward, apart from the supervising driver.
• Vehicles that need a professional driving permit: the national government's page says the supervising driver must also hold a professional driving permit. Section 32(1) of the Act lets a learner drive such a vehicle without a permit only while accompanied by a person registered as a professional driver for that class.

The ordinary rules of the road apply to learners too, including the alcohol limits explained in our guide to drunk driving in South Africa. A court that convicts someone of drink driving can also disqualify a person who has no licence from obtaining a learner's licence.

After the Learner's Licence: The Driving Licence Test

Section 13 of the Act says no one may be examined or tested for a driving licence unless they hold a learner's licence. The minimum age for a driving licence for a light motor vehicle is 18 (section 15(1)(a)(iii)), and 16 for a motorcycle of up to 125 cc.

The practical driving test is also booked through a driving licence testing centre. K53 is the name of the driving test system; it is not the learner's test, which is the theory test on rules, signs and controls described above.

Related Pages

For the wider picture of how traffic offences are handled, see the South Africa traffic laws section and our guide to traffic fines. If you are wondering where AARTO demerit points stand, the AARTO demerit system page explains the rollout. For other areas of South African law, start at the South Africa legal guide.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a learner's licence at 16 in South Africa?

Only for a motorcycle, motor tricycle or quadrucycle with an engine of up to 125 cc, or one that is electrically powered. For a light motor vehicle such as an ordinary car, the minimum age for a learner's licence is 17, and for larger motorcycles and heavier vehicles it is 18 (National Road Traffic Act, section 15(1)(a)). The national government's page says the age applies on the date of the test.

Is the minimum age for a Code B learner's licence 17 or 18?

The Act sets 17 for a learner's licence for a light motor vehicle of up to 3,500 kg, and the national government's service page says the same for its Code 2. The Western Cape Government's page lists 18 for Code B, which conflicts with the Act; 18 is the Act's minimum age for the driving licence in that class. Follow the Act, and if a testing centre turns you away, ask which provision it relies on.

How long is a learner's licence valid?

24 months, and it cannot be extended, according to the national government's service page. Earlier regulations set 18 months from the date of the test; a 2010 Government Gazette notice (Notice 134, Gazette 32959) extended it to 24 months.

What is the pass mark for the learner's licence test?

Notice R.93 of 2006 sets minimum marks of 22 out of 28 for the rules of the road, 23 out of 28 for road traffic signs and 6 out of 8 for the controls of the vehicle. We did not find a later notice changing these marks, so confirm with your testing centre.

Can I drive alone on a learner's licence?

Not in a car. A learner's licence holder must be accompanied by, and under the direct personal supervision of, a person seated next to them (or immediately behind, if that is not possible) who holds a full licence for that class of vehicle. A motorcycle learner rides without a supervisor on board but may not carry another person. No learner may carry passengers for reward.

Can my parent supervise me while I learn to drive?

Yes, if your parent holds a driving licence (not a learner's licence) for the class of vehicle you are driving and sits next to you. If the vehicle is one that needs a professional driving permit, the supervising driver must also hold a professional driving permit for that class.

Can I book my learner's licence test online?

The national government's service page tells Gauteng residents to apply online through online.natis.gov.za. Other official pages, such as the Western Cape's, describe booking in person at a driving licence testing centre. Check your own provincial or municipal testing centre before you go.

How much does a learner's licence cost?

There is no single national fee: the regulations leave it to each province. As an example, the Western Cape Government lists R68 for the test or application and R33 for issuing the licence after you pass, as of 25 October 2026, and says fees are subject to change.