Good news for SA drivers: Aarto rollout wipes all licence penalty points
Key topics:
All motorists start with zero demerit points under Aarto system.
Outstanding CPA fines must be cleared before Aarto goes live.
RTIA warns of fraudulent traffic fine emails; verify before paying.
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The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) states that all motorists will begin with no demerit points on their licence when the new Aarto system goes live.
However, it has warned that outstanding fines under the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) must be cleared to avoid extra penalties. This is according to a series of social media posts from the organisation.
“Everyone gets zero points to start. Rack up 15 points, and your licence is suspended for three months. Do that three times, and your licence isn’t suspended, it’s cancelled,” it said.
It added that motorists whose licences are cancelled under the Administrative Adjudication of Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act will have to redo their learner’s licence and driving licence tests.
“Existing fines don’t vanish. You’ll still need to clear any outstanding fines before the system goes live in 2026 or risk extra penalties,” the RTIA said.
RTIA spokesperson Monde Mkalipi told MyBroadband that all infringements committed before Aarto is fully implemented will be handled in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act.
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“The expectation is that such CPA infringements/violations should be cleared within a two-year period after the Aarto Act has come into effect in the proclaimed jurisdictions,” he said.
Those concerned about whether unpaid CPA fines will result in demerit points being added to their licence when the system goes live need not worry.
“No demerit points will be allocated on infringements committed during the CPA regime. Demerit points will only be allocated to infringements committed during the Aarto period,” said Mkalipi.
“Demerit points will come into effect on the day on which the President proclaims demerit points to come into effect.”
The RTIA gave a brief explanation of how motorists will accumulate demerit points once the system goes live.
Starting with no demerit points, motorists can incur up to six demerit points per offence, depending on the severity of the infringement.
“2 to 4 points for more serious violations such as running a red light or moderate speeding,” it said.
The RTIA added that motorists travelling 21 to 25km/h above the speed limit will receive two demerit points if caught, while those going 30 to 35km/h over the limit will receive four demerit points.
“Six points for the most dangerous offences, like driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” it said.
Beware Aarto traffic fine scams
The RTIA has issued several warnings regarding fraudulent traffic fine notifications being sent to motorists in Johannesburg and Tshwane.
In its latest update, it explained that the electronic servicing of Aarto documents had not yet received the legal go-ahead, and any emails demanding payment for traffic fines are fraudulent.
Mkalipi urges motorists to ignore such emails and verify the communication with the RTIA. He added that there is a trend of these fraudulent emails being sent after office hours and on weekends.
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“The threatening emails that are being sent out to road users are illegal, demanding payments for traffic fines,” he told MyBroadband.
“Road users are urged to ignore these emails. No law is currently in place in South Africa stating that Aarto traffic fines should be served in this manner.”
Mkalipi warned that motorists must verify traffic infringement notices with the RTIA before clicking on any links or responding to them.
“Currently, Aarto infringements are only served through personal means or registered mail,” he added.
His warnings echoed the RTIA’s recent social media posts warning of fraudulent traffic fine notifications doing the rounds. Its warnings focused on after-hours emails.
The RTIA describes itself as the home of Aarto in South Africa, and the Act, excluding its demerit point system, is currently in effect in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
This article was first published by MyBroadband and is republished with permission