A Wheels24 reader says due to unfortunate circumstances, his driving licence card expired in 2015, and he has been unable to renew it until now.
Firstly, your driving licence NEVER expires, so in all honesty, it really doesn't matter if your driving licence card expired a year ago, six years ago, or even fifteen years ago. However, according to law, you need to present a valid driving licence when asked by law officials, and hence it always needs to be with you when driving.
Anyone who tells you to start the process all over whether an official at a driving licence testing centre or anyone else, is misinformed. The only time you will need to do this, is if your driving licence is still in your green ID book, and you've never converted to the card format.
No questions will be asked; if you're in the Western Cape or anywhere else other than Gauteng or the Eastern Cape - which only has two DLTCs (driving licence testing centre) using the online Natis system - you could simply walk in at your nearest driving licence testing centre.
What you'll need:
You'll need to fill in the green form, have your ID card or green ID book with you, along with your proof of address and three ID photos, as you'll need to get a temporary driving licence as well. You won't even need to explain to anyone why your driving licence card has not been renewed. If you have an eye test from an optometrist, you should be able to hand this in without having to do the eye test on-site at the DLTC. However, some centres will insist the eye test should be done at the DLTC.
The cost for a driving licence card renewal in the Western Cape is R140, plus R45 for a temporary driving licence. Please note driving licence card renewals costs vary across the country. If you're based in Gauteng, you would need to book an online slot on the Natis system, which costs R250, excluding temporary driving licence fees. Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal also charge more than R200 for driving licence renewals.
