Motorists who pick up demerit points while holding a learner’s licence will not see those points reduced until they receive a full driver’s licence, the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) has said, underscoring a major consequence of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) regime when the demerit system is activated.
Key rules and current status
The RTIA has published explainer material on how the new system will work. It said demerit points accrued during the period a person holds a learner’s licence will be carried over to the full licence and will place new drivers closer to the 15-point suspension threshold.
“If an infringement occurs while holding a learner’s licence, demerit points will only begin to be reduced once a full driver’s licence has been issued,” the RTIA said.
The agency added that the point demerit system is intended to penalise habitual offenders and to reward compliant road users by reducing points over time.
- Reduction rate: one demerit point is removed every three months if no further contraventions are recorded.
- Suspension threshold: accumulation of 15 demerit points may lead to a temporary suspension of driving privileges.
- Carry-over: points from learner licences transfer to a subsequent full driver’s licence.
Rollout history and uncertainty
The AARTO Act was first introduced in 1998 and trialled in Johannesburg and Pretoria from 2008. The administrative elements of the system were extended to 60 additional municipalities on 1 July 2026. According to RTIA materials, the demerit points element was envisioned for a later phase.
Plans to implement the demerit points system nationally — reported to be scheduled for the third quarter of 2026 (Phase 3) — had not commenced as of mid-October 2026. That leaves the precise start date for demerit-point enforcement uncertain and subject to change.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| AARTO Act | Introduced 1998; trials in 2008 |
| Administrative rollout | Extended to 60 municipalities on 1 July 2026 |
| Demerit reduction | 1 point removed every 3 months without contraventions |
| Suspension threshold | 15 demerit points |
What this means for learner drivers
Under the RTIA explanation, learner drivers who commit infringements will not benefit from a clean slate on receiving a full licence. Points accumulated while learning will count against them once they are fully licensed. The RTIA characterised the point system as both punitive — targeting repeat offenders — and as incentivising compliance by restoring points to zero over time if no new offences occur.
That approach alters the starting position for newly licensed drivers: rather than beginning at zero demerit points, some will already be partway towards the suspension threshold depending on their learner‑period record.
Practical implications and outstanding questions
Road users and driving schools may need to adjust their advice and training to highlight that offences committed during the learner phase have lasting consequences under AARTO.
Key operational details remain unclear and were noted by the RTIA: the full national implementation timetable for the demerit points component is not final and could be delayed. It is also not yet clear how exact administrative processes — such as how points will be recorded, communicated to licence holders, or appealed — will operate in practice once the demerit regime is activated.
Those details will be significant for motorists, learner instructors and employers who operate fleets. For now, drivers should be aware that infringements during the learner phase are likely to follow them into their fully licensed driving careers once the points system is turned on.
