PRETORIA, Sunday 11 October 2026 — South Africa’s Department of Transport has announced proposed amendments to national road traffic regulations that would prevent driving licences, learner’s licences and Traffic Register Number certificates from being accepted as general identification documents.
The department announced the proposed changes on Sunday, saying they were intended to address the misuse of road traffic documents and strengthen compliance with South Africa’s identification legislation.
If implemented, the amendments would affect identification procedures at institutions including banks, airports, offices and residential estates.
The department has emphasised that the proposals are not yet in force and will be subject to public consultation before final regulations are introduced.
Government seeks to close identification loopholes
The proposed amendments follow an investigation conducted by the Department of Transport and the Department of Home Affairs in 2023.
According to Transport Department spokesperson Collen Msibi, the investigation identified widespread misuse of Traffic Register Numbers and other road traffic documents as general identification.
Traffic Register Numbers, commonly referred to as TRNs, were introduced to allow people without South African identity numbers to conduct transactions on the National Traffic Information System, known as NaTIS.
The system enables qualifying individuals to register vehicles and complete other road traffic transactions while addressing their immigration documentation requirements.
However, the department said the documents were never intended to replace identification issued by Home Affairs.
The proposed amendments seek to clarify their legal purpose and prevent institutions from treating them as equivalent to official identity documents.
Driving licences would no longer serve as general proof of identity
Under the proposed changes, the definition of acceptable identification in the National Road Traffic Regulations would be amended.
Traffic Register Number certificates, learner’s licences and driving licences would no longer be recognised as general identification documents.
The department said the documents would remain valid for their intended road traffic purposes.
However, institutions currently accepting them as general identification would need to review their procedures once the amendments take effect.
The proposed restrictions would affect organisations including banks, Airports Company South Africa, offices and residential estates.
The department said the changes would align road traffic legislation with the Identification Act, which gives Home Affairs responsibility for maintaining the National Population Register and issuing official identification documents.
Changes proposed for foreign nationals
The proposed amendments would also introduce stricter identification requirements for people who are not permanent residents of South Africa.
Under the revised framework, acceptable identification for these individuals would include a valid passport issued by their country of origin, accompanied by the relevant permit issued under the Immigration Act.
The department also intends strengthening controls governing the validity and use of Traffic Register Numbers.
A TRN would remain valid only for the period covered by the passport and immigration permit used when obtaining it.
People who subsequently obtain another acceptable form of identification would be required to notify the relevant registering authority within 21 days and surrender their TRN certificates.
Existing TRN holders whose certificates do not reflect an expiry date would have three months after the regulations commence to apply for replacement certificates.
Provinces instructed to centralise TRN issuing
While the proposed amendments are being prepared, the department has instructed provinces to centralise the issuing of Traffic Register Numbers at provincial help desks.
The measure is intended to strengthen administrative oversight and reduce opportunities for misuse.
The department said the changes would also improve the ability of authorities to verify documents and ensure that road traffic records correspond with valid identification and immigration information.
The measures form part of broader efforts to improve co-ordination between Transport and Home Affairs.
Public consultation to follow
The Department of Transport intends publishing the proposed amendments in the Government Gazette.
Interested parties, businesses and affected institutions will have 30 days from the date of publication to submit written comments.
The department said submissions would be considered before the final regulations are adopted.
A commencement date will be announced when the final amendments are published.
Until then, the proposed restrictions should not be treated as an immediate change to existing identification requirements.
Next steps
The next stage will be the publication of the draft amendments for public comment.
Businesses and institutions that currently accept driving licences or Traffic Register Number certificates as general identification may need to assess how the proposed changes would affect their verification procedures.
The department must also finalise transitional arrangements for existing TRN holders.
The final regulations will determine when the new identification requirements become enforceable and how affected institutions must implement them.
