Government30 October 2026

Your driving licence may soon stop counting as ID. Here's what changes

Transport plans to stop driving licences, learner's licences and TRN certificates being used as general ID. Here's what it means for banks, foreign nationals and voting on 4 November.

By Reported Team

Specimen of the South African smart ID card issued by Home Affairs — Specimen image: Department of Home Affairs, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Your driving licence could soon stop counting as proof of who you are. The Department of Transport plans to change the National Road Traffic Regulations so that driving licences, learner's licences and Traffic Register Number (TRN) certificates can no longer be used as general identification (SAnews).

The change is not law yet. The draft still has to go out for public comment, and only after that will the final rules be published with a start date (SA Trucker). Your licence stays valid for driving either way.

Why is government doing this?

A 2023 investigation, in which Transport helped Home Affairs, found widespread misuse of TRNs and other traffic documents as ID (SAnews). Some institutions were accepting TRNs and licences as identity documents.

The department says that goes against the Identification Act of 1997, which makes Home Affairs the only authority that keeps the population register and issues IDs. The TRN "was never intended to serve as general identification", it said, and was created only so people without an SA ID number could do road traffic transactions on the National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) (SAnews).

What will your licence still be good for?

Driving, and road traffic transactions such as licence renewals and vehicle registration. If the amendments go through as proposed, licences, learner's licences and TRNs would only be accepted for road traffic purposes (BusinessTech).

That would affect places that now take a licence as ID, such as banks, offices and residential estates (BusinessTech). Expect to be asked for your smart ID card or green ID book instead.

What changes for TRN holders?

TRNs are mostly used by foreign nationals who don't have an SA ID number. Under the draft (SAnews):

Proposed rule	What it means
New definition of acceptable ID	Non-permanent residents must show an unexpired passport plus a valid Home Affairs permit
Notify within 21 days	If you get any other acceptable ID, you must tell the registering authority on form ANR and hand in your TRN certificate
Limited validity	A TRN is valid only as long as the passport and permit used to get it
Replace old certificates	TRN certificates with no validity period must be replaced within three months of the rules starting

Companies will also need to use their incorporation or registration certificates from the Companies Act as ID (SAnews).

Can you comment on the plan?

Yes, once it is published. Interested people and institutions will get 30 days from publication in the Government Gazette to send written comments, and all submissions must be considered before the final rules come out (SAnews). Comments on earlier traffic regulation drafts went to [email protected] (Western Cape Government).

Can you vote with your licence on 4 November?

No. This is already the rule for elections. Home Affairs says only a smart ID card, a green barcoded ID book or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate will be accepted at voting stations. Driver's licences, passports, student cards and photocopies are turned away (SAnews).

If you need a replacement ID, you can apply at a Home Affairs office or a participating bank branch (BusinessTech). Home Affairs offices will run longer hours from 2 to 4 November (see our guide on getting an ID to vote).

Is this the same as the plan to make licences last forever?

No, that is a separate draft. In August the department proposed that driving licences become valid indefinitely, with the card renewed every 10 years for codes A1, A, B and EB, and every five years for codes C1, C, EC1 and EC (Western Cape Government). Public comment on that draft closed on 19 September 2026 (gov.za), and the final version has not been published yet.

FAQ

Is my driving licence still valid as ID right now?

The amendments are still a draft and have not come into effect. Once final rules are published with a start date, licences would only count for road traffic purposes.

Will my driving licence still let me drive?

Yes. The proposed change only stops licences being used as general identification. They stay valid for driving.

Can I vote with my driving licence on 4 November 2026?

No. Only a smart ID card, a green barcoded ID book or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate is accepted at voting stations.

What happens to TRN certificates?

Under the draft, a TRN would be valid only as long as the passport and permit used to get it, and old certificates with no validity period would need replacing within three months of the rules starting.