AARTO, demerit points and your car insurance in 2026

AARTO Phase 2 started on 1 July 2026. It covers infringement notices, courtesy letters and enforcement orders across 62 issuing authorities: all metros except Cape Town, and municipalities countrywide except those in the Western Cape. (SAIA, Moneyweb)

The start went ahead after a SALGA urgent High Court bid to stop it was struck from the roll on 30 June 2026. (SAnews)

• You have 32 days from receiving an infringement notice to act, with a 50% discount if you pay within that window. Fines above R750 can be paid in instalments. (The Witness)
• Ignore it and you get a courtesy letter, lose the discount and pay a R60 fee.
• Ignore that and an enforcement order follows, with another R60, and a block on eNATIS so you cannot renew your licence disc or driving licence card. (Gittins)

An expired licence disc is its own insurance risk: some insurers treat an unlicensed or unroadworthy car as grounds to reduce or reject a claim. Deal with fines before they block your renewal.

The demerit points system has not started. RTIA's spokesperson said in July 2026 that the country is not yet at the point of introducing demerits, and that they start only once the Minister of Transport proclaims them. (Sowetan)

You may have read that demerits start on 1 September 2026. That date came from a 2025 proclamation that was later withdrawn, and it has passed without demerits starting. (Recording Law) RTIA now points to 2027 for the next phase, with nationwide coverage, demerits and driver rehabilitation.

As planned, the system would work like this (SAIA):

• A 15-point threshold.
• A 3-month disqualification for each point above it.
• Licence cancellation after a third disqualification.
• One point drops off for every 3 clean months, and approved rehabilitation can remove 4 points.

• Suspended licence. Santam has said that driving an insured car with a suspended or cancelled licence "may exclude all cover for the event", and that you must tell your insurer about a suspension. (Santam) Some articles claim a suspension "immediately voids" your policy. That overstates it, and suspensions cannot happen until demerits are live.
• Insurer access to demerit data. The insurance industry body, SAIA, says it will explore controlled insurer access to selected demerit data, subject to POPIA and safeguards against unfair automatic decisions. Nothing is agreed, and no insurer prices on demerits today. (SAIA)
• Disclosure. Whatever happens with demerits, your duty to disclose a licence suspension or endorsement to your insurer already applies. Non-disclosure is one of the most common reasons claims fail; see non-disclosure and rejected claims.

1. Check for outstanding fines on the official AARTO channels and pay within 32 days for the discount.
2. Keep your licence disc and driving licence current so an eNATIS block never catches you.
3. If your licence is ever suspended, tell your insurer and do not drive until it is restored.
4. Read your policy's "licence" and "roadworthy" conditions so you know what your insurer expects.