AARTO.CO.ZA

Welcome to the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act website.

On this website, you will find all the information you need to better understand this convoluted scheme and protect yourself from its many administratively burdensome provisions.

AARTO NOW OPERATIONAL IN 62 MUNICIPALITIES

On 29 June 2026, the Presidency published Government Gazettes No. 54917 and 54918, legally binding 62 new municipalities to the AARTO administrative and fine framework. If you receive a traffic fine in one of the active municipalities, it will no longer be processed under the old Criminal Procedure Act. Instead, it enters the AARTO administrative loop run by the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA).

The Official Phased Rollout Timeline

To clear up the widespread confusion, AARTO is being implemented in four distinct phases. Here is exactly where South Africa stands right now:

Phase	What it Involves	Target Areas	Current Status / Date
Phase 1	Internal infrastructure setup and eNATIS system integration.	National	Completed
Phase 2	Expansion of AARTO fine and legal framework (excluding demerits).	62 Municipalities (Includes Ekurhuleni, Durban, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mangaung, Buffalo City)	Goes Live: 1 July 2026 (Pending SALGA legal challenges)  high court cleared
Phase 3	Rollout of the administrative framework to remaining local authorities.	151 Municipalities	Expected Q3/Late 2026
Phase 4	The Demerit Points System and Driver Rehabilitation Programmes go live nationwide.	Nationwide	TBA (Anticipated 2027)

Note: Johannesburg and Tshwane are excluded from the new Phase 2 list because they have already been operating under the AARTO framework since 2008. However, the new AARTO Amendment Act provisions now apply to them too.

FINES AND PROCEDURES: A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

Under AARTO, traffic fines follow a strict, automated timeline. If you ignore a notice, the consequences are financial and administrative—not criminal.

Step 1: Infringement Notice

• Issued electronically or delivered via registered mail.
• The 32-Day Rule: If you pay within 32 days of receiving the notice, you get a 50% discount on the fine amount.

Step 2: Courtesy Letter

• Issued if you fail to act within the first 32 days.
• The Penalty: Your 50% discount falls away, and a R60 administration fee is added to the fine.

Step 3: Enforcement Order

• Issued if you ignore the Courtesy Letter for another 32 days.
• The Lockout: Another R60 fee is added, and you are completely blocked on the eNATIS system. You will be unable to renew your vehicle license disc, your driving license card, or register a new vehicle until the fine is cleared.

HOW THE FUTURE DEMERIT SYSTEM WILL WORK

Even though it isn’t live yet, motorists need to prepare for Phase 4. Here is a quick breakdown of how your points will be tracked in the future:

• The Starting Line: Every driver starts with 0 points. You accumulate points for offences; you do not “lose” points from a pool.
• The Penalty Range: Depending on the severity of the offence, you will be assigned between 1 and 6 demerit points alongside the monetary fine.
• The Limit (15 Points): Once you hit 15 demerit points, your driving license will be automatically suspended for 3 months for every point over the limit.
• The Two-Strike Rule: A driving license can only be suspended twice. If you exceed the threshold a third time, your license is permanently cancelled, and you will have to re-sit your learner’s and driver’s tests from scratch.
• Point Reduction: Demerit points decrease by 1 point every three months of clean, offence-free driving.

KINDLY NOTE: We do not share your info with the government in any way whatsoever.