AARTO Rollout Dates Gazetted as Ramaphosa Signs Proclamation

The rollout of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Act (AARTO) has now been officially gazetted following the signing of a proclamation by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday.

According to the Government Gazette dated 1 August, most sections of the Act will take effect on 1 December 2025 in key metros. The remaining municipalities will come on board from 1 April 2026. Sections 26 to 28 of the Act, which include the introduction of the demerit points system, are set to be implemented from 1 September 2026.

From December 2025, AARTO will kick off in 69 municipalities, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekurhuleni, Mbombela, Polokwane, Durban, Newcastle, Ladysmith, Bloemfontein, Gqeberha, East London, Cape Town, Stellenbosch, George, and Beaufort West.

The April 2026 phase will see the system extended to 75 smaller municipalities such as Musina, Umdoni, Lepelle, Okhahlamba, Richmond, Kokstad, Blouberg, Great Kei, and Sundays River.

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In July, the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) confirmed that service centres have already been established across the country, and over 25,000 traffic officers are undergoing training to implement AARTO properly.

RTIA spokesperson Monde Mkalipi explained that AARTO aims to decriminalise minor traffic offences, which will reduce pressure on the country’s courts. Instead of issuing summonses – many of which never reach a courtroom – those with unpaid fines will face blocks on renewing vehicle and driver’s licences until the fines are settled.

A 50% discount will apply if the fine is paid within 32 days. After that, a courtesy letter will be sent out, and the motorist will have another 32 days to contest the charge or assign it to the correct driver. If no action is taken within that 64-day window, an enforcement order will follow, effectively blocking licence renewals.

Read | AARTO: How to avoid accumulating points

Until now, this system has only applied in Johannesburg and Pretoria under a pilot project.

Points System Explained

Every motorist starts with zero demerit points. Offences carry different values – more serious ones carry heavier penalties. If a driver racks up more than 15 points, their licence will be suspended for three months per point over the limit. Vehicle operator cards are also included in the system.

If a licence is suspended more than twice, it will be cancelled, and the driver will have to restart the licensing process from scratch, beginning with a learner’s licence.

Under the proposed points system, minor speeding offences could cost a driver one to two points, while failing to obey a stop sign or driving with one number plate missing could mean a two-point deduction.

Criminal vs Decriminalised Offences

AARTO will decriminalise a range of minor offences, like slight speeding or not wearing a seatbelt. But major offences remain criminal. These include drunk driving, driving with a suspended licence, or going more than 40km/h over the speed limit. These serious violations will still be dealt with in court and will carry heavier demerit point penalties – six points for drunk driving, failing to stop at an accident, or driving without number plates.

The AARTO system has been in the pipeline since 1998 and faced multiple delays. It was declared unconstitutional by the Pretoria High Court in January 2022, but this ruling was overturned by the Constitutional Court in July 2023.

Despite the green light from the Constitutional Court, organisations like the Automobile Association (AA) and OUTA remain strongly opposed to AARTO. OUTA was behind the 2022 court challenge, and the AA continues to argue that the system is more about revenue collection than improving road safety.

“This creates the illusion of action. But where it matters – on the ground – nothing is likely to change. The AARTO pilot has shown no evidence of saving lives,” said the AA.

RTIA, however, maintains that over 80% of road crashes are due to human error and that stricter compliance laws are necessary. The agency added that government is working towards 24-hour visible traffic enforcement across the country.