Money Desk
Transport department plans tighter identification rules for traffic documents
South Africa's transport department plans to amend regulations to stop traffic register certificates and driving licences from being used as general IDs.
South Africa’s department of transport plans to amend road traffic regulations to prevent traffic register number (TRN) certificates, learner’s licences and driving licences from being accepted as general identification documents. The proposed restrictions follow a 2023 investigation conducted with the assistance of the department of home affairs, which found widespread misuse of TRNs and other road traffic documents for identification purposes.
Documents the Proposal Excludes
The National Department of Transport said some institutions were accepting TRNs and driving licences as general identification, contrary to the Identification Act, which gives home affairs responsibility for issuing identification documents. The department said: “The TRN was created solely to enable persons without a South African identity number to transact on the National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) for road traffic purposes, whilst finalising their legal status with Home Affairs.” It added that TRNs were never intended to serve as general identification documents.
According to Business Day, the proposed amendments would change the definition of acceptable identification in regulation 1. The revised definition would exclude TRNs, as well as all other documents issued under road traffic legislation, from being accepted as identification.
Deadlines for Existing Holders
TRN holders who obtain another acceptable form of identification would have to notify their registering authority within 21 days and surrender their TRN certificate.
Existing holders whose TRN certificates do not state a validity period would have three months from the date the amended regulations take effect to apply for new certificates.
| Affected party | Required action | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| TRN holder who obtains acceptable identification | Notify the registering authority and surrender the TRN certificate | Notify within 21 days |
| Holder of a TRN certificate without a validity period | Apply for a new certificate | Three months from the regulations taking effect |
| Interested parties and affected institutions | Submit written representations | 30 days from publication in the government gazette |
The proposed amendments will be published in the government gazette for public comment, and written representations would have to be submitted within 30 days of publication. The department said the regulations are not yet in force and will take effect only after public comments have been considered and the final amendments published with a commencement date.
Rules for Foreign Nationals
Under the proposed amendments, foreign nationals who are not permanent residents would be required to present a valid passport from their country of origin, accompanied by the relevant permit issued by Home Affairs, as identification.
A TRN would remain valid only for the period covered by the passport and permit submitted when it was issued.
