The short version
- Minimum age
- 16, 17 or 18By licence class — see the table below. Act, section 15(1)(a)
- What is tested
- Rules of the road · road signs · the controls of your vehicle classRegulation 104(2)(a)
- Questions
- 64, in three separately-scored sections
- Eye test
- Yes, at the testing centreRegulation 102
- Where you apply
- A driving licence testing centre, on form LL1
- Valid for
- 24 months from the date of the test
- Lets you
- Drive under supervision — except on a motorcycleRegulation 99(2)(a) exempts motorcycles and vehicles with no passenger seat
What a learner's licence actually is
A learner's licence is permission to practise. For a car it does not let you drive alone: you must be accompanied by, and under the direct personal supervision of, someone who holds a licence — not a learner's licence — for that class of vehicle. They sit next to you, or immediately behind you if there is nowhere next to you to sit.
A motorcycle is the exception. Regulation 99(2)(a) excuses supervision where the licence relates to a motorcycle, or to a vehicle with no seating for a passenger, for the obvious reason that there is nobody to supervise from. A motorcycle learner rides alone — and may not carry anyone else while doing it.
Either way, a learner's licence never allows you to carry passengers for reward. The only person you may carry is the one supervising you.
Getting one is a theory exercise, not a driving one. Nobody watches you drive. You prove that you know the rules of the road, that you can read road signs and markings, and that you know what the controls of your vehicle do.
The three learner's licence codes
Regulation 99(1) sets out what each code of learner's licence covers. Which one you apply for decides your minimum age and which vehicle-controls questions you are asked.
| Code | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Code 1 | A motorcycle with or without a side-car, or a motor tricycle |
| Code 2 | A motor vehicle other than a motorcycle or tricycle with a tare not over 3 500 kg; a minibus, bus or goods vehicle with a gross vehicle mass not over 3 500 kg; an articulated vehicle or vehicle-and-trailer combination whose drawing vehicle's gross combination mass is not over 3 500 kg; or a tractor |
| Code 3 | Any motor vehicle or combination other than a motorcycle or tricycle |
Only the vehicle-controls section of the test changes with the code. The rules of the road and the road signs sections are the same whichever one you write.
How old do you have to be?
The minimum age depends on what you are applying to drive. These come from section 15(1)(a) of the National Road Traffic Act, which sets them as disqualifications — you are disqualified from holding the licence below the age given.
| What you want to drive | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| A motorcycle, motor tricycle or motor quadrucycle of 125 cc or less, or one propelled by electrical power | 16 |
| A light motor vehicle — tare not over 3 500 kg, or a bus or goods vehicle whose gross vehicle mass is not over 3 500 kg, or an articulated vehicle whose gross combination mass is not over 3 500 kg | 17 |
| Anything else — including motorcycles over 125 cc, and heavy vehicles | 18 |
The 17-year threshold is written specifically for a learner's licence for a light motor vehicle, which is the class most people mean when they say "my learner's".
What you need to apply
You apply in person at a driving licence testing centre on form LL1. Regulation 103 sets out what has to come with it, and the list is more specific than most people expect.
Two identical photographs, recently taken, clear-cut and without shadows, 40 mm by 30 mm, showing your head and shoulders and your full face, without headgear — unless you wear headgear required by a religion you genuinely belong to, in which case the photographs may show it.
Acceptable identification. And if you are 65 or older, a medical certificate on form MC signed by a medical practitioner or an occupational health practitioner.
You will also do an eye test. Regulation 102 sets the standard: for the car and motorcycle classes, a visual acuity of at least 6/12 in each eye with or without glasses or contact lenses — or 6/9 in the better eye if one eye is below 6/12 or blind — and a visual field of at least 70 degrees temporal in each eye. Glasses are not a problem; if you need them to reach the standard, the licence is endorsed to say you must wear them.
What the test covers
Three areas, set by regulation 104(2)(a): the rules of the road, the road traffic signs, and the controls of a motor vehicle of the class you applied for.
That third one is the part worth reading twice. The controls section is tied to your licence class, so a motorcycle applicant and a truck applicant are not answering the same questions. The rules and the signs are the same for everyone.
Road markings are examined too — inside the road signs section, not as a section of their own. Learners who work through the signs and skip the painted lines routinely lose marks in the section they thought they had covered.
Each section is passed or failed on its own. Doing well in two and badly in one is a fail, which changes how you should spend your study time: on your weakest section, not on your total.
After you pass
The licence is issued within two working days of the examiner telling you that you passed, and it is valid for 24 months — counted from the date you sat the test, not the date the document was printed or collected.
There is no renewal and no extension. If the 24 months run out before you pass the driving test, you write the learner's test again from the beginning. Since waiting lists for driving tests run to months in most provinces, book the driving test early rather than in the last stretch.
The three mistakes that cost people the most
Studying for a total instead of for three separate passes. The sections are scored independently, so your weakest one is the only one that decides the outcome.
Skipping vehicle controls because it is the shortest section. Shortest also means least forgiving — there is very little room to drop a mark.
Counting the 24 months from the date on the card instead of the date of the test. They are not the same day, and the difference is only noticed when a driving test booking falls the wrong side of it.
See where you stand before you book
Our free readiness test takes about two minutes and scores you the way the real test does — by section rather than on aggregate — so you find out which of the three areas would fail you today.
Take the free readiness testCommon questions
How old do I have to be to get a learner's licence?
Sixteen for a motorcycle of 125 cc or less, seventeen for a light motor vehicle up to 3 500 kg, and eighteen for anything else. The thresholds are in section 15(1)(a) of the National Road Traffic Act.
Can I drive alone with a learner's licence?
Not in a car. You must be under the direct personal supervision of someone holding a licence other than a learner's for that class, seated next to you — or immediately behind you where they cannot sit next to you. A motorcycle is different: regulation 99(2)(a) exempts motorcycles and vehicles with no passenger seat, so a motorcycle learner rides alone, but may not carry a passenger.
Do I need an eye test?
Yes, and it is done at the testing centre. Regulation 102 sets a minimum visual acuity of 6/12 in each eye for the car and motorcycle classes, with or without correction. Wearing glasses is fine — the licence is simply endorsed to say you need them.
What do I have to bring?
Form LL1, two identical 40 mm by 30 mm head-and-shoulders photographs, and acceptable identification. Applicants aged 65 or older also bring a medical certificate on form MC.
How many questions is the test?
The current computerised test presents 64, in three sections that are scored separately. No official source publishes the count or the pass mark, which is why the figure varies from site to site.
How long does the learner's licence last?
Twenty-four months, from the date of the test. It cannot be renewed or extended.
Every guide in getting your learner's licence
All of it free to read, each page naming the provisions it rests on.
- How Long Is a Learner's Licence Valid in South Africa?
A South African learner's licence is valid for 24 months — counted from the date you wrote the test, not the date the licence was issued. What happens when it expires.
- How to Get Your Learner's Licence in South Africa
Apply in person at a testing centre, pass an eye test and a theory test on rules, signs and your vehicle's controls. Every step, and the rule behind it.
- What Documents Do You Need for a Learner's Licence?
Form LL1, two photographs to a specific size, and acceptable identification — which is a defined term. Exactly what counts, including for foreign nationals.
- How to Book Your Learner's Licence Test
The official route is to book at your nearest testing centre. Gauteng residents are directed to the NaTIS portal. What to bring, and why the fee is not a national figure.
- Minimum Age for Each Licence Code
16 for a motorcycle, 17 for a light motor vehicle, 18 for anything heavier — and why a 16-year-old on a Code 1 is still held to 125 cc until they turn 18.
- Code 1, Code 2 and Code 3 Explained
Learner's licences have three codes. Driving licences have eight. Both tables from regulation 99, the mapping between them, and what tare, GVM and GCM each mean.
- What Happens on the Day of Your Test
The order of events at the testing centre — reporting, the eye test, form TLL or the electronic test, and the licence issued on form LL2 within two working days.
- Failed Your Learner's? When You Can Rewrite
No waiting period appears anywhere in the Act or the regulations, and no limit on attempts. What a rewrite actually involves — and what we could not find a source for.
- Driving on a Learner's Licence: The Rules
Regulation 99(2) in full: the supervision rule, the two exemptions, why a motorcycle learner rides alone, and what the regulations do not say about freeways.
- Learner's Test Day Checklist: What to Bring
The practical morning checklist — glasses, photographs that will actually be accepted, your booking paperwork, and getting there for the time the centre set.
- Learner's Licence: Frequently Asked Questions
Twenty answers on the South African learner's licence — age, codes, documents, the test, supervision, validity and rewriting — each sourced and linked to the full guide.
- Learner's Licence in the Western Cape
Outside the metro the province runs the testing centres, and every test is computerised. What the Western Cape Government asks you to bring, and the under-18 affidavit.
- Learner's Licence in Gauteng
Gauteng is the one province the national service page tells to book online through NaTIS. What that covers, what it does not, and what still happens at the counter.
- Learner's Licence in KwaZulu-Natal
KZN's own department publishes the most detailed proof-of-address list in the country, and the eye test happens before your booking is confirmed. What to bring.
- Learner's Licence in Cape Town
Cape Town runs its own 18 testing centres and does not take learner's test bookings online. How booking, the computerised test and cancellation actually work in the metro.
- NaTIS and Your Learner's Licence
NaTIS is the national traffic information system and online.natis.gov.za is its public portal. What you can book there, what still happens at the counter, and who is told to use it.
- The Eye Test: What It Checks
Regulation 102 sets two different standards, not one — 6/12 for a Code 1 or Code 2 learner's licence, the stricter 6/9 for Code 3. What is measured, and what happens if you don't meet it.
- Learner's Licence vs Driver's Licence
A learner's licence proves the theory; a driver's licence proves you can drive. What changes between them — supervision, validity, codes — regulation by regulation.
- Lost, Expired or Reprinting a Learner's Licence
A lost or damaged learner's licence gets a duplicate under regulation 109. An expired one does not — nothing in the regulations provides for renewing it. Two different problems, two different routes.
- The LL1 Form, Explained
LL1 is the application form for a learner's licence — and, under a different regulation, the same form for a duplicate. It is not the licence itself. Here's the difference.
- The Oral Learner's Licence Test
If you cannot read or write, regulation 104(4) lets you take the theory test orally, with your province's MEC's permission. The same content, spoken instead of read.
- What a Learner's Licence Costs
No single number exists for a learner's licence fee — it's set by each province's MEC, not nationally. What the regulation actually says, and how to confirm the amount.
- From Learner's to Driving Licence: The Full Cost Picture
A driving licence is paid in stages, each set by your province, not once nationally. What each regulation actually says about the fees, and where K53 Coach's coverage stops.
- Learner's Licence in the Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape Department of Transport administers testing here, but we found no learner's-licence guidance published on its own site. What actually applies.
- Learner's Licence in the Free State
The Free State Department of Police, Roads and Transport administers testing here. Its own site publishes no learner's-licence guidance, so here is what applies.
- Learner's Licence in Limpopo
Limpopo's own transport department publishes service-time standards for the learner's licence process — a detail most provincial pages have nothing like.
- Learner's Licence in Mpumalanga
The Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport administers testing here. Its own site has no learner's-licence page, so here is what applies.
- Learner's Licence in North West
The North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management administers testing here. Its own site has no learner's-licence page — here is what applies.
- Learner's Licence in the Northern Cape
The Northern Cape Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison administers testing here. Its own site has no learner's-licence page, so here is what applies.
Sources
- National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 — section 15(1)(a)The minimum ages, framed as disqualifications: under 16 for a motorcycle of 125 cc or less or one electrically propelled; under 17 for a learner's licence for a light motor vehicle as defined there; under 18 for any other licence.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 99Sub-regulation (1) sets the three learner's licence codes. Sub-regulation (2)(a) requires the holder to be accompanied by and under the direct personal supervision of a person seated next to them, or immediately behind where they cannot be seated next to them, holding a licence other than a learner's for that class — "except where such licence relates to a motor vehicle having no seating accommodation for a passenger or to a motor cycle". Sub-regulation (2)(b) bars a motorcycle learner from carrying another person; (2)(c) bars carrying persons for reward.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 103Application at a driving licence testing centre on form LL1; the two photographs and their specification, including the religious-headgear provision; acceptable identification; form MC for applicants aged 65 or older.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 104(2)(a)The three areas examined: the rules of the road, the road traffic signs, and the controls of a motor vehicle of the class to which the application relates.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 102(1)(a)The eyesight standard for codes A1, A, B and EB: Snellen visual acuity of 6/12 in each eye with or without refractive correction, or 6/9 in the other eye where one eye is below 6/12 or blind; and a visual field of at least 70 degrees temporal in each eye.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulations 101(1) and 105(1)Validity runs from the date of examination and test; the licence is issued within 2 working days of the examiner's notification.
- Government Notice 134, Government Gazette 32959, 17 February 2010Extended the validity of a learner's licence from 18 months to 24 months.
Last updated 2026-09-21.