The whole process, in order
| Step | What happens | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Check you are old enough | 16 for a motorcycle up to 125 cc, 17 for a light motor vehicle, 18 for anything else | Act, section 15(1)(a) |
| 2. Apply in person | At a driving licence testing centre, on form LL1, with two photographs and acceptable identification | Regulation 103(1) |
| 3. Get a date | The centre determines a day and time for you to present yourself to be examined and tested | Act, section 17(2) |
| 4. Eye test | Done at the centre on the day | Regulation 102 |
| 5. Theory test | Rules of the road, road signs, and the controls of the vehicle class you applied for | Regulation 104(2)(a) |
| 6. Licence issued | Within two working days of the examiner telling you that you passed | Regulation 105(1) |
| 7. Valid for 24 months | Counted from the date of the test, not the date on the card | Regulation 101(1), extended by GN 134 of 2010 |
You apply in person, and the centre sets the date
The Act is specific about this: a person wanting a learner's licence "shall in person apply therefor in the prescribed manner to an appropriately graded driving licence testing centre". You cannot send somebody else with your paperwork.
Once the centre has your application and is satisfied you are not disqualified, it determines a day and a time for you to come back and be examined. How that appointment is taken differs from province to province and from centre to centre — some have online systems, some do not — so check with the centre you intend to use rather than with a general guide.
"Appropriately graded" matters if you are applying for a heavy vehicle: not every centre is graded for every class.
The eye test is a standard, not a formality
Regulation 102 sets an actual threshold. For the motorcycle and light-vehicle codes you need visual acuity of at least 6/12 in each eye, with or without glasses or contact lenses. If one eye is below 6/12 or blind, the other has to reach 6/9. There is a visual field requirement too: at least 70 degrees temporal in each eye.
Needing glasses is not a problem and is not a fail. If you reach the standard with them, the licence is simply endorsed to record that you must wear them when you drive. Wear them to the test.
What the theory test actually asks
Three areas, and each is passed or failed on its own: the rules of the road, the road traffic signs, and the controls of a motor vehicle of the class you applied for.
The third one is tied to your licence class, so a motorcycle applicant and a truck applicant answer different controls questions. The other two are the same for everyone. Road markings are examined inside the signs section rather than separately.
Because the sections are scored independently, your weakest one decides the result. Studying to a total is the most common preparation mistake.
After you pass
The licence is issued within two working days of the examiner notifying you. It lets you drive under supervision — in a car, that means someone holding a licence other than a learner's for that class, seated next to you or immediately behind you. A motorcycle learner rides alone, but may not carry a passenger.
You have 24 months from the date of the test, and there is no renewal and no extension. Book the driving test early: waiting lists run to months in most provinces, and a learner's licence that expires before the driving test happens means writing the learner's again from scratch.
The mistakes that cost a whole attempt
Arriving with the wrong photographs. Regulation 103 specifies the size and what they must show, and a centre that rejects them sends you away for the day.
Studying to a total instead of to three separate passes. You can score comfortably overall and still fail on one section.
Counting the 24 months from the date printed on the licence rather than from the date you wrote. They are not the same day.
Find out where you stand before you book
The free readiness test is five questions and needs no account. It scores the three sections separately, the way the real test does, so you know which area would fail you today.
Take the free readiness testCommon questions
Can someone else apply for my learner's licence for me?
No. Section 17(1) of the Act requires you to apply in person at a driving licence testing centre.
How old do I have to be?
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, under section 15(1)(a) of the Act.
Do I need glasses for the eye test?
Only if you need them to reach the standard. Regulation 102 requires at least 6/12 in each eye with or without correction. If you need glasses to get there, wear them to the test and the licence is endorsed to say you must wear them.
How long does the whole process take?
The application and the test are two separate visits, and the gap between them depends on the centre's waiting list. Once you pass, the licence is issued within two working days.
Can I book my learner's test online?
It depends on the province and the centre. The regulations require the application itself to be made in person; the appointment is arranged by the centre, and some provinces run online booking for it. Check with the centre you intend to use.
What happens if I fail?
You apply again. There is no limit on attempts, but each one is a fresh application, so it costs you another booking and another wait.
Sources
- National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 — sections 15(1)(a) and 17The minimum ages, and that an applicant "shall in person apply therefor in the prescribed manner to an appropriately graded driving licence testing centre", after which the centre "shall … determine a day on and time at which the applicant shall present himself or herself to be examined".
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 103Application on form LL1, the two photographs and their specification, acceptable identification, and form MC for applicants aged 65 or older.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 102(1)(a)The eyesight standard for codes A1, A, B and EB: at least 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 — regulation 104(2)(a)The three areas examined, and that the controls section relates to the class applied for.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulations 105(1), 101(1) and 99(2)Issue within 2 working days; validity from the date of examination and test; and the supervision requirement, with its exception for motorcycles and vehicles with no passenger seat.
- 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.