The short version
- Learner's licence proves
- You passed the theory testRules, signs and vehicle controls
- Driver's licence proves
- You also passed the practical test
- Can you drive alone on a learner's?
- No — except on a motorcycleRegulation 99(2)(a)
- Learner's licence validity
- 24 months from your test dateRegulation 101(1), as amended by GN 134 of 2010
- Driver's licence validity
- Indefinite, unless suspended or cancelledRegulation 101(2)(a)
- Learner's codes
- Code 1, Code 2, Code 3Regulation 99(1)
- Driver's codes
- A1, A, B, C1, C, EB, EC1, ECRegulation 99(4)(a)
Side by side
Both licences come from the same set of regulations. What they let you do, and what they cost you, is where they differ.
| Learner's licence | Driver's licence | |
|---|---|---|
| What it proves | You know the rules of the road, the road traffic signs, and the controls of a vehicle of your class | You know all of that, and an examiner has watched you drive |
| Driving alone | No — you must be accompanied by, and under the direct personal supervision of, a licensed driver, except on a motor vehicle with no passenger seating or on a motorcycle | Yes, for whatever class your licence authorises |
| Carrying passengers | Only the person supervising you. A learner's motorcycle licence does not allow carrying any passenger at all | As permitted for your licence code |
| Validity | 24 months from the date of your examination and test | Indefinite, unless suspended or cancelled |
| How you get one | Pass the theory test — written, electronic, or oral if you qualify | Hold a learner's licence in the matching class, then pass the practical driving test |
| Codes | Code 1, Code 2, Code 3 | A1, A, B, C1, C, EB, EC1, EC — see how each learner's code maps to these |
The one exception: a motorcycle learner rides alone
This is the part most guides get wrong, ours included at one point. The general rule under regulation 99(2)(a) is that a learner's licence holder must be accompanied in or on the vehicle by a licensed driver, seated next to them or, where that isn't possible, immediately behind them.
But the regulation carves out two exceptions in the same sentence: a motor vehicle with no seating accommodation for a passenger, and a motor cycle. So a Code 1 learner does not need anyone in the sidecar or on the pillion seat to ride legally — the supervision requirement simply does not apply to a motorcycle.
It runs the other way too. Regulation 99(2)(b) says a learner's motorcycle licence does not authorise carrying a passenger at all, supervisor or not. A car or bakkie learner needs a supervisor and may not carry anyone else; a motorcycle learner needs nobody and may carry nobody.
Why the learner's licence expires and the driver's licence doesn't
A learner's licence is a certificate that you passed the theory component on a given day, and regulation 101(1) puts a clock on that: 24 months from the date of the examination and test, extended from the original 18 months by Government Notice 134 of 2010. Once that period runs out, the theory pass no longer counts and you would need to apply and be tested again.
A driver's licence carries no such expiry under regulation 101(2)(a) — it is valid indefinitely unless it is suspended or cancelled. What does have a shelf life is the physical card, which is a separate administrative matter from the licence itself.
Getting from one to the other
You cannot apply for a driving licence out of the blue. Section 18(1) of the Act ties the application to a class "the driving of which is authorised by his or her learner's licence" — which is why Code 1 leads to A1 and A, Code 2 leads to B and EB, and Code 3 leads to C1, C, EC1 and EC.
So the practical route is: hold the right learner's code for the vehicle you want to drive, use the supervised months to actually learn on that vehicle, and apply for the matching driving licence before your learner's expires.
The mistake
Assuming any confident learner can drive alone once they feel ready. The supervision requirement in regulation 99(2)(a) has exactly two exceptions — a vehicle with no passenger seat, and a motorcycle — and a car or bakkie learner is not either of those, however capable they've become.
The reverse mistake also happens: assuming a motorcycle learner needs someone riding along, or that they may carry a friend on the back once they're confident. Neither is true — the exemption and the passenger ban both apply from day one.
The theory is the same test either way
Whichever code you're learning, the theory content — rules, signs and controls — is what your learner's licence certifies. The free readiness test scores all three sections separately.
Take the free readiness testCommon questions
Can I drive alone with a learner's licence?
Only on a motorcycle, or a vehicle with no seating for a passenger. Every other class requires a licensed driver seated next to you (or immediately behind you, if that isn't possible) under regulation 99(2)(a).
Does a learner's licence expire?
Yes — 24 months from the date of your examination and test, under regulation 101(1) as extended by Government Notice 134 of 2010. A driver's licence has no such expiry unless it is suspended or cancelled.
Can a learner's licence holder carry passengers?
Only the person supervising them, and only where supervision applies. A learner's licence for a motorcycle does not permit carrying any passenger at all, under regulation 99(2)(b).
Is a Code 2 learner's licence the same as a Code B driver's licence?
They line up but are not the same thing — Code 2 is a learner's code from regulation 99(1) and Code B is a driving licence code from regulation 99(4)(a). A Code 2 learner's licence is what leads to a code B or EB driving licence.
Do I need a new theory test to get my driver's licence?
No. The theory pass is what your learner's licence already certifies. The driving licence application under section 18(1) of the Act adds the practical test, on top of a learner's licence that is still valid.
Sources
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 99(2)(a) "The holder of a learner's licence shall, except where such licence relates to a motor vehicle having no seating accommodation for a passenger or to a motor cycle, when driving the vehicle concerned, be accompanied in or on that vehicle by, and be under the direct personal supervision of a person seated next to him or her, or immediately behind him or her, where such person cannot be seated next to him or her, and who is in possession of a licence, other than a learner's or similar licence, authorising him or her to drive that class of motor vehicle." (b) A learner's licence for a motorcycle does not authorise carrying a passenger. (c) A learner's licence does not authorise driving while carrying persons for reward, other than the accompanying supervisor.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 99(1) and 99(4)(a)Sub-regulation (1): the three learner's licence codes, Code 1, Code 2, Code 3. Sub-regulation (4)(a): the eight driving licence codes, A1, A, B, C1, C, EB, EC1, EC.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 101(1) The period of validity of a learner's licence is 18 months from the date of examination and test — extended to 24 months by Notice 134 in Government Gazette 32959 of 17 February 2010. (2)(a) A driving licence is valid indefinitely, unless suspended or cancelled.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 104(2)(a)The examiner must be satisfied the applicant knows and understands the rules of the road, the road traffic signs, and the controls of a motor vehicle of the class applied for, before issuing a learner's licence.
- National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 — section 18(1)A driving licence is applied for to drive a motor vehicle of a class "the driving of which is authorised by his or her learner's licence" — the basis for the code-to-code mapping.
Last updated 2026-09-23.