AARTO Demerit Points Checker: Will Your Licence Be Suspended?
A free, private tool that shows how South Africa's new AARTO demerit points add up for common traffic offences, where the 15-point limit sits, and how long a licence would be suspended if you go over. It never asks for your ID or licence number.
South Africa is switching to the AARTO demerit points system, where every traffic offence adds points to your licence and enough points get it suspended. This free tool lets you build a scenario from common offences and see how the points add up, where the 15-point limit sits, and how long a suspension would last if you go over. It is an educational guide, not a lookup of your real record, and nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Where would your licence stand?
Add the traffic offences below and this tool shows how many AARTO demerit points they carry, and whether that puts your licence at risk of suspension.
This adds up points as if every offence were incurred close together, which is the worst case. In reality a clean record removes 1 point every 3 months, so older offences may already have fallen away. Points values below are indicative, drawn from the published AARTO schedule, and the final values are set in Schedule 3 of the AARTO Regulations and can change before the system starts.
Build your scenario
Tap + for each offence. Your running total shows below, and the full result is at the top of the page.
How the AARTO demerit points system works in South Africa
AARTO stands for the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act. Its demerit points system works like the ones used in many countries, the more you break the rules, the more points build up against your licence, and once you pass a set limit your licence is suspended. When the system starts, every driver begins on zero points. Each infringement carries a set number of points, from zero for the most minor matters up to six for the most serious, and those points are added to your driving licence, and for operators to the operator card.
This tool is a plain-language AARTO demerit points calculator. You pick the offences that apply, it adds up the indicative points, and it shows whether you would still be within the limit or heading for a suspension. It is the quickest way to check demerit points for a set of offences and understand the AARTO points system before it goes live, without giving away any personal details.
The 15-point limit and how suspension is worked out
A normal driving licence may carry up to 15 demerit points. Reaching 15 is still safe, the trouble starts once you go above 15. For every point over the limit your licence is suspended for three months. So 16 points means a three-month suspension, 17 points means six months, and 18 points means nine months. A learner's licence is stricter, the limit there is only 6 points. During a suspension you may not drive at all, and driving while suspended is a criminal offence.
A licence can be suspended twice. If you go over the limit a third time the licence is cancelled, and for a driving licence that means starting again with a learner's licence once the ban period has passed. There is also a driver rehabilitation programme in the law, but it only applies after a licence has already been cancelled, and completing it reduces the points by four, so it is not a way to avoid a suspension in the first place.
How points are added, and how they fall away
Points are added to your licence when you pay the fine, when you enter into a payment arrangement, when an enforcement order is issued against you, or when a court convicts you. Paying the fine does not stop the points, so a paid fine can still count towards a suspension. The good news is that points do not stay forever. With a clean record, one point is removed every three months until you are back to zero. That is why the tool above treats every offence as if it happened close together, which is the worst case, older offences may already have fallen away.
When does the AARTO demerit system start?
AARTO has been rolled out in phases, and the demerit points are the last piece to arrive. Phase 1 set up the administrative machinery and was completed back in 2021, with AARTO already running in Tshwane and Johannesburg. Phase 2 took effect on 1 July 2026, extending AARTO and its Amendment Act to 62 municipalities across the country, through proclamations gazetted at the end of June 2026. The Western Cape is not included in this phase. The key point for drivers is that Phase 2 does not switch on the demerit points. Government has said a further national phase, expected in 2027, will finally introduce the points demerit system. So no demerit points are being recorded against anyone yet, and because the start date has moved several times, it is best to treat 2027 as the current expectation rather than a fixed promise.
How to check your real AARTO demerit points
This page cannot look up your real points, and until the system is live there are no official points to look up. Once it starts, you will be able to check your balance through the Road Traffic Infringement Agency, which runs the system, and through the national traffic information system online. You will also be told when points are added, because every infringement begins with an infringement notice, followed by a courtesy letter and then an enforcement order if it is not dealt with. Keeping your address and contact details up to date matters, since AARTO notices can be served by post, email or SMS.
AARTO demerit points table: what each offence is worth
The table below shows the demerit points for common traffic offences, and it uses the same indicative values as the calculator above. Minor speeding of a few kilometres over the limit carries no points, while the most serious matters, like reckless driving or driving over 40km/h over the limit, carry the full six and go to court. The exact points for each offence are set out in Schedule 3 of the AARTO Regulations and can still change before the system starts, so treat this as a guide, not the final law.
| Offence | Demerit points |
|---|---|
| Speeding, by how far over the limit | |
| 1 to 15 km/h over the limit | 0 points |
| 16 to 20 km/h over | 1 point |
| 21 to 25 km/h over | 2 points |
| 26 to 30 km/h over | 3 points |
| 31 to 35 km/h over | 4 points |
| 36 to 40 km/h over | 5 points |
| More than 40 km/h over | 6 points, court |
| Traffic lights, signs and lanes | |
| Skipped a red traffic light (car, bakkie or motorcycle) | 2 points |
| Did not stop behind the line at a stop street | 2 points |
| Did not move off when the light turned green | 1 point |
| Failed to keep left, or obstructed faster traffic | 3 points |
| Did not signal when turning or changing lane | 1 point |
| Driver and vehicle documents | |
| Driving licence card not on you, or an expired card | 3 points |
| Drove a vehicle that is not registered | 3 points |
| Only one number plate fitted | 2 points |
| No current licence disc displayed | 0 points |
| Vehicle not licensed at all (no valid licence) | 6 points, criminal |
| Everyday safety offences | |
| Not wearing a seatbelt | 1 point |
| Using a phone in your hand while driving | 1 point |
| Serious and criminal offences | |
| Driving a vehicle you are not licensed for | 6 points, criminal |
| Reckless or negligent driving | 6 points, criminal |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 6 points, criminal |
| Ignored a lawful instruction from a traffic officer | 6 points, criminal |
Points shown are for a natural person (an individual driver). Operators and companies have their own values for some offences. Values are indicative and drawn from the published AARTO schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What are demerit points?
Demerit points are penalty points added to your driving licence when you commit a traffic offence under the AARTO system. The more serious the offence, the more points it carries, and once you build up too many your licence is suspended.
How many demerit points before your licence is suspended?
A normal driving licence is suspended once it goes above 15 points. At 15 you are still within the limit, at 16 the licence is suspended for three months, and every further point adds another three months.
How long is an AARTO suspension?
Three months for every point over the limit. So 17 points is a six-month suspension and 18 points is a nine-month suspension.
How many demerit points do you get for speeding?
It depends on how far over the limit you were. Up to 15km/h over carries no points, 16 to 20km/h over is one point, and it rises band by band to five points at 36 to 40km/h over. More than 40km/h over the limit carries six points and goes to court.
How long do demerit points last?
They are not permanent. With no new offences, one point is removed every three months until your record is back to zero.
Does paying a fine avoid the demerit points?
No. Points are added when you pay the fine, make a payment arrangement, are convicted, or have an enforcement order issued, so paying does not keep your licence clean.
Are demerit points active in South Africa yet?
No. AARTO itself expanded to 62 municipalities on 1 July 2026 in what is called Phase 2, but that phase does not switch on the demerit points. Government has said the points demerit system will come with a further national phase expected in 2027, so no demerit points are being recorded against anyone yet.
When does the AARTO demerit points system start?
There is no firm date. AARTO Phase 2 took effect on 1 July 2026 in 62 municipalities, but the demerit points are only expected with a further national phase in 2027. That date has already moved several times, so treat 2027 as the current expectation, not a promise.
How do I check how many demerit points I have?
This page cannot look up your real points, and until the system is live there are none to look up. Once it starts, you will be able to check your balance through the Road Traffic Infringement Agency and the national traffic information system online.
Do demerit points affect your insurance?
Demerit points sit against your driving licence, not your insurance policy, so there is no automatic link to your premium. Insurers price mainly on your claims history, though a suspended or cancelled licence would stop you driving legally at all.
What happens after three suspensions?
Going over the limit a third time cancels the licence, which for a driving licence means starting again from a learner's licence after the ban period.
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