AARTO Implementation: Withdrawal of Commencement Proclamations and Regulations

Posted 01 December 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category Transport

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: In terms of notices published in the Government Gazette on 1 December 2025, the Presidency has withdrawn proclamations issued on 1 August 2025 regarding the commencement of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act, No. 46 of 1998 and the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Act, No. 4 of 2019.

The withdrawal of these proclamations effectively cancels the 1 December 2025 commencement date for the phased implementation of the AARTO system. Furthermore, the implementing regulations gazetted on 31 October 2025 have also been officially withdrawn. These actions follow a media statement issued by the Department of Transport on 11 November 2025, which indicated that the rollout would be deferred until 1 July 2026.

The postponement is attributed to a readiness assessment which identified that several municipalities scheduled for the initial phase of implementation required additional time to prepare for the administrative and technical requirements of the Act. Specifically, the withdrawal notices affect:

  • The commencement of various sections of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act, No. 46 of 1998;
  • The commencement of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Act, No. 4 of 2019; and
  • The regulatory framework intended to govern the demerit point system and administrative adjudication process.

Notably, the four withdrawal notices published on 1 December 2025 were backdated by three days. While the Department of Transport has signaled 1 July 2026 as the new implementation date, this specific date is not cited within the formal withdrawal notices themselves.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: There is no immediate change to your driver’s license status or the introduction of demerit points; continue to manage traffic infringements under the existing Criminal Procedure Act, No. 51 of 1977 framework.
  • For your business: Fleet managers and compliance officers should pause the transition to AARTO-specific internal reporting systems but maintain current fine-processing workflows until the new July 2026 deadline.
  • For your clients: Advise clients that the anticipated shift from a judicial to an administrative traffic enforcement system is delayed, providing an extended window to audit driver records and update corporate vehicle policies.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/aarto-implementation-commencement-proclamations-regulations-officially-withdrawn

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