Home Affairs, licences and fines
Step-by-step guides to the public services most South Africans need: your ID, passport, birth and death certificates, your driving licence and licence disc, traffic fines and police clearance. We are an independent guide, not a government department.
Start here
- Need an ID? Apply for a Smart ID card at a Home Affairs office, or switch from a green ID book at a partner bank branch. Your first ID is free.
- Travelling? Apply for a passport early: an adult passport takes about 13 working days.
- New baby? Register the birth within 30 days. It is free.
- Someone has died? Register the death within 72 hours, at Home Affairs or through a designated funeral undertaker. The first death certificate is free.
- Learning to drive? Start with your learner’s licence and practise with our K53 practice test, then renew your driving licence card every few years, or replace a lost one.
- Own a car? Renew your licence disc every year, and check your traffic fines on the right official website.
- Working or moving abroad? Apply for a police clearance certificate at a police station.
Official channels
Official channels only. We don't run any of them.
- Online · Home AffairsMyHomeAffairsOnline: myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.zaBook a Home Affairs office visit and find bank branches that offer Smart ID services. You need a profile linked to your ID number and email address.
- Online · Home AffairsHome Affairs fees: dha.gov.za fees
- Call · Home AffairsHome Affairs contact centre: 0800 60 11 90
- Online · RTMCNaTIS online services: online.natis.gov.zaRenew your licence disc and have it couriered to you, pay AARTO enforcement orders, and book licence appointments where your province offers it.
- Online · RTIAAARTO online: online.aarto.gov.zaThe only official AARTO website. Check and pay AARTO fines, nominate a driver or make a representation.
- Online · SAPSCheck your police clearance status: www.saps.gov.zaYou need the enquiry number from your application and your ID number.
What’s free, and where to find the fees
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| First Smart ID | Free |
| Switching from a green ID book, aged 60 or older | Free |
| Replacement Smart ID, or switching from a green ID book under age 60 | Home Affairs fee |
| Passport | Home Affairs fee |
| Registering a birth and the first birth certificate | Free |
| Police clearance certificate | SAPS fee |
Fees change from time to time, so we don’t print them. Home Affairs lists its fees on its website (see “Home Affairs fees” above), and SAPS lists the police clearance fee on its police clearance page. Driving licence, learner’s licence and licence disc fees are set by each province: ask your testing centre or licensing office.
Stay safe
Government services are only sold at the official fee, paid to the official office, bank or website. Nobody can sell you a faster ID, a passport booking, a learner’s licence pass or a police clearance. Fake websites copy the names of NaTIS and AARTO, so type the official address yourself, and read our guide to avoiding scams.
Home Affairs: ID, passport, birth and death
- How to register a birth in South Africa
Register your baby's birth with Home Affairs: when to do it, what to bring, where to go, the rules for unmarried parents, late registration and copies.
- How to register a death in South Africa
Register a death with Home Affairs: who gives notice, the doctor's form, the burial order, the free death certificate, deaths abroad and wrong records.
- How to apply for a South African passport
Apply for or renew a South African passport: which passport you need, how the fees work, the documents, how long it takes, and the rules for a child's passport.
- How to apply for a Smart ID card
How to apply for a Smart ID card in South Africa: who can apply, when it is free, the documents, and where to apply, at Home Affairs or a partner bank branch.
Driving licences
- How to get your learner's licence
How to get a learner's licence in South Africa: the minimum age for each code, how to book, what to take, the computer test, and how the fees work.
- How to replace a lost or stolen driving licence
Replace a lost, stolen or damaged driving licence card in South Africa: the affidavit, what to take to the testing centre, the temporary licence and the wait.
- How to renew your driving licence card
Renew your driving licence card at a testing centre: when to apply, what to bring, the eye test, how long the new card takes, and what to do if it has expired.
Your vehicle and traffic fines
- How to renew your car licence disc
Renew your vehicle licence disc: the grace period, renewing online on NaTIS or at a licensing office, what to take, and what happens if you're late.
- How to check and pay traffic fines with your ID number
Check and pay traffic fines with your ID number on the right official site for your city, AARTO or municipal, use the 50% discount, and dispute a fine.
Police clearance
- How to apply for a police clearance certificate
Apply for a SAPS police clearance certificate: fingerprints at a police station, the documents, the fee, how long it takes, and how to track and collect it.