Vehicle licence

The law requires your car to be licensed every year. It's your duty as the owner of the car, to make sure that the licence is renewed before it expires.

If the licence isn't renewed you're liable to pay late licensing penalties and arrears. There's a grace period of 21 days after the expiry date of the car's licence to renew the licence without incurring penalties and arrears.

You can present your Assessment for Renewal of Motor Vehicle Licence (MVL2).

Please note: Motor Vehicle Renewal Notices (MVL's) will no longer be posted. You will receive it via SMS or email or you can download it from the RTMC website. View the new guidelines.

The renewal notice is sent only once to the address registered on the National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) database

• Assessment for Renewal of Motor Vehicle Licence (MVL2)
• Your ID
• The appropriate fee
• Any penalties and arrear licence fees if applicable.

You can also renew your licence without having a renewal notice. To license your vehicle, you need to submit:

• Form ALV
• Your ID
• The appropriate fee
• Any penalties and arrear licence fees if applicable.

Note: Motorists must verify all personal and address details with any car or driving licence transaction. These documents can be used as proof.

You can also renew your licence by post. Contact the appropriate registering authority for more information.

The licence disc will be posted to the address on the NaTIS database.

If someone else renews your licence on your behalf, you need to make sure that they have:

• A letter giving them permission to renew the licence.
• A certified copy of your ID and their own ID.
• The appropriate fees.
• Any penalties and arrear licence fees if applicable.

Online Vehicle Licencing

If you live within the City of Cape Town you can pay vehicle licence fees online through an electronic funds transfer (EFT). Follow these 3 easy steps:

• Complete the City of Cape Town's online forms, then click submit.
• You will receive an e-mail with a unique number confirming the amount due, followed by a reference number and the banking details for payment.
• Once you have this, pay your licence fees from your banking website.

Note: This online payment facility is for vehicle licences only and shouldn't be used for the payment of rates, traffic fines and other municipal accounts.   Remember to use the reference number listed on the e-mail and not the unique number to complete the payment. For more information, contact the City of Cape Town Call Centre on 0860 103 089.

New Motor Vehicle License fees

The Western Cape is home to over 2 million registered vehicles, and the condition of our roads is consistently rated among the best in the country. This is largely due to the provincial government’s commitment to ringfencing Motor Vehicle Licence revenue to maintain, upgrade, and expand our road network.

Motor Vehicle License fees are primarily used to:

• Build, upgrade, and maintain the provincially-owned road network;
• Assist municipalities in maintaining their more strategic roads;
• Ensure continued safe mobility for all road users, including residents, freight operators, tourists, and public transport passengers.

The Western Cape’s road network is a vital provincial asset that supports commerce, tourism, service delivery, and job creation. By ensuring that our roads remain in optimal condition, the province safeguards economic competitiveness and enhances quality of life.

The MVL fees have been published in the Provincial Gazette Extraordinary 9248 wc-registration-licence-fees-2026.pdf which are effective from 1 July 2026.