How AARTO Demerit Points Work

Calculate your demerit points →

The demerit-point schedule in the AARTO Regulations, 2026 is in force, butdemerit enforcement provisions in the AARTO Act (sections 24–28 — recording, suspension, and cancellation of licences) were not proclaimed as of July 2026. Treat all totals and estimates on this site as educational until official channels confirm your status.

What are demerit points?

Under South Africa's Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) framework, certain road traffic infringements and offences carry demerit points. When your running total of final points reaches the published disqualification threshold, your driving licence may be suspended or cancelled under the Act — once those enforcement provisions are in force.

Demerit points are not fines. A traffic infringement can carry both a monetary penalty and demerit points. The point values for each charge are set out inSchedule 3, column 6 of the AARTO Regulations, 2026 (GN R.7646, Government Gazette 54922).

The 15-point threshold

Regulation 20(6) of the AARTO Regulations, 2026 sets a single disqualification threshold of15 demerit points for natural-person drivers. This is the only published total in the 2026 instrument set — there is no separate lower threshold for learner drivers or PrDP holders in the enacted regulations.FAQ: learners →·FAQ: PrDP holders →

Our calculator uses this single 15-point threshold. It does not offer separate licence-type modes because the maths does not change under the current regulations.

How points are assigned

Each charge in Schedule 3 has a fixed demerit value in column 6, ranging from 1 to 6 points depending on severity. When an infringement becomes final against you, those points are recorded against your driving licence.

You can look up the point value for any charge in oursearchable offence table, which is derived from the same Schedule 3 source. Always verify the charge code and wording against your infringement notice and the official gazette.

Pending vs final offences

Not every infringement notice immediately adds points to your total. When you receive a notice, you typically have a window to pay at a discount or contest the matter before it becomes a final enforcement order. Until that process concludes, the offence is best treated aspending.

Our calculator lets you mark each offence as Pending or Final. Only final offences count toward your running total. If you are unsure whether an offence is final, leave it as Pending — this avoids overstating your risk.

What happens if you exceed 15 points

Once demerit enforcement is proclaimed, exceeding 15 final points could lead to disqualification from driving. The AARTO Act links the suspension period to how far over the threshold you are — commonly described as three months per point over 15. For example, 17 final points would suggest a six-month suspension, and 20 points would suggest nine months.

Our calculator shows this as an illustrative estimate only when your final total exceeds 15. It is not a prediction of any current action against your licence, because Act sections 24–28 are not yet in force.

This site does not model point decay, rehabilitation programmes, repeat-suspension rules, or operator/fleet compliance mechanisms. Those are important parts of the broader AARTO framework but are outside the scope of this calculator.FAQ: employers →

What this site does and does not do

DemeritCheck helps you:

Look up demerit point values from the 2026 regulations
Add offences and mark each as pending or final
See your running total against the 15-point threshold
Understand the difference between the regulations and live enforcement

DemeritCheck does not:

Check your official demerit-point balance with RTIA, RTMC, or eNaTIS
Store your ID number, licence number, or offence history
Provide legal advice about paying, contesting, or appealing a fine
Claim affiliation with any government body

For official information about your licence or infringements, contact the relevant official channel. For legal advice about a specific matter, consult a qualified attorney.Read the full disclaimer →