What is the LL1 form used for?

The LL1 is the prescribed application for a learner's licence under the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996. One form covers four transactions: applying for a learner's licence, applying for a duplicate of one, notifying a change of your personal details, and notifying a change to your learner's licence. You mark which transaction you need in the table at the top of page one.

Which parts of the LL1 do I have to complete?

The table at the top of the form tells you. A new learner's licence needs parts A, B and D. A duplicate needs A, C and D. A change of your personal details needs A and D. A change of your learner's licence needs A, C and D. Part A is your particulars, B is the vehicle class, C is the notice about a lost or stolen licence, and D is the declaration you sign.

What do learner's licence codes 1, 2 and 3 mean?

Code 1 covers a motor cycle (with or without a sidecar), a motor tricycle or a motor quadrucycle, with an engine of any capacity. Code 2 covers a light motor vehicle other than those — a car, a bakkie or a minibus. Code 3 covers any other motor vehicle, which in practice means heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses. You mark one code in Part B.

How old must I be to apply for a learner's licence?

You must be at least 17 for a code 2 learner's licence and at least 18 for a code 3 (heavy vehicle). For a code 1 learner's licence limited to a motor cycle with an engine not exceeding 125 cubic centimetres, you may apply from 16; above 125 cc the code 1 minimum is 18. Confirm the age rule for the exact code you want with the testing centre before you book, because the code determines the minimum age.

What documents must I take to the testing centre?

Take the completed and signed LL1, your original South African ID book or smart ID card, two identical black-and-white ID photographs, and proof of your residential address that is not older than three months. A photocopy of your ID is not accepted — the note at the top of the form says acceptable identification is essential. Phone ahead, because some centres take the photograph for you at the counter.

Can I apply if I am not a South African citizen?

Yes. Foreign applicants use a traffic register number instead of a South African ID number. Mark "traffic register no." or "foreign ID" as your identification type in Part A and give the country that issued the document in the block below. You obtain a traffic register number certificate from a registering authority before you apply for the learner's licence itself.

What is the declaration in Part D committing me to?

You declare three things. First, that you are not prohibited from holding a licence by a disqualification, suspension or cancellation. Second, that you do not have any of the listed conditions, which include uncontrolled epilepsy, uncontrolled diabetes, defective vision and certain mental illnesses. Third, that you are not addicted to a narcotic drug or to alcohol. A false declaration carries a fine or one year's imprisonment.

Do I need a medical certificate to apply?

Only if you are 65 or older on the day you apply. Item (d) of the declaration says the certificate from a medical practitioner is required only in that case. Everyone else simply signs the declaration that they are medically fit to drive. The eye test on page three of the form is done by the testing centre on the day, not by your own doctor.

Do I have to do an eye test at the testing centre?

Usually, but gov.za also allows the eye test to be done beforehand by a qualified optometrist, whose results you submit at the centre. Otherwise, page three of the LL1 is an eye test the examiner completes in front of you, using a Snellen chart or an orthorater. It records your visual acuity in each eye and your field of vision. Bring your glasses or contact lenses if you need them to see clearly — the form records whether the result was achieved with or without them.

Why should I not sign the LL1 before I get there?

Many testing centres want to watch you sign so that your signature can be compared with the one on your identity document. Print the form, complete everything else, and take a black pen with you. If a centre is happy for you to arrive signed, nothing is lost — but arriving unsigned is never a problem, while arriving pre-signed sometimes is.

What do I do if I lose my learner's licence?

Apply for a duplicate on the same LL1 form. Mark "duplicate of learner's licence" in the table at the top and complete parts A, C and D. Part C asks whether the licence was stolen, lost, destroyed or recovered, the code and issue date of the old licence, the office that issued it, and the date of the change.

Must I report a stolen learner's licence to the police?

Yes, if it was stolen or lost. Part C has a line for the police station where you reported it and a line for the SAPS reference number, also called a CAS number. Report the loss first, then complete the LL1, so you have the case number to write in. A licence that was destroyed or later recovered does not need a police report.

What happens after I hand the LL1 in?

An official captures the application, you do the eye test, and a test date is booked. The form itself records the date and time you will be tested. Waiting periods differ widely between centres and between provinces, so apply well before you need the licence. You write the theory test on the booked date and the result is recorded on the form.

How do I change the address on my learner's licence?

Mark "particulars of person" under notice of change on the LL1 and complete parts A and D. If you want to update the address eNaTIS holds for you more generally, so that vehicle licence renewal notices and traffic fines reach you, use the NCP notification of change of address or particulars instead. The two forms update different things and are often needed together after a move.

LL1 — Application for a Learner's Licence

Department of Transport (eNaTIS)

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