Learner's licence ages and codes 1, 2 and 3

You must be 17 or older to get a learner's licence for a car, which is code 2. You can get a code 1 learner's licence for a small motorcycle at 16. You must be 18 for a bigger motorcycle or for a heavy vehicle, which is code 3. The age is counted on the date of the test.

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

It depends on the code. The national government page and the national Department of Transport give these ages, and say you must have reached the age on the date of the test.

Code 1, motorcycle up to 125 cc: 16 or older
Code 1, motorcycle over 125 cc: 18 or older
Code 2, car or other light vehicle: 17 or older
Code 3, heavy vehicle: 18 or older

The official South African Learner Driver Manual gives the same starting ages of 16, 17 and 18 for codes 1, 2 and 3. It adds that a code 1 holder under 18 may only ride a motorcycle of up to 125 cubic centimetres.

What does each code let me drive?

Each code covers one group of vehicles. This is how the national Department of Transport describes them.

Code 1. A motorcycle with or without a sidecar, a motor tricycle or a quadrucycle.
Code 2. A motor vehicle, including a minibus, bus or goods vehicle, with a gross vehicle mass not exceeding 3 500 kg. This is the code for an ordinary car, and it is the one K53 Tutor covers.
Code 3. A motor vehicle with a gross vehicle mass exceeding 3 500 kg.

The official manual's heading for code 3 is light and heavy motor vehicles. If you are not sure which code you need, ask your testing centre before you book.

Why do some pages say Code B, and why does one say 18?

Code B is the name of the car driving licence, and some pages use it for the learner's licence too. Official sources do not all give the same age next to it.

The Western Cape Government's learner's licence page lists the licence codes by letter (A1, A, B, C1 and so on) and shows a minimum age of 18 next to Code B. George Municipality, which is also in the Western Cape, says you can apply at 17 for a light motor car (Code B). The City of Cape Town says 17 for a light motor vehicle. The national government page says 17 for code 2.

So three of the four pages say 17 for a car, and one says 18. If you are 17 and live in the Western Cape, phone your testing centre before you book.

Who must sit next to me when I drive?

A licensed driver must sit next to you every time you drive a car on a learner's licence. Arrive Alive quotes the rule from regulation 99 of the National Road Traffic Regulations. In plain words:

You must be accompanied by a person who supervises you directly.
That person must sit next to you. Only if they cannot sit next to you may they sit immediately behind you.
That person must hold a licence, not a learner's licence, for the class of vehicle you are driving.

The official manual says the same: a code 2 or code 3 learner drives only under the direct supervision of a person who holds a driving licence for that class of vehicle. A friend who only has a learner's licence does not count.

Motorcycles are different. The City of Cape Town says that with a code 1 licence you do not need a licensed driver with you. But the manual says a code 1 learner's licence does not allow you to carry a passenger.

You may have other people in the car, as long as the licensed driver is beside you. Arrive Alive notes that a learner's licence does not allow you to carry passengers for payment.

How long is a learner's licence valid?

A learner's licence is valid for 24 months and cannot be extended. The manual says the 24 months run from the date you passed the test, so plan your driving lessons and driving test inside that time. Use the driving schools list on K53 Tutor if you want lessons while your licence is valid.

Sources

Last checked: October 2026

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