AARTO demerit system in KZN: Here’s which districts are affected

Updated July 9, 2026, 11:05 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast

Here’s what motorists need to know about traffic fines, demerit points and the legal battle surrounding the rollout.

More motorists across KwaZulu-Natal are now affected by the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act after its latest rollout officially came into effect.

The expansion began on 1 July, despite an urgent court application by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) to stop it.

The Pretoria High Court dismissed the application, allowing the rollout to continue.

Aarto has already been operating in Johannesburg and Tshwane for several years.

It is now being introduced in another 60 municipalities, including all metros except Cape Town. Municipalities in the Western Cape remain excluded for now.

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What does AARTO mean for drivers?

The Aarto Act aims to improve road safety by changing how traffic infringements are handled.

Instead of simply paying a traffic fine, motorists could eventually receive demerit points for certain offences.

Drivers who repeatedly break the rules could face the suspension or even cancellation of their driving licences once the demerit system is fully implemented nationwide.

For now, the demerit points system has not yet started, but it is expected to come into effect after Aarto has been rolled out across the country.

Which KZN districts are affected?

Currently, there are 10 KZN districts which have implemented the new AARTO demerit system.

These include:

UThukela District (Alfred Duma Local Municipality: Ladysmith Area)
Amajuba (Newcastle Local Municipality)
King Cetshwayo (City of uMhlathuze Local Municipality: Richards Bay)
Durban (Durban Metropolitan: eThekwini Municipality)
ILembe (KwaDukuza Local Municipality: Stanger)
UMgungundlovu (Msunduzi Local Municipality: Pietermaritzburg)
Zululand (Ulundi Local Municipality: Mahlabathini)
Ugu (Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality: Port Shepstone)
UMkhanyakude (Jozini Local Municipality)
UMkhanyakude (Mtubatuba Local Municipality)

Demerit Points Allocation

AARTO demerit points — abaoutaarto.co.za

Why is the rollout controversial?

SALGA argued that many municipalities are not ready to implement the system.

The organisation also raised concerns about how revenue from traffic fines will be shared, saying municipalities may have to use money meant for service delivery to cover the costs of enforcing Aarto.

Another point of contention was the regulations needed to support the updated law.

Although the original Aarto regulations date back to 2008, the Act was amended in 2019, leading some legal experts to question whether the older regulations were still sufficient.

Despite these concerns, the Minister of Transport published the updated regulations just before the rollout deadline, allowing implementation to proceed.

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What happens next?

While Aarto is now expanding across much of South Africa, the legal battle is far from over.

Salga says it plans to continue challenging aspects of the rollout through the courts.

In the meantime, motorists are encouraged to obey traffic laws, as the nationwide demerit points system is expected to be introduced once Aarto is fully implemented across the country.