Warning over major headache for South African business owners coming in December
South African business owners and fleet managers are being warned to prepare for a major regulatory shift that could disrupt company operations in December.
According to Fines SA, the rollout of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act on 1 December 2025 will fundamentally change how traffic fines are enforced—and who carries the responsibility for paying them.
Under the new system, fines for company vehicles will no longer be linked to an individual proxy or manager but directly to the business’s official Registration Number (BRN) on the national ENatis system.
This means that if a fine remains unpaid, it is not just the driver or fleet manager who faces consequences—the entire business could be affected.
Barry Berman, CEO of Fines SA, said this is a significant change that many companies are not yet prepared for.
“AARTO changes how accountability works for fleets. Every company will have its own BRN, and all traffic fines are tied to that number,” he explained.
“If those fines aren’t paid on time, the business itself is affected. Vehicles can’t be renewed or transferred until the outstanding fines are cleared. For large operations, that’s a potential logistical nightmare.”
The implications for companies are serious. If fines remain unpaid, the business’s BRN could be blocked on ENatis, effectively shutting down essential functions such as vehicle renewals, new registrations, and transfers.
For businesses with large fleets, this could mean significant downtime, delivery delays, and financial losses. Fleet operations already account for a large portion of South Africa’s traffic fines.
In 2023 alone, motorists across major jurisdictions owed more than R3.16 billion in unpaid fines, with municipalities reporting that fewer than 20% were ever finalised or paid.
Berman added that this low level of compliance has persisted for years, but the new AARTO system will make non-payment virtually impossible to ignore. “Under AARTO, there’s no hiding behind paperwork or missed notices,” he warned.
“Every fine becomes traceable under a company’s BRN, and unresolved penalties can block an entire fleet from operating legally. Businesses must start auditing their fines and implementing verified payment systems now.”
Wake-up call for companies
In practice, this means that fleet operators will need to establish internal systems to track and pay fines promptly.
Fines SA recommended that businesses audit their existing records on ENatis and ensure that all outstanding fines are settled well before the 1 December rollout.
Another key change under AARTO will come with the introduction of the demerit system. Once active, companies will be required to nominate the driver responsible for each offence so that demerit points can be assigned to that individual’s ID number.
However, until that system is in place, the company remains fully liable for all fines issued against its vehicles.
“For now, the company carries the legal burden. If a driver incurs a fine, the business must pay it to stay compliant, and then recover the funds from that driver internally,” said Berman.
“Once demerits are active, driver accountability will become clearer, but payment responsibility will always start with the company.”
As the deadline approaches, Berman said Transport Month should serve as a wake-up call for companies relying on large vehicle fleets.
“Businesses cannot afford to ignore this. The AARTO rollout is not just an administrative change—it’s a business risk. If your BRN is blocked, your vehicles are grounded. The time to prepare is now,” he stressed.
With just over a month before AARTO becomes a national reality, companies that fail to act could find themselves unable to operate when the system goes live.
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