Run a taxi, bus, courier or trucking business properly.
Transport is the most inspected small business in the country. A roadblock checks the vehicle, the driver and the operator in one stop, and each has its own paperwork. This page lays out every document a transport operator has to hold, who issues it, what it costs and how long it lasts, so you can see the whole list before the first fine.
Three sets of paperwork, one roadblock
- The operator: an operating licence from the Provincial Regulatory Entity for every vehicle that carries passengers for payment. Taxis, metered taxis, e-hailing, buses, charters, school and staff transport. R600 per application, up to five years’ validity, up to 60 working days to decide. Goods vehicles do not need one inside South Africa.
- The driver: a professional driving permit for anyone paid to drive goods, passengers or dangerous goods. Age 18, 21 or 25 by category, a medical certificate under two months old, fingerprints for the SAPS check, 24 months’ validity.
- The vehicle: registered and licensed in the operator’s name, roadworthy certificate where the vehicle class requires an annual one, and for anything over 3 500 kg crossing a border, a C-BRTA cross-border permit per vehicle per country.
By kind of operator
- Minibus taxi: operating licence for the route, membership of a registered taxi association with a letter for the application, P category permit for the driver, association and route stickers as the province requires. Cross-border taxi routes need the C-BRTA taxi passenger permit: R2 699 for 12 months per country.
- Metered taxi and e-hailing: since the 12 September 2025 gazette, e-hailing is its own operating licence category; vehicles must carry e-hailing branding and a panic button. The Uber and Bolt page covers the driver’s tax and insurance side.
- Bus, charter and tour operator: operating licence for the area or route; interprovincial and tourist services go to the National Public Transport Regulator, which also accredits tourist operators. Cross-border tour groups need the tourist permit: R2 911 for a minibus for 12 months per country.
- Courier and bakkie freight: no operating licence inside South Africa. The driver needs a G permit once the vehicle exceeds 3 500 kg. Insurance for goods in transit and the customer contract are the real paperwork.
- Trucking: G permits for every driver, D permits and training for dangerous goods, C-BRTA freight permits for cross-border loads: R6 767 for Class 1 and R8 761 for Class 2 for 12 months per country. If the goods are your own, add SARS import and export codes.
The business behind the vehicles
- Tax status. The operating licence application demands a SARS tax clearance, so a non-compliant status blocks the licence. Fix it for R450 before you apply.
- Company or sole trader. Either can hold an operating licence. A company keeps the vehicles and the liability separate from your house; registration is R790.
- Drivers are employees. A contract, UIF from the first driver, COIDA because driving is the injury-prone job it is, and PAYE once a driver earns above the tax threshold. The Employer Admin pack sets all of it up together.
- Diarised renewals. Operating licence up to five years, PrDP two years, vehicle licence one year, C-BRTA compliance fee yearly. A single lapsed document stops the vehicle earning.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start with one vehicle and no company?
Yes. A sole proprietor can apply for an operating licence and employ a driver. Most operators register a company once they have a second vehicle or take on finance, because it keeps the business debts away from personal assets.
How long before I can legally carry passengers?
Count backwards: up to 60 working days for the operating licence, up to 12 weeks for a driver’s professional driving permit, and the tax clearance before both. Three months is a realistic plan; a week is not.
Do I need a cross-border permit to drive through a country without stopping?
The C-BRTA charges per country in which you pick up or set down. Transit is treated differently from loading; check with the agency for your specific route and get it in writing.
Who pays the fine at a roadblock?
The driver, for a missing or expired professional driving permit. The operator, for a vehicle without an operating licence, which can be impounded. Both, for an unroadworthy vehicle.
Operating licence application prepared for your province
Form 1B, the Form 10 affidavit, a route description the regulator will accept, the tax status checked first, and every attachment listed and ready before you lodge. R990.
Prepare my applicationKeep exploring
Figures on this page come from the National Land Transport Regulations fee amendment in force from 2 August 2024, the C-BRTA fee schedule in force from 1 April 2025, the Western Cape Government’s operating licence service page and the government’s professional driving permit service page. Provincial fees and processes differ; confirm with your regulatory entity. This is information, not legal advice.