Is your car insurance cover still valid if your driving or vehicle licence isn't?

With lockdown regulations restricting business operations around the country, licencing departments haven't been able to avoid disruptions themselves. So what does this mean for vehicle owners?

Licence renewal roadblocks

From 26 March 2020, hard lockdown measures meant that any licences and permits requiring renewal could not be processed. On 20 May 2020, Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula published guidelines in terms of the Disaster Management Act which offered a validity extension to all licence and permit-holders who could not apply for renewals between 26 March and 31 May.

This extension allows for all learner's, driving and vehicle licences (including temporary), as well as temporary and professional driving permits and roadworthy certificates that expired between these dates to be deemed valid for a further 90 days from 1 June. 

Licencing centres and driving licence test centres (DLTCs) were only allowed to operate again from 1 June, many of these are operating at reduced capacity and are working through the backlog of applications received.

While validity extensions have been requested for the grace period to be extended until the end of January 2021, a further extension is yet to be announced. In the meantime, the number of expired licences and permits will increase, meaning that more people will be using the country's roads without valid discs.

The good news is that vehicle insurance cover for Discovery Insure personal and business clients won't be compromised if a claim is needed to be processed in the interim.

Drivers and vehicle owners will therefore be recognised as legally licenced should they need to claim against a Discovery Insure insurance plan provided they are in possession of a valid licence, albeit expired.