To make a PDP application, you need a valid driving licence for the vehicle class, the minimum age for your permit category, a medical certificate (form MC) less than two months old, a completed application form PD1, your ID, photographs, proof of address and the fee. You hand these in at a driving licence testing centre (DLTC), where your eyes are tested and your fingerprints are taken for a criminal record check.
This page covers the application itself: which forms to fill in, where to get them, what order to do things in and what happens after you submit. For who qualifies for a professional driving permit (PrDP) in the first place, including the disqualifying offences, see PDP requirements.
Driver or Vehicle Requirements at a Glance
- Forms: PD1 (application), MC (medical certificate) and NCP (change of address or particulars).
- Where: a driving licence testing centre. Gauteng residents are directed to apply online first.
- Checks when you apply: documents are verified, you take an eye test and your fingerprints are taken for a criminal record check.
- Time limit on the medical: the MC form must be less than two months old.
- Category D only: a dangerous goods training certificate.
- Fee: set by the province. Ask your DLTC.
- Turnaround: up to 12 weeks, then 120 days to collect the card.
Licence and Eligibility Requirements
Check these before you fill in form PD1. The DLTC will reject the application if any of them fails:
- Your licence must be valid. If your driving licence card has expired, renew it first. A PrDP is only issued for a vehicle class your licence already covers.
- You must be old enough for the category you tick on the form. Gov.za sets the minimum at 18 for goods (G), 21 for passengers (P) and 25 for dangerous goods (D).
- You must be medically fit, as shown on the MC form.
- You must have a clean record for the disqualifying offences. You don’t prove this with your own paperwork: the fingerprint check at application time does it.
Choose the category on form PD1 carefully. If you need to carry passengers for reward (for example, e-hailing), a goods permit will not cover it, and you would have to apply and pay again.
Vehicle, Inspection and Safety Requirements
You don’t bring a vehicle to a PrDP application. The procedure on gov.za has no driving test and no vehicle inspection. The permit is linked to you, not to a vehicle, and the vehicle class comes from your existing driving licence.
The safety checks at application stage are about you:
- Medical examination: done before you apply, by a doctor who completes form MC. The certificate is only accepted if it is less than two months old, so don’t book the medical too early.
- Eye test: done at the DLTC when you apply, or you can hand in results from an optometrist.
- Criminal record check: your fingerprints are checked against the SAPS criminal record database.
- Dangerous goods training: category D applicants need a training certificate. The City of Cape Town also offers application forms for dangerous goods and flammable substance certificates, so ask your DLTC which ones apply to you.
Documents, PrDP or Supporting Evidence
Originals are safest. Take copies as well in case the centre asks for them.
- Identity: South African ID, driving licence card or valid South African passport.
- Driving licence: valid for the vehicle code the PrDP is for.
- Form PD1, completed.
- Form MC, completed by a registered doctor within the last two months.
- Form NCP, completed.
- Photographs: gov.za asks for four identical black-and-white photos, the Western Cape Government lists two and the City of Cape Town lists one. Ask your DLTC before paying for photos.
- Proof of postal and residential address: for example a utility bill. If you live in an informal settlement, bring a dated letter from your ward councillor.
- Training certificate (category D only).
- Any existing professional or public driving permit.
You don’t need to get a police clearance certificate before you apply. The City of Cape Town lists police clearance as something done at the DLTC, and gov.za’s procedure has the conviction report requested after you have applied and paid.
Registration or Application Process
Where to get the PDP application form: forms PD1 (Application for professional driving permit), MC (Medical certificate) and NCP are free at every DLTC. You can also download them from the NaTIS road traffic forms page or the City of Cape Town’s PDP page. Don’t pay a website for these forms.
PDP online application: gov.za directs Gauteng residents to apply online through the NaTIS online portal. You still have to go to a DLTC to verify your documents and have your eyes tested and fingerprints taken. Elsewhere, apply in person at a DLTC. Ask your nearest centre whether you need to book.
The PrDP application in order:
- Collect the forms (PD1, MC and NCP) from a DLTC or the NaTIS site.
- Have your medical done. Take form MC to a registered doctor. Time it so the certificate is still under two months old on the day you apply.
- Complete forms PD1 and NCP and choose your category (G, P or D).
- Apply at the DLTC (Gauteng: book through the online portal first). Hand in your forms and documents and do the eye test, or hand in your optometrist’s results.
- Pay the fee. Gov.za says to ask your local licensing office for the current amount. Pay only as the DLTC tells you to.
- Have your fingerprints taken for the conviction report. Depending on the centre, this is done at the DLTC or you are sent to the nearest police station.
- Wait to be notified. Gov.za gives a maximum of 12 weeks for the permit to be ready.
- Collect the card at the centre with your ID. Cards not collected within 120 days are destroyed.
To check the status of your PrDP application, contact the DLTC where you applied. The centre notifies you when the card is ready for collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do a PDP application online?
Partly, if you live in Gauteng. Gov.za directs Gauteng residents to online.natis.gov.za, but you still have to go to a DLTC for your eye test, fingerprints and document checks. Gov.za does not list an online route for other provinces, so elsewhere you apply in person at a DLTC.
Where can I download the PrDP application form?
Form PD1 is on the NaTIS road traffic forms page, alongside the MC medical certificate and the NCP form. They are also free at any DLTC.
Do I need a police clearance certificate before I apply?
No. The criminal record check is part of the application. Your fingerprints are taken at the DLTC or at a police station after you apply, and checked against SAPS records.
How far in advance should I get my medical certificate?
Not more than two months before you apply. An older MC form will not be accepted, so book the doctor close to your DLTC visit.
Is there a driving test for a PrDP?
Not in the procedure gov.za publishes. The application involves an eye test, a medical certificate and a fingerprint-based criminal record check, and relies on the driving licence you already hold.
How do I check my PrDP application status?
Contact the DLTC where you applied. It notifies you when the card is ready, and you have 120 days to collect it.
How long does the application take?
Gov.za says the permit may be ready within a maximum of 12 weeks.
Fees and booking arrangements differ by province and can change, so confirm the details on gov.za’s PrDP page or with your nearest driving licence testing centre before you go. If you plan to drive for a passenger platform, check rideshare driver requirements, and browse all driving and transport requirements.