Need a driver’s licence? Here’s how long you’ll need to wait

The City of Cape Town has published its latest breakdown of waiting times for learner’s and driver’s licence tests at its testing centres, with figures recorded as at 24 August 2026.

Motorists in Cape Town face different waiting periods depending on which testing centre they use, with some applicants able to secure a test within days while others face waits of more than three months.

The City said it works to keep waiting times as short as possible, but acknowledged that backlogs can occur, often because applicants fail to arrive for scheduled tests.

Residents have been urged to follow the City’s testing guidelines when applying for a licence.

Learner’s licence waiting times

The average waiting time for a learner’s licence test across the listed testing centres is 47 days.

Kuils River has the longest waiting period at 104 days, followed by Eastridge at 97 days and Lingelethu West at 79 days.

At the other end of the scale, New Ottery has the shortest waiting time at just four days.

The current waiting times are:

Testing centre	Waiting time
Atlantis	35 days
Brackenfell	46 days
Durbanville	38 days
Eastridge	97 days
Elsies River	28 days
Fish Hoek	35 days
Goodwood	42 days
Gordon’s Bay	42 days
Hillstar	30 days
Kuils River	104 days
Lingelethu West	79 days
Joe Gqabi	69 days
New Ottery	4 days
Bellrail	21 days
Gallows Hill	35 days
Milnerton	72 days
Parow	50 days
Somerset West	16 days

Light motor vehicle licence waiting times

For light motor vehicle driving tests, the average waiting period is 27 days.

New Ottery currently has the longest wait at 80 days, followed by Goodwood at 63 days and Parow at 57 days.

Applicants at Lingelethu West and Joe Gqabi face the shortest wait, at just one day.

Testing centre	Waiting time
Atlantis	3 days
Brackenfell	8 days
Durbanville	15 days
Eastridge	18 days
Elsies River	30 days
Fish Hoek	14 days
Goodwood	63 days
Gordon’s Bay	42 days
Hillstar	15 days
Kuils River	9 days
Lingelethu West	1 day
Joe Gqabi	1 day
New Ottery	80 days
Bellrail	16 days
Gallows Hill	44 days
Milnerton	50 days
Parow	57 days
Somerset West	16 days

Heavy motor vehicle licences

Applicants seeking heavy motor vehicle licences face an average waiting period of 47 days.

The longest wait is at New Ottery, where applicants currently face a 91-day wait.

Gallows Hill has a waiting period of 52 days, while Parow is at 56 days and Milnerton at 50 days.

Testing centre	Waiting time
Joe Gqabi	21 days
New Ottery	91 days
Bellrail	14 days
Gallows Hill	52 days
Milnerton	50 days
Parow	56 days

Motorcycle licence waiting times

The average waiting period for motorcycle licence tests is 42 days.

Gallows Hill has the longest wait at 65 days, while Parow is at 51 days and Milnerton at 48 days.

The shortest waiting time is at Bellrail, at 14 days.

Testing centre	Waiting time
Bellrail	14 days
Gallows Hill	65 days
Milnerton	48 days
Parow	51 days
Somerset West	31 days

City urges applicants to follow testing guidelines

The City said waiting times can be affected by applicants failing to arrive for their scheduled tests.

It is therefore urging residents to adhere to the general testing guidelines when applying for a learner’s or driver’s licence.

Click here for the full list of driver’s licence testing centres

How long did you wait for your driver’s licence appointment? And, did you pass first time?