Driving Licence Codes South Africa: Code 14, Code 10 and EC Explained

Code 14 is now called Code EC. It is the licence for an articulated vehicle with a gross combination mass over 16,000 kg — a truck-tractor and semi-trailer, which is what most long-haul freight in South Africa moves on. South Africa replaced the numbered codes with letters in 1998, but the old numbers never went away, so both are still in daily use.

This page sets out every licence code, what each one legally allows you to drive, and how the old numbers map to the new letters. If you are trying to work out which licence a particular truck needs, the number that matters is its mass — either GVM for a rigid vehicle or GCM for a combination.

Old codes and new codes

Old code	New code	What it covers
Code 08	Code B	Light motor vehicles up to 3,500 kg
Code 10	Code C1	Rigid vehicles 3,500 – 16,000 kg
Code 11	Code C	Rigid vehicles over 16,000 kg
Code 14	Code EC	Articulated vehicles over 16,000 kg GCM — the long-haul licence

Every licence code and what it allows

Code	Old code	Mass band	What it allows
A1	—	engine ≤ 125 cc	Motorcycle up to 125 cc, or electric. Scooters and mopeds, with or without a sidecar.
A	—	engine > 125 cc	Motorcycle over 125 cc. Speed bikes, touring bikes, choppers and cruisers.
B	Code 08	≤ 3,500 kg	Vehicles other than motorcycles with tare ≤ 3,500 kg; minibuses, buses and goods vehicles with GVM ≤ 3,500 kg. Trailer up to 750 kg may be attached.
EB	—	GCM ≤ 3,500 kg	Light articulated vehicles ≤ 3,500 kg, and Code B vehicles towing a trailer over 750 kg. Includes A1, A and B.
C1	Code 10	GVM 3,500 – 16,000 kg	Rigid vehicles from 3,500 to 16,000 kg. Trailer up to 750 kg may be attached.
C	Code 11	GVM > 16,000 kg	Rigid vehicles over 16,000 kg. Trailer up to 750 kg may be attached.
EC1 (a)	—	GCM 3,500 – 16,000 kg	Articulated vehicles with GCM between 3,500 and 16,000 kg. Includes A1, A, B, C1 and EB.
EC1 (b)	—	GCM 3,500 – 16,000 kg	Rigid vehicles with GCM between 3,500 and 16,000 kg, including a Code C1 vehicle towing a trailer over 750 kg. Includes A1, A, B, C1 and EB.
EC (a)	Code 14	GCM > 16,000 kg	Articulated vehicles with GCM over 16,000 kg — truck-tractor and semi-trailer. Includes A1, A, B, EB, C1, C and EC1.
EC (b)	Code 14	GCM > 16,000 kg	Rigid vehicles with GCM over 16,000 kg, and Code C vehicles towing a trailer over 750 kg. Includes A1, A, B, EB, C1, C and EC1.

The distinction that catches people out: rigid or articulated

Two codes at each mass band look almost identical, and the difference is whether the vehicle is one unit or two.

• A rigid vehicle is a single unit — cab and body on one chassis. Above 16,000 kg it needs Code C.
• An articulated vehicle is a truck-tractor pulling a semi-trailer on a fifth wheel. Above 16,000 kg GCM it needs Code EC.
• A rigid vehicle towing a trailer over 750 kg also falls under the EC codes — the trailer is what pushes it up, not the truck.

That last point is the one that surprises operators: put a drawbar trailer behind a rigid and the driver needs an EC licence, even though the truck itself has not changed.

GVM or GCM — which mass applies

The codes use two different measures and using the wrong one puts you in the wrong band:

• GVM (gross vehicle mass) — the maximum permissible mass of a single vehicle, fully loaded. Codes C1 and C are set on GVM.
• GCM (gross combination mass) — the maximum permissible mass of the whole combination, truck plus trailers, fully loaded. Codes EC1 and EC are set on GCM.

There is one further wrinkle worth knowing. Code B is defined on tare weight for ordinary vehicles — the unladen mass — but on GVM for minibuses, buses and goods vehicles. Most summaries collapse this into a single “3,500 kg” figure and lose the distinction.

The professional driving permit (PrDP)

A licence code on its own does not let you drive for a living. Carrying goods professionally, carrying paying passengers, or moving dangerous goods each requires a professional driving permit endorsed on the licence:

• PrDP G — Goods. What a freight driver needs.
• PrDP P — Passengers. For paying passengers.
• PrDP D — Dangerous Goods. Required on top of G for hazardous cargo, and it carries a higher minimum age.

A PrDP is valid for 24 months and has to be renewed before it expires. It is a separate document from the licence card and it expires on its own schedule — a valid licence with a lapsed PrDP is not a licence to work.

Your licence code is not your wage grade

This trips up both drivers and employers. The bargaining council sets minimum wages by vehicle class, not by licence code. Holding a Code EC licence does not by itself entitle you to the extra-heavy rate — the grade follows the vehicle you are actually put on. A Code EC driver placed on a medium rigid is paid the medium grade.

For the legal minimums by grade, see the NBCRFLI wage table for 2026/27. For what drivers are typically paid in practice, see our guide to truck driver salaries in South Africa.

Source and currency

Source: licence codes and mass thresholds are set by the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996 and the National Road Traffic Regulations 2000. The code definitions and mass bands above follow the official code reference table. The numbered-to-lettered conversion dates from the 1998 change.

Current as at 14 August 2026. Licence codes are stable and change rarely, but ages, fees and PrDP conditions are set by regulation and do change. Confirm current fees and requirements with your local licensing centre before you book a test.

Driving for a living?

If you hold the licence and are looking for work, list yourself free on the Kweli Driver Registry — transporters search it when they need a driver, and the trips you complete stay on your record and travel with you to the next job. Operators working out what a driver costs on a given lane can price it on our freight rate calculators.

Licence codes are set on mass. For the vehicle limits themselves, see legal truck dimensions and mass in South Africa.

Licences are not the whole picture. Goods operators also register under section 45 of the NRTA and display an operator card — and contrary to widespread belief, freight does not need an operating licence.

The same 3,500 kg line that separates Code B from C1 also puts a vehicle onto the annual roadworthy testing cycle.