An AARTO courtesy letter is the second stage of the traffic fine process under the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act. You receive one when you do nothing about an AARTO infringement notice for 32 days. Despite the polite name, it is not a friendly reminder: it costs you money, takes away options you had, and it is the last step before an enforcement order blocks your licence.
This page explains exactly what changes when a courtesy letter lands, what you can still do about it, and the correct fee, which is R100, not the R60 several sites still quote.
What an AARTO courtesy letter is
If you do not pay, nominate another driver, make a representation or elect to go to court within 32 days of your infringement notice, the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) issues a courtesy letter. It restates the alleged infringement and gives you a fresh 32 days to act, but on worse terms than before.
Like the original notice, a courtesy letter can be served on you personally, by registered mail, or electronically, and it can be deemed served even if you did not open it. Your new 32-day clock runs from that date of actual or presumed service.
The three things a courtesy letter costs you
The moment a courtesy letter is issued, three things change, and all of them are to your disadvantage:
- Your 50% discount falls away. At the infringement notice stage you could settle for half. Once the courtesy letter is issued, that discount is gone and the full penalty is payable.
- A R100 fee is added. The courtesy letter attracts a R100 charge on top of the penalty. This is the correct figure. Some sites still quote R60, but the RTIA’s own guidance sets it at R100.
- You lose the right to nominate the driver. If someone else was driving, you had 32 days from the infringement notice to nominate them on form AARTO 07. Once the courtesy letter is issued, that door closes and the fine stays with you.
What you can still do
You have not run out of options, but they are narrower than before. Within 32 days of the courtesy letter you can:
- Pay the full penalty plus the R100 fee. This settles the matter and, once the demerit points system is live, allocates the points for that offence to your name.
- Make a representation. If you believe you should not be liable, you can still submit a written representation on form AARTO 08, signed before a Commissioner of Oaths. Submitting a valid representation halts the process: the RTIA cannot escalate your matter to an enforcement order while the representation is being considered. This is your strongest remaining move if you have genuine grounds, and it is set out step by step in our guide on how to dispute an AARTO infringement notice.
What you can no longer do is nominate another driver, and the discount is not available whichever route you take.
Where the courtesy letter sits in the timeline
For a camera offence, counting from the day of the offence, the courtesy letter arrives well into the process:
- Within 40 days, the infringement notice must be issued.
- About day 50, that notice is deemed served and your first 32 days begin.
- Around day 114, if you have done nothing, the courtesy letter is issued and your second 32 days begin.
- Around day 146, if you ignore the courtesy letter too, an enforcement order follows.
In other words, the courtesy letter is your final warning before the process gains real teeth.
What happens if you ignore it
If you do not act within 32 days of the courtesy letter, the RTIA issues an AARTO enforcement order. That adds another R100, allocates your demerit points, and electronically blocks your licence and vehicle disc renewals until it is cleared. At that point you are paying the full penalty plus R300 in added fees, and you cannot renew a driver’s licence or a licence disc until you sort it out.
What to do right now
If a courtesy letter has arrived, or you think one might have, do two things. First, check your status on the official AARTO portal so you know exactly where your matter stands and how many days you have left. Second, decide inside the 32 days: pay if the fine is fair, or make a representation if it is not. Doing nothing is the one choice that guarantees the fine grows and your licence renewals get blocked.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AARTO courtesy letter? It is the second-stage notice in the AARTO process, issued by the RTIA when you do not respond to an infringement notice within 32 days. It restates the fine, adds a R100 fee, removes the 50% discount and gives you a fresh 32 days to act.
How much does an AARTO courtesy letter cost? The courtesy letter adds a R100 fee to the penalty. The 50% early-payment discount also falls away at this stage, so you pay the full penalty plus R100.
Can I still nominate another driver after a courtesy letter? No. Driver nomination on form AARTO 07 is only available within the first 32 days, before the courtesy letter is issued. After that the fine remains yours.
Can I dispute a courtesy letter? Yes. You can submit a representation on form AARTO 08 within 32 days. A valid representation halts the process and stops it escalating to an enforcement order while it is considered.
What happens if I ignore an AARTO courtesy letter? After 32 days without action, the RTIA issues an enforcement order. It adds a further R100, allocates your demerit points and blocks your driving licence and vehicle disc renewals on eNaTIS until it is cleared.
