Key facts
- What it is
- A driver nomination that moves a fine from the registered owner to the responsible driver: an electronic AARTO 07 nomination to the RTIA for AARTO notices, or the driver's details submitted to the issuing authority for CPA notices.
- Who can nominate
- The registered owner or operator of the vehicle, for a notice served on the owner, within the prescribed period.
- What cannot be nominated
- Operator offences (loading, fitness, goods transport) and notices served personally on a driver.
- With FineHub
- Unlimited redirections included in the fleet subscription, for subscribed fleets. Pricing on request.
- Legal basis
- AARTO: AARTO Act 46 of 1998 and AARTO Regulations 2026, regulation 6 (nomination of driver). CPA: Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, with section 73 of the National Road Traffic Act (owner presumed to be the driver unless the driver is identified).
An introduction to AARTO
The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) replaces the old practice of a company quietly paying its drivers' fines. Under AARTO, paying a fine is an admission of the infringement by the person who pays. Fines issued to a vehicle registered to a business are the business's problem until they are dealt with, and once the demerit points system is in force, points will follow the person responsible: the driver for driver offences, the operator card for operator offences.
That changes the economics of a fine. A fine the company pays is money gone and, in future, points against the company's operator card. A fine redirected to the driver inside the window is neither.
Your legal duty as a registered owner
A business that owns vehicles must know who was driving each vehicle at any given time. When an infringement notice is served on the owner, the owner may nominate the actual driver, and the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) then moves the infringement to that driver's record. The nomination must identify a specific, verified person: the driver's details, licence number and a declaration that they were in control of the vehicle at the time. A nomination is a legal statement, and nominating the wrong person exposes the nominating party to civil and criminal consequences.
Redirecting CPA fines
Outside AARTO, fines are issued under the Criminal Procedure Act, usually as a notice to the vehicle's owner. Section 73 of the National Road Traffic Act presumes the owner was driving unless the owner identifies the person who was. FineHub submits the driver's details to the issuing authority, which reissues the fine in the driver's name.
Each authority runs its own process and timelines, so FineHub tracks the response and records the outcome against the fine, as it does for AARTO. AARTO demerit points do not apply to CPA fines.
The problem at scale
For a fleet of fifty vehicles, redirections are a weekly chore. For a fleet of five hundred, they are a full-time job with deadlines attached. Notices arrive by post, email and sometimes in a driver's cubby hole. Each one has to be matched to a trip, a driver and a licence number; submitted on the correct form within the prescribed period; tracked for the authority's response; and filed with proof. Miss the window and the fine escalates: the discount is lost, a courtesy letter adds fees, and an unresolved notice can become an enforcement order and an eNaTIS administrative block on the whole entity.
- Fine issued to ownerCamera, parking or roadside notice against the company
- Driver identifiedTrip records and regular-driver data matched to the notice
- Nomination submittedAARTO 07 to the RTIA, or the driver's details to the CPA authority, inside the deadline
- Fine on driver's recordCompany liability removed; audit record returned to you
How FineHub redirections work
- The notice is detected. FineHub retrieves it electronically from the authority, or you upload a handwritten notice.
- The driver is identified. Regular-driver records and trip data are matched to the vehicle, date and time on the notice. You confirm the driver and licence number.
- You approve the redirection. One click on the fine record. Unlimited for subscribed vehicles.
- FineHub submits the nomination inside the deadline, with the required driver details: electronically to the RTIA for AARTO notices, or to the issuing authority for CPA notices.
- The fine moves to the driver's record and the submission, the authority's response and the confirmed outcome are stored against the fine as your audit record.
Why fleets redirect with FineHub
Correct, on time
AARTO nominations go through the RTIA's electronic nomination process and CPA nominations to the issuing authority, on the correct form, inside the prescribed period.
Minutes, not weeks
Submitted on approval, with the response tracked for you.
Full audit trail
Every nomination, response and outcome recorded per fine, per entity, for your auditors and insurers.
Driver accountability
Separate company and driver reporting so repeat infringers are visible and recovery is clean.
Operator verification before nomination
The nominating party is responsible for the accuracy of the nomination. Before approving a redirection, confirm the driver's identity, the vehicle, and the date and time of the offence against your own records. Keep trip sheets, telematics and driver allocation records; they are the evidence if a driver disputes the nomination. Written driver consent is also required before an employer may access an individual's point information once the demerit system is in force.
AARTO rollout timeline
| Phase | Date | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 1 December 2025 – 30 June 2026 | Johannesburg and Tshwane, the two existing implementation areas. |
| Phase 2 | 1 July 2026 | 60 additional municipalities under Proclamation 322 of 2026, bringing the total to 62 issuing authorities. Full list. |
| Phase 3 | To be proclaimed | Demerit points, disqualification and rehabilitation (sections 24–28). Excluded from the July 2026 commencement; verify the commencement notice before relying on points rules. |
Included in your subscription
Redirections are part of the FineHub fleet subscription: there are no credit packs and no pay-per-redirection option. FineHub is delivered to subscribed business fleets, alongside tracking, notifications, BRNC and proxy administration and monthly reporting. Pricing depends on the size of your fleet, so we quote every fleet individually. Request pricing or call +27 (0)87 265 3849.
Redirection FAQs
What happens if the wrong driver is nominated?
Nominating the wrong person carries civil and criminal risk for the nominating party. The operator remains responsible for verifying the driver, the vehicle and the time of the offence before a nomination is submitted. FineHub matches notices to your regular-driver and trip records to reduce the risk, but the nomination is yours; verify before you approve.
Can a driver dispute a redirected fine?
Yes. Once the fine is on the driver's record the driver has the same rights as any infringer: to pay, to make a representation to the RTIA (AARTO) or the issuing authority (CPA), or to apply for revocation.
How long does a redirection take?
AARTO nominations are submitted electronically within minutes of your approval, and CPA nominations go to the issuing authority on approval. Processing time varies by authority; FineHub tracks the response and records the confirmed outcome.
What if the fine has already been paid?
A paid fine is an admission and cannot be redirected afterwards. FineHub does not process refunds or adjustments on paid fines, which is why notices should be redirected before anyone pays.
Can every fine be redirected?
No. Only driver infringements on notices served on the owner can be nominated, and only within the applicable period. Operator offences such as overloading, vehicle fitness and goods-transport duties attach to the operator and must be handled on the company account. A notice served personally on a driver cannot be nominated back to the owner.
Does redirecting a fine protect the company from demerit points?
Under the AARTO points framework, points follow the person responsible. A valid nomination places the infringement, and any points that apply once the system is in force, on the driver's record rather than the operator card. Paying a fine on a driver's behalf does the opposite: it is treated as an admission by the person who pays.
How many redirections are included?
Unlimited AARTO and CPA redirections are included in the subscription for every subscribed vehicle. There is no per-redirection charge and no credit system. Redirections are available to subscribed fleets only; contact us for pricing.