Code 8, 10 and 14 — what do they mean for a learner's licence?
Code 8, 10 and 14 are the old South African driving licence categories that people still use in everyday speech. For a learner's licence, the official codes are Code 1 (motorcycles), Code 2 (light vehicles up to 3 500 kg — the old ‘Code 8’), and Code 3 (vehicles over 3 500 kg — covering the old Code 10 and 14 territory).
The mapping, old to new
| What people say | Learner's licence code | Vehicles | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Motorbike licence" | Code 1 | Motorcycles (with or without sidecar), tricycles, quadricycles | 16 (engine ≤125cc); 18 (over 125cc) |
| "Code 8" | Code 2 | Cars, bakkies, minibuses and goods vehicles up to 3 500 kg GVM | 17 |
| "Code 10 / Code 14" | Code 3 | Any motor vehicle over 3 500 kg GVM | 18 |
Source: Department of Transport learner's licence categories (gov.za).
Which learner's code should you choose?
Choose by the driving licence you ultimately want. A Code 2 learner's lets you take lessons and the driving test in a normal car — what most first-time drivers need. If your goal is truck work, a Code 3 learner's at 18 puts you on the path to the heavy-vehicle driving licence codes (C1, C, EC1, EC — the modern equivalents of "Code 10" and "Code 14").
Is the test different for each code?
The structure is the same three sections. Some questions are tailored to the vehicle class — a motorcycle paper asks motorcycle-specific control questions. The road signs and rules of the road are the same body of knowledge for everyone.
Ready to practise?
Real road signs, mock tests and the AI Tutor — in English or Afrikaans.
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