Letter of authority for imported or rebuilt motor vehicle

About applying for a letter of authority in respect of a motor vehicle

If you intend to import a new or used vehicle, goods vehicle or trailer, or to register a built (manufactured) or modified vehicle, you must first obtain a letter of authority from the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS).

You must have the letter of authority irrespective of whether the vehicle was built in South Africa or in a foreign country. Types of vehicle for which you require a letter of authority are:

• cars, buses and motorcycles
• goods vehicles (trucks or vans)
• trailers
• special vehicles such as mobile cranes, tractors and harvesters.

All motor vehicles, whether manufactured in South Africa or imported, must conform to the requirements as set out in the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act 93 of 1996). Importers must also submit proof of conformity to the requirements of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).

If the application is for one vehicle only, only the person in whose name the vehicle will be registered may complete the application form.