PassThe rule in full
No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a public road:
- except under the authority of, and in accordance with the conditions of, a licence issued to them under the National Road Traffic Act; and
- unless they keep that licence or document with them in the vehicle.
Those are two separate requirements, and the second is the one people forget. Holding a valid licence that is at home in a drawer does not satisfy the law.
"In accordance with the conditions"
A licence authorises a class of vehicle, and it may carry conditions — corrective lenses, for instance, or an adapted vehicle. Driving a class your licence does not cover, or driving without a condition met, puts you in the same position as driving unlicensed.
Two kinds of licence
A licence authorising the driving of a motor vehicle is issued by a driving licence testing centre, and is either a learner's licence or a driving licence. A learner's licence authorises you to learn, under supervision. A driving licence authorises you to drive on your own.
A public road is wider than you think
These rules bite on a public road, which is not limited to tarred streets. It includes any road, street or thoroughfare the public is entitled to use — including many parking areas and access roads that feel private.