Vehicle Codes

Important vehicle codes needed to register vehicles

Users: Banks, Dealers, Private citizens and registering authorities.

The codes referred to below, are internal codes used by the NaTIS system to refer to the life cycle state of a vehicle.

Regulation 13(4) and (5) of the National Road Traffic Regulations

Specifying the life cycle states of a vehicle.

A motor vehicle shall be recorded as “built-up” in the register of motor vehicles if:

  • it is being registered for the first time and it has been manufactured, built, modified or imported by a manufacturer, builder or importer:
    • which has not been registered as such;
    • which is not required to be registered as such; or
    • has been registered as such in terms of regulation 40(2) subject to the condition or conditions referred to in regulation 41(b)(ii) or (iii), and in respect of which no certification of roadworthiness referred to in regulation 141(2) was issued;
  • the vehicle was deregistered in terms of regulation 55 as permanently unfit for use; or [Paragraph (b) substituted by R.11(b), G.N. R.1341 w.e.f. 25 September 2003].
  • the motor vehicle was previously registered as “built-up”.

A motor vehicle shall be recorded as “used” in the register of motor vehicles if such vehicle was deregistered in terms of regulation 26A or 54(4) and was recorded as “new” or “used” prior to such deregistration, or if such vehicle was exempt from registration in terms of regulation 5 and such exemption was withdrawn or no longer applies.

A code 1 vehicle is ‘New’

The state indicates that:

  • The source of the vehicle is a known manufacturer,
  • The current owner is the first person that ever became liable for licensing or the vehicle has not yet been liable for licensing
  • The vehicle was never reported unfit for use (scrapped)
  • The vehicle was never stolen or deregistered by default due to failure to licence the vehicle and
  • The vehicle was never exempt from registration.

A code 2 vehicle is ‘Used’

The state indicates that:

  • The source of the vehicle is a known manufacturer and
  •  The current owner is the second or later owner of the vehicle after the vehicle became liable for licensing or,
  • The vehicle was stolen or deregistered by default due to failure to licence the vehicle or
  • The vehicle was at any stage exempt from registration) and
  • The vehicle was never reported unfit for use (scrapped).

A code 3 vehicle is ‘Built-up’

The state indicates that the

  • Source of the vehicle is not a known manufacturer or
  • Vehicle has at any stage been reported as unfit for use (scrapped). The choice to declare a vehicle unfit for use, is that of the owner. The owner notifies the authority of his decision. The title- holder has to deregister the vehicle 3 months after the owner decided to scrap the vehicle.

A code 4 vehicle is `Scrapped`

The state indicates that the

  • The owner may also notify the authority that the vehicle has been demolished. These vehicles can never be registered again. The old taxis in the taxi recap program are demolished. Some people refer to this as ‘code 4’ but it is actually recorded in another field on the vehicle record.
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