DVLA to Replace All Vehicle Number Plates in Ghana by End of 2028
- The DVLA announced plans to replace all vehicle number plates in Ghana under a new digital identification system
- A pilot phase will begin later in 2026 with government vehicles registered first, before unregistered vehicles
- Vehicle owners who registered before 2023 have been warned they face sanctions if they fail to migrate their details onto the DVLA's digital platform
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The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has announced a two-year nationwide exercise to replace all vehicle number plates in Ghana with digital ones, with the programme set to run from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2028.
DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey confirmed the timeline at a media briefing in Accra on Friday, July 10, 2026.
Source: Facebook
Kotey noted that the authority is preparing for a pilot phase ahead of the full rollout.
The pilot phase is scheduled to begin on August 1, 2026, starting with government-owned vehicles. Registration of all unregistered vehicles will then commence on September 1, 2026.
The DVLA has set July 31, 2026, as the deadline for completing the system updates required before the pilot begins.
Kotey said the new digital number plate regime is intended to close gaps in Ghana's vehicle identification process and reduce revenue losses tied to vehicle registration.
The system will link the DVLA's database with several other institutions, including the Ghana Highway Authority toll system, the National Insurance Commission motor insurance database, the Ghana Police Service and the judiciary.
Punishment for non-compliance with the new DVLA regime
The DVLA's Director of Driver Training, Testing and Licensing, Kafui Semenyo, urged vehicle owners who registered their vehicles before 2023 to migrate their records from the authority's manual system to its digital platform.
He said the onboarding process will verify tax compliance, confirm proper registration and establish legal ownership.
Semenyo warned that failure to comply would carry consequences.
For example, if you do not onboard a vehicle, you cannot obtain your certificate, title and vehicle registration card.
You also cannot register your vehicle when the mandated new vehicle registration and re-registration exercise commences.
The new plates, first shared on Facebook, will carry Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips to allow instant verification and digital activation by enforcement agencies.
The DVLA did not provide an update on the legislative amendments needed to support the new system. Implementing the digital plates requires changes to the Road Traffic Regulation, 2012 (L.I. 2180), which governs the format and content of vehicle number plates. In December 2025, the authority suspended its earlier implementation plan because the proposed amendment was still awaiting parliamentary approval.
The DVLA first announced the digital number plate policy in October 2025, with an initial target of January 1, 2026, for new vehicle registrations and April 2026 for re-registering more than four million existing vehicles.
DVLA unveils design of new number plates
In August 2025, YEN.com.gh reported that Kotey unveiled the design of the new number plates set to be introduced in 2026.
He said these changes are part of sweeping reforms in the country's vehicle registration system.
Kotey called these developments a significant step forward for vehicle regulation.
Source: YEN.com.gh
