DVLA to replace all Ghana vehicle number plates by 2028 under new digital system

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has announced plans to replace every vehicle number plate in Ghana within a two-year period as part of a nationwide digital vehicle identification programme aimed at strengthening road safety, improving law enforcement, and eliminating inefficiencies in vehicle registration.

The nationwide exercise will commence on January 1, 2027, and run until December 31, 2028, during which all vehicles will undergo re-registration under a new digital number plate regime.

The announcement was made by the Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kotey, during a media briefing in Accra on Friday, July 10, 2026.

Ahead of the nationwide rollout, the DVLA will begin a pilot implementation phase on August 1, 2026, starting with the registration of government-owned vehicles.

The authority also announced that the registration of all newly imported and previously unregistered vehicles under the new framework will begin on September 1, 2026, while July 31, 2026, has been reserved for system upgrades and final technical preparations.

According to Mr. Kotey, the phased implementation is intended to ensure a smooth transition before the mandatory nationwide re-registration exercise begins in 2027.

The DVLA says the new digital number plate system will significantly enhance Ghana's vehicle identification and tracking capabilities by integrating its database with several key government institutions.

The new platform will be linked to:

• The Ghana Police Service
• The Judiciary
• The National Insurance Commission (NIC) motor insurance database
• The Ghana Highway Authority toll collection system
• Other national enforcement and regulatory agencies

The integrated system is expected to enable real-time access to vehicle ownership information, insurance status, registration details and other critical records.

According to the DVLA, the improved database will help security agencies investigate crimes more efficiently while reducing administrative delays.

Mr. Kotey noted that the current system often makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to obtain timely information about vehicles involved in criminal investigations.

"It is disheartening for state enforcement agencies such as EOCO or the Ghana Police Service to write to the DVLA for information on vehicles that were involved in crime, but the authority is unable to readily provide it," he stated.

He explained that delays in retrieving vehicle information have, in some instances, affected police investigations and even prolonged the detention of suspects awaiting bail because ownership details could not be verified promptly.

The new digital platform is expected to eliminate these bottlenecks by making vehicle information instantly accessible to authorised agencies.

The proposed digital number plates will incorporate Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, allowing enforcement agencies to instantly verify vehicles electronically.

The RFID-enabled plates are expected to:

• Improve vehicle authentication.
• Reduce vehicle registration fraud.
• Combat number plate cloning.
• Assist in tracking stolen vehicles.
• Strengthen traffic law enforcement.
• Improve toll collection and insurance verification.

The technology is also expected to support real-time data sharing among state institutions, improving accountability and public safety.

Although the implementation timeline has been announced, the DVLA acknowledged that legislative changes are still required before the new system can be fully implemented.

The proposed reforms require amendments to the Road Traffic Regulation, 2012 (L.I. 2180), which currently governs the design, issuance and use of vehicle number plates in Ghana.

The Authority did not provide an update on the progress of the legislative amendment during the briefing.

The digital number plate policy was initially scheduled to begin in January 2026 but was suspended in December 2025 because Parliament had not yet approved the required legal amendments.

The DVLA has also reminded owners of vehicles registered before 2023 to migrate their records from the Authority's manual database onto its digital platform ahead of the nationwide exercise.

Director of Driver Training, Testing and Licensing, Kafui Semenyo, said the onboarding process will verify that vehicle owners have fulfilled all legal requirements, including tax obligations and proper registration.

According to him, the migration exercise will also establish legal ownership of vehicles and improve collaboration between the DVLA and the Ghana Police Service, particularly in recovering stolen vehicles.

Mr. Semenyo warned that vehicle owners who fail to migrate their records before the new registration exercise begins could face legal consequences.

He explained that motorists who do not complete the onboarding process will be unable to obtain essential vehicle documents, including:

• Vehicle Registration Card
• Vehicle Title Certificate
• Registration under the new digital number plate system

He further cautioned that failure to comply with the new requirements would constitute a violation of Ghana's road traffic laws and could result in sanctions.

The DVLA believes the nationwide vehicle re-registration exercise represents one of the most significant reforms to Ghana's vehicle registration system in decades.

Once fully implemented, the digital platform is expected to improve revenue collection, strengthen law enforcement, enhance road safety, reduce fraud, and create a comprehensive national vehicle database capable of supporting modern transport management and public security.