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 all vehicle number plates in Ghana within two years, beginning January 1, 2027, as part of a new digital vehicle identification system.
The exercise, which will run until December 31, 2028, will involve the re-registration of vehicles across the country under a new digital number plate regime.
At a media briefing in Accra on Friday, July 10, 2026, the Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kotey, said January 1, 2027, remains the official commencement date for the nationwide vehicle re-registration exercise.
He explained that the authority is currently preparing for a pilot phase of the programme, which begins on August 1, 2026.
The pilot will begin with registering government vehicles before all unregistered vehicles are registered on September 1, 2026.
Mr Kotey said July 31, 2026, has been set aside for completing system updates ahead of the pilot rollout.
The DVLA CEO said the new number plate system is expected to strengthen Ghana’s vehicle identification process and reduce revenue leakages associated with vehicle registration.
He explained that the system will integrate the DVLA’s vehicle database with other institutions, including the Ghana Highway Authority toll system, the National Insurance Commission (NIC) motor insurance database, the Ghana Police Service, and the judiciary.
According to him, the improved database will allow enforcement agencies to quickly access vehicle information when needed.
“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,” Mr Kotey said.
“Sometimes this information on vehicles is required to grant people bail, but because we do not have it readily available, they end up spending some days in police custody, and this must change,” he added.
The DVLA did not provide an update on the passage of the legislation required to support the new system during the briefing.
However, Mr Kotey reiterated the authority’s commitment to implementing the new number plate and vehicle re-registration framework and appealed to stakeholders, including driver unions, to support the initiative.
The proposed changes require amendments to the Road Traffic Regulation, 2012 (L.I. 2180), which outlines the format and contents of vehicle number plates in Ghana.
In December 2025, the DVLA announced that implementation of the digital number plate policy had been suspended because the proposed amendment was still before Parliament awaiting approval.
