DVLA targets 2027 rollout of RFID number plates to boost vehicle security
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has completed the design of new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-enabled number plates, with a nationwide rollout expected in 2027.
Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey announced this during the Government Accountability Series at Jubilee House in Accra, explaining that the plates were being piloted in selected areas.
The new technology is expected to improve vehicle identification, enhance security, support electronic road tolling and strengthen law enforcement through real-time access to vehicle information.
Mr Kotey said the design was developed by DVLA staff without consultancy fees, as part of efforts to modernise vehicle registration.
“The new number plate responds to the need to modernise vehicle registration with technology. It allows access to instant and real-time information, and enables integration for electronic road tolling as well,” he said.
He added that the RFID technology would provide useful vehicle information to law enforcement agencies investigating crimes.
The DVLA has decentralised the issuance process to its regional offices, where vehicle owners will be required to register their details on an electronic database before obtaining the new plates.
The system will enable real-time verification of vehicle ownership and help distinguish private vehicles from commercial vehicles, including commercial motorcycles, commonly known as Okada.
Once fully implemented, motorists will be able to obtain the plates from any DVLA regional office, eliminating the need to travel to the head office.
Mr Kotey said a nationwide public education campaign had begun ahead of the 2027 rollout.
The DVLA CEO also disclosed that the authority had introduced digital stickers to replace aluminium plates used for temporary vehicle registration at the ports, helping to address revenue leakages.
He said monthly issuance of the stickers had increased from an average of 1,800 to more than 15,000 by October 2025.
Revenue from the stickers rose from GH¢15 million for the whole of 2024 to more than GH¢27 million between January and September 2026.
The authority also renegotiated service-level agreements for roadworthy certificates, reducing the projected cost of US$155.4 million over three years to GH¢2 million for the same period.
According to Mr Kotey, the DVLA recorded a surplus of GH¢25 million in 2025, up from GH¢5 million in 2024.
The authority contributed GH¢17.7 million to the Consolidated Fund in 2025 and GH¢80.4 million to the Road Fund, bringing its total contributions to GH¢98.1 million.
The DVLA has expanded its nationwide network from 33 to 63 offices in two years, including 12 authority-owned offices and 18 Ultra Centres established through private-sector partnerships.
Other initiatives include 24-hour services at selected offices, computer-based driving tests in six local languages, SMS reminders for licence renewals and an electronic library of driver refresher videos.
The authority is also introducing a demerit points system under which drivers who exceed the prescribed threshold for traffic violations could have their licences revoked and be required to undergo retraining and recertification.
Mr Kotey further disclosed that the DVLA, in collaboration with the Minerals Commission, had registered more than 7,700 excavators at the ports.
Additionally, 357 vehicles had been impounded and handed over to the Ghana Revenue Authority for alleged customs duty violations following the deployment of on-board diagnostic devices to detect cloned and uncustomed vehicles.
By Esther Padmore Amonoo
