Ghana’s vehicle registration system has undergone its most significant overhaul in more than a decade, with the coming into force of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519) reshaping how vehicles are registered, how number plates are displayed and renewed, and what happens to a vehicle’s registration number when ownership changes. The regulations, passed by Parliament in December 2025, form part of a broader government push to modernise vehicle identification, strengthen road safety and close gaps in the national vehicle database.
The changes come as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) begins the pilot phase of its new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-enabled number plates, with nationwide issuance scheduled for January 2027. More than four million existing vehicles are expected to be re-registered under the new system.
Why the Overhaul?
The old framework, governed by the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180) and the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), had become vulnerable to number plate cloning, manual manipulation and delays in retrieving vehicle records, making it difficult for law enforcement to track vehicles linked to crime. The DVLA has acknowledged that the previous system allowed number plates to be printed outside its supervision, creating opportunities for fraud and revenue leakage.
“The objective is to create a more credible and updated vehicle database, improve public safety and security, properly identify vehicle owners and enhance service delivery,” said Otuo-Srebour Kwasi Bona, Deputy Director in charge of Vehicle Inspection and Registration at the DVLA.
The new regulations also provide a legal framework for the commercial operation of motorcycles, commonly known as okada, which until now had no clear regulatory provisions. Regulations 164 to 177 of L.I. 2519 are dedicated to the qualification, registration and operation of commercial motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles.
What Every Registered Vehicle Must Have
Under Regulation 10, when a motor vehicle or trailer is registered, the Licensing Authority assigns it an identification mark, or registration number. For an ordinary motor vehicle, that mark must appear on two number plates — securely fixed, upright or within 15 degrees of an upright position, with letters and numbers clearly legible. The reflective characters must be legible at night in clear weather and recognisable by a driver following from at least 60 metres away. Plates must also be resistant to wear and tear.
A third, retro-reflective licence plate — a sticker placed on the inner right-hand corner of the windscreen — is also required. It carries the registration information as well as the chassis number, make and model of the vehicle. A vehicle covered by the requirement cannot legally be kept, used or driven on the road without it.
The New Number Plate Categories
L.I. 2519 creates a range of identifiable categories, set out principally in Regulations 11 to 23:
Type What identifies it
Private vehicle White background, with region, Ghana map, Ghana flag, unique alphanumeric mark and registration-centre code
Commercial vehicle Yellow background, with similar security and identification information
Government vehicle White background and the prefix “GV”
Electric vehicle Green-coloured band on the left side of the plate
Trailer Yellow-coloured band on the left side
Equipment Blue-coloured band on the left side
Private motorcycle Prefix “M” and a blue background
Commercial motorcycle Prefix “M” and a yellow background
Temporary vehicle Prefix “TMP”
Defective vehicle plate Prefix “DV”, with unique garage identification, registration number and expiry date
Particular identification mark Approved personalised inscription or name
Ceremonial plate Approved personalised ceremonial inscription, valid for no more than three months
Diplomatic plates are to be determined by the Licensing Authority in collaboration with the Ministry responsible for Foreign Affairs.
A New Format, Without the Year
Under the new RFID-enabled plate design, the familiar year-of-registration embossed on number plates will be scrapped. The registration number will be followed by four letters — the first two representing the Registration Centre Code, and the last two constituting a Random Identification Mark that does not follow a sequential pattern. The new plates will feature “REPUBLIC OF GHANA” at the top, the Ghana Flag at the top-right corner, a biennial renewal sticker ring at the top-left corner, the region of registration at the bottom, and a watermark of the map of Ghana at the centre.
DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey said the removal of the year identifier would eliminate the practice of vehicle owners delaying registration until the beginning of a new year to obtain a newer-looking plate. “The random allocation takes away predictability. There will be no need for people to wait for January before registering their vehicles,” he said.
The RFID chip embedded in the plate is capable of storing vehicle and ownership information, allowing authorised agencies to retrieve data electronically in real time. Kotey said the RFID component has been embedded in a way that makes it difficult for people attempting to clone or reproduce genuine plates to locate or copy the technology.
Registration Numbers Must Be Renewed Every Two Years
One of the biggest changes motorists need to know is the biennial renewal requirement. Under Regulation 25, the owner of a motor vehicle or trailer must renew the registration number every two years by applying to the Licensing Authority. The Authority is required to notify the owner one month before the registration period expires. Once the renewal requirements are met and the prescribed fee paid, a validation sticker is issued, which must be placed on the top-left corner of the licensed plates.
Failure to renew or properly display the validation sticker attracts a fine of 10 to 25 penalty units, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both.
The Licensing Authority may withdraw a registration number where the owner fails to renew it, where it has remained unassigned for five years or more without notification, where a court orders its withdrawal, or in another circumstance determined by the Authority.
Selling Your Car No Longer Means Selling Your Number
Perhaps the most consequential provision for buyers and sellers of used vehicles is the change in how registration numbers are treated during ownership transfers.
Under Regulation 30, both the existing owner and the prospective new owner must notify the Licensing Authority of the change of ownership within 14 days, providing a completed transfer-of-ownership form, a letter changing ownership, the Certificate of Title, and any other required documents. Before the DVLA completes the change of ownership, the Authority must physically check the chassis number and confirm it corresponds with its records.
The previous owner cannot simply transfer the vehicle registration number to the new owner unless the Licensing Authority approves it. Within 14 days of notifying the Authority, the parties must present the vehicle so that its registration number can be deactivated and the number plate recalled. The new owner then applies for a temporary registration number, reactivation of an existing number belonging to the new owner, or a new permanent registration number.
After a change of ownership, the vehicle’s existing registration number is generally reserved for five years in the name of the previous owner. If that previous owner buys another vehicle in the same category, the Licensing Authority may reassign and activate the number. The five-year reservation rule does not apply in the same way to government vehicles, registered companies and diplomatic vehicles.
DVLA Manager for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Lilian Sevor, explained that under the new system, registration numbers will remain attached to the registered owner rather than the vehicle, allowing owners to retain their plates when they dispose of a vehicle and transfer them to another vehicle within the same category.
Obscured Plates and Automated Enforcement
Regulation 24 prohibits keeping, using or driving a vehicle on a road without the required registration plate, and prohibits fixing the registration number in a way that makes it obscure or difficult to distinguish. A breach attracts a fine of not less than 10 and not more than 25 penalty units, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both.
This provision is particularly relevant to the Ghana Police Service’s TraffiTech-GH automated traffic enforcement system, which becomes fully operational on October 1, 2026. The system uses roadside cameras and sensors to detect traffic offences and identify vehicles through their registration numbers. ACP Alexander Obeng, Director of Research, Education and Training at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, said the digital system will complement manual enforcement, targeting offences such as speeding, running red lights, failure to wear seatbelts or helmets, and using mobile phones while driving.
Deliberately covering or positioning a plate so that it cannot be easily identified by cameras can itself amount to an offence under Regulation 24.
Privacy Concerns and Industry Pushback
The rollout has not been without controversy. The Vehicle Embossment Association of Ghana (VEMAG) filed an injunction at the Accra High Court in December 2025 seeking to restrain the DVLA from introducing the new system, arguing that licensed embossers would be shut out of the registration process. The association also demanded that the policy be deferred until after mid-2026 to allow for meaningful dialogue.
Privacy concerns were also raised in Parliament. Abena Osei Asare, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, questioned whether the new plates would display vehicle owners’ surnames and potentially expose personal data. Kotey assured the Committee that the DVLA would fully comply with Ghana’s Data Protection Act, noting that the system would only digitalise existing information without changing its basic format.
The Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has urged the DVLA to strengthen its cybersecurity systems ahead of the full rollout.
What Happens Next
The DVLA’s pilot phase, announced on September 29, 2026, involves a selected number of vehicles and will allow the Authority to test and refine the new system ahead of full implementation. Official issuance of the new RFID-enabled plates is scheduled to begin in January 2027, starting with unregistered vehicles. The Authority will subsequently announce the modalities and commencement date for the re-registration of vehicles already registered, targeting completion by December 2027.
DVLA CEO Kotey has described the reform as a critical national security intervention. “Most crimes involve the use of vehicles. We need a system that enables us to identify vehicles quickly and accurately,” he said. “We therefore call on everyone to support this project.”
For motorists, the practical takeaways are clear: registration numbers must be renewed every two years; plates must remain clearly visible and free from obstruction; ownership changes must be reported within 14 days; and when a car is sold, the old registration number does not automatically pass to the buyer. The registration number is now tied to the person, not the vehicle — a fundamental shift that will reshape how Ghanaians buy, sell and own vehicles for years to come.
