The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has explained the reasons behind the decision to change Ghana’s vehicle number plate system and the temporary suspension of the issuance of new-design licence plates.

Speaking on The Citizen Show with Nana Otu Darko on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, the Director of Corporate Affairs at the DVLA, Stephen Attuh, said the decision was taken last year after authorities identified serious security gaps in the existing licence plate system.

According to him, the current licence plates fall short of modern security standards, making it possible for some individuals to acquire duplicate plates through illegal means and use them to commit crimes.

He explained that in such cases, when law enforcement agencies trace the licence plate, it often leads to the original registered owner rather than the person who duplicated the plate.

He revealed that at some point last year, authorities observed vehicles moving around with two different number plates, a situation the DVLA is determined to eliminate.

To address this challenge, Mr. Attuh said the DVLA decided to align Ghana’s vehicle registration system with regional security requirements and international standards.

As part of the reforms, the Authority plans to introduce Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.

“The RFID chip will be embedded in the licence plate and will store digital information about the vehicle and its owner.

This will allow security agencies to easily identify every vehicle and prevent plate duplication,” he explained.

Mr. Attuh emphasised that under the current system, all licence plates and the inscriptions on them are approved by the government.

He noted that even the Ghana flag displayed on the plates is backed by law.

He cited Regulation 10 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), which outlines the mandatory features of a licence plate, stressing that any change to a licence plate without legal approval is illegal.

He further disclosed that after the DVLA developed new designs for the licence plates, the proposals were submitted to Parliament for approval and amendment of the relevant laws.

Two legal instruments were involved: one relating to the use of road traffic regulations, including amendments covering motorbikes, which has already been addressed, and another law aimed at protecting the integrity of licence plates.

However, the second proposal could not be passed before Parliament went on recess at the end of December last year, causing the amendment process to stall.

“As a result, we cannot roll out the new number plates because doing so without parliamentary approval would be illegal,” Mr. Attuh said.

He explained that the DVLA has therefore fallen back on the existing registration system.

While vehicle registration continues, the Authority is unable to issue the original new-design licence plates for now.

Mr. Attuh also announced changes to the way licence plates will be issued in the future.

He said inscriptions will no longer be written on the surface of the plates, and the “dash 2026” marking will be removed. This, he explained, is to address the abuse of the temporary “DV” registration regime, where some imported vehicles are driven for several years without transitioning to permanent registration.

The DVLA says it remains committed to improving vehicle identification, enhancing security, and ensuring full compliance with the law once Parliament approves the necessary amendments.