The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) is set to introduce reforms at the sector aimed at enhancing its registration and tracking systems.
The initiatives seek to implement an enhanced tracking technology and new number plates, Chief Executive of the Authority, Julius Neequaye Kotey, has said.
According to him, the Authority has introduced a Dealer’s Permit (DP) sticker meant to ensure accountability and traceability of vehicles from the port into the country’s transport system.
He explains the previous instances of having vehicles in the country without knowing their owners will be a thing of the past since the new technology will help track every detail of the vehicle, including its owner, place of usage amongst others, from the day it lands at the port.
“The new DP sticker allows us to track who is driving the car, when it arrived in Ghana, its destination, and the date the sticker expires. Once scanned, the code reveals all these details. It was wrong to have cars in the system without knowing their owners, but now, right from the port, we know who owns the vehicle,” he said on Channel One TV Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
Mr. Kotey also shed light on the use of DV number plates by dealers and individuals, stressing that individuals who fail to register their number plates within two weeks of usage will be penalised.
He explained that a DV sticker could only be used in garages where these vehicles are sold, adding that DV stickers can only be used with a valid reason such as sending the car to the mechanic for repairs.
Also, the Authority, according to Mr. Kotey, is considering the introduction of a number plate for individuals who fail to register their cars within the two week grace period but cautioned that such plates would come at a “very expensive” cost.
The new number plates the DVLA seeks to introduce from January 1, 2026, Mr. Kotey stated, will phase out the year of manufacture of the plate or registering the vehicle.
Rather, he has disclosed that the regional code will be maintained at the top of the plate with an area code at the end.
“For instance, a plate will read GR 222 AD, with AD representing Adenta. We have completed all the legal groundwork and intend to roll this out on the first of January,” he stated.
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