The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) in Ghana has put plans to roll out new RFID-tagged number plates on hold indefinitely. The launch, originally scheduled for January 2, 2026, has been delayed.
Mr. Julius Neequaye Kotey, the DVLA’s Chief Executive Officer, explained that the main reason for the postponement is that the necessary legislative steps had not been fully completed. Although Parliament did amend the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) before its recess on December 19, 2025, the required updates to the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180)—which outline the exact design, format, and technical details for vehicle license plates—were not approved in time.
The new plates, announced earlier in 2025, represent a major modernisation effort. Key features include:
- Embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips for enhanced vehicle traceability.
- Elimination of the two-digit year code (e.g., no more “-25” for 2025 registrations).
- Introduction of zonal and regional identifiers (e.g., “AD” for Adenta in Greater Accra).
- Integration with the Ghana Card for owner verification.
- Enhanced security features to reduce counterfeiting.
- Support for future electronic tolling systems and improved enforcement against vehicle-related crimes.
The initiative is to make roads safer, simplifying how vehicles are registered, and putting a stop to things like license plate misuse. At first, any new vehicle registrations were supposed to get these new plates starting in January 2026, with all the older vehicles getting updated in later steps.
In the interim:
- – Motorists using temporary “Drive-from-Port” (DP) stickers and “DV” plates (for defective or provisional vehicles) have been granted. These will remain valid until further notice.
- – Vehicle owners are urged to comply with current registration rules.
The DVLA has assured everyone that these new RFID-embedded plates will be rolled out as soon as all the legal requirements are met. While no new date has been set, the authorities are still fully committed to this modernization project, aiming for better road management and security.