DVLA pilots RFID number plates ahead of January 2027 rollout

Pinned summary · as of 14:18

Ghana's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority has begun testing radio-frequency identification number plates and plans to issue them nationwide from January 2027, starting with newly registered vehicles. The redesigned plates are meant to improve vehicle traceability, prevent tampering and support the authority's digital push.

What we know

• The DVLA opened the pilot stage of its RFID-enabled number plate system. It says the trial comes after Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519) were passed.
• According to the authority, only a selected number of vehicles are in the trial. It wants to test and adjust the plates and the processes behind them before they are used across the country.
• The DVLA presents the plates as a move towards a vehicle identification system that is harder to tamper with and more reliant on technology. It also says they carry security features meant to make registered vehicles easier to authenticate and trace.
• Each plate displays REPUBLIC OF GHANA across the top and the national flag at the top-right. A two-yearly renewal sticker ring sits at the top-left, the registration region appears along the bottom, and a watermark map of Ghana occupies the centre.
• Four letters follow the registration number. The first pair identifies the registration centre, while the second pair is a random mark with no sequential order. The year of registration is no longer included.
• The DVLA said it plans to start formal issuance of the plates in January 2027, beginning with vehicles that are not yet registered.
• Owners of vehicles that already have plates must wait: the DVLA said the arrangements and start date for re-registering them will be announced later. It also promised the public enough notice before each stage of the rollout.
• The authority linked the new system to digitisation, better vehicle security, protection of revenue and more efficient registration and identification.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  YEN.com.gh alone reported that the DVLA has announced a two-year nationwide exercise, from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028, to replace all number plates in Ghana. No other publication carried this, and the DVLA has not confirmed it.
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  Reports differ on the day of the announcement: Opemsuo 104.7 described it as Monday, while Citi Newsroom, MyJoyOnline and YEN.com.gh called it Tuesday. All of them give 29 September as the date.
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  Pulse Ghana reported that the DVLA believes dropping the year code from plates will discourage drivers from seeking fresh plates simply to get newer-looking registration marks; no other source confirmed this reasoning.
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  Pulse Ghana estimated the cost of replacing a plate at between GH₵600 and GH₵1,200, including the RFID plate and windscreen stickers; the DVLA has not confirmed a cost.
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  Pulse Ghana noted that since 2009, Ghanaian plates have carried a two-digit year code and that defective vehicle (DV) plates were originally meant for temporary use by dealers; these historical points came from Pulse alone.
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  DVLA Chief Executive Julius Neequaye Kotey unveiled a sample design for the new plates.
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  By producing plates itself instead of contracting the work out, the authority says it can cut down on forgery and prevent unauthorised modification of plates. The DVLA also expects to turn around new plate orders within 48 hours.

Why it matters for Ghana

Motorists across Ghana will eventually swap their number plates for the new design, which could cost between GH₵600 and GH₵1,200 per vehicle. Owners with existing plates face uncertainty about timing and process, so they should watch for DVLA notices in coming weeks. The change is designed to help police and regulators identify and trace vehicles more easily, which affects road safety and revenue collection across the country. Drivers in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and other cities will need to plan for the transition when it reaches their area.