DVLA explains why motorists pay delinquency charges for expired licences

• DVLA says delinquency charges for expired licences are backed by existing regulations.

• Late-renewal charges range from GH¢52 to GH¢148, depending on the circumstances and duration.

• Motorists are urged to renew their licences on time to avoid extra costs and maintain valid licences.

Motorists who allow their driver’s licences to expire before renewing them may have to pay additional delinquency charges, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has clarified.

The Authority said the charges are not fees arbitrarily introduced at its service centres but are penalties provided for under Ghana’s existing regulations.

The clarification follows concerns raised by some clients at DVLA service centres over the additional charges imposed when renewing or replacing expired driver’s licences.

According to the DVLA, motorists have a responsibility to ensure that their licences remain valid and should take steps to renew them before their expiry dates.

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The delinquency charges vary depending on the circumstances and how long the licence has remained unrenewed.

Under the applicable fees and charges regulations, the charges include:

• Delinquency for non-renewal (one sticker): GH¢52

• Delinquency for non-renewal (two stickers): GH¢104

• Renewal between 7 and 12 months after expiry: GH¢75

• Renewal above one year to two years after expiry: GH¢111

• Renewal above two years after expiry: GH¢148

The DVLA said these charges apply to licence holders who fail to renew their licences within the prescribed period.

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The DVLA cited the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519) as the legal framework governing the renewal and replacement of driver’s licences.

Under Regulation 46(1), a driver’s licence may be renewed at any time within one month before its expiry, provided the prescribed fee is paid.

Where the licence is renewed within that period, the renewed licence takes effect from the date the previous licence expires.

The DVLA also pointed to sub-regulation 6 of Regulation 46, which provides that a driver’s licence is subject to renewal every two years.

The same provision states that the licence must be replaced after six years from the date it was issued.

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The DVLA said the penalties for failing to renew a licence before its expiry are provided for under the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (L.I. 2512).

The regulation establishes different delinquency categories based on the circumstances and duration of the non-renewal.

The Authority therefore stressed that the additional payments motorists encounter when renewing expired licences are prescribed penalties rather than arbitrary charges imposed by individual DVLA service centres.

The Authority has urged motorists to monitor the validity of their driver’s licences and renew them within the prescribed period.

Timely renewal, it said, helps motorists avoid additional delinquency charges while ensuring that they continue to hold valid driver’s licences.

Motorists are therefore encouraged to check their licence expiry dates and begin the renewal process within the permitted period rather than waiting until the licence has expired.