DVLA's new number plates: Full breakdown of the new security features and rollout

• DVLA will introduce digital number plates with embedded RFID chips to help combat cloning, vehicle fraud and illegal embossing.

• The new system will feature centralised production, database integration and phone verification to strengthen vehicle registration and ownership checks.

• A pilot begins in August 2026, while nationwide re-registration of existing vehicles will run from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2028.

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Speaking on JoyNews on July 24, 2026, DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey said the Authority will begin piloting the new system in August 2026, with nationwide re-registration of vehicles starting on January 1, 2027.

The new system combines Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, centralised production and a digital database to improve vehicle identification and strengthen law enforcement.

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Every new number plate will contain an embedded RFID chip, allowing authorised security agencies to instantly retrieve a vehicle's information using RFID scanners.

According to Kotey, the technology will support criminal investigations, electronic tolling, speed monitoring and traffic law enforcement.

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The DVLA says all number plates will now be produced through a single centralised system linked directly to its database.

Vehicle information will be verified before plates are embossed by authorised producers, a move the Authority says will significantly reduce cloning and illegal production.

Each number plate will be linked to the DVLA's central database, which will be integrated with the Ghana Highway Authority, the National Insurance Commission, the Ghana Police Service and the judiciary.

Kotey said the system will enable faster access to vehicle records during investigations and legal proceedings.

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The DVLA is requiring all vehicles registered before 2023 to migrate their records onto its digital platform before the nationwide re-registration exercise begins.

Owners who fail to complete the onboarding process will not be able to obtain registration documents or participate in the re-registration exercise.

To prevent fraudulent registrations, the DVLA has introduced phone verification into its digital registration process.

Whenever an agent registers a vehicle on behalf of an owner, a verification code will be sent directly to the owner's mobile phone before the registration can be completed.

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The redesigned number plates will replace the current year suffix with a unique vehicle identification number combined with regional and zonal codes.

The plates will also feature reflective materials and standardised font sizes to improve visibility and make them easier for security agencies to read.

The DVLA is also introducing redesigned Defective Vehicle (DV) and Temporary (TMP) plates to curb abuse of the existing system.

According to Kotey, the Authority uncovered more than 30,000 fake DV plates earlier this year and has since intensified enforcement against offenders.

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The digital number plate policy was first announced in October 2025, but its rollout was delayed after proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180) were not passed by Parliament.

Under the revised timetable, system upgrades are expected to be completed by July 31, 2026, ahead of a pilot programme in August 2026, beginning with government-owned vehicles.

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Registration of currently unregistered vehicles will begin on September 1, 2026, while the nationwide re-registration of existing vehicles will run from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2028, giving motorists two years to transition to the new digital number plates.