No more physical licence - What drivers should know about Ghana’s new digital system

• Drivers may soon no longer need to carry physical licences during police checks.

• Trafitec GH will use cameras to detect about 46 traffic offences and issue electronic notices.

• Motorists will have 14 days to pay fines online through Ghana.gov and approved payment channels.

Motorists in Ghana may soon be able to leave their physical driver’s licences at home during routine police checks as the Ghana Police Service moves toward a digital traffic enforcement system.

The change is part of a broader effort to modernise traffic enforcement, reduce unnecessary interactions between motorists and police officers, and make the process of identifying and penalising traffic offenders more transparent.

Under the proposed system, no. According to Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), motorists will instead be required to provide their driver’s licence number when requested by a police officer.

READ ALSO: Ghana to adopt UK-style penalty points for drivers as DVLA CEO confirms pilot date for new number plates

The number can be stored or written down in a convenient place, including:

• On a mobile phone

• On a piece of paper

• In a wallet

• Somewhere in the vehicle
  "You don't need to carry the licence. You only have to remember your number,” Chief Superintendent Obeng explained.

Once the number is provided, police officers will be able to retrieve the driver's information electronically through the police's digital system.

READ ALSO: DVLA to introduce temporary 'just married' and other celebratory number plates

The Ghana Police Service is also introducing a technology-based traffic enforcement initiative known as Trafitec GH. The system will use surveillance cameras and other digital enforcement devices to identify motorists who violate traffic laws.

According to the MTTD, enforcement devices have already been deployed on:

• Police vehicles

• Traffic poles

• Tripods

• Other locations used for traffic monitoring
  
  The technology is expected to detect approximately 46 different traffic offences.

READ ALSO: DVLA unveils new timeline for digital number plates; see full details

Instead of relying solely on police officers stopping motorists, cameras and other devices will capture traffic violations electronically. When a violation is detected, the system will generate an Electronic Notice of Violation (ENV).

The notice will be sent to the offending motorist by text message and will include evidence of the alleged offence. This means motorists will be able to see the basis for the violation rather than simply being informed verbally that they have committed an offence.

Drivers or vehicle owners who receive an Electronic Notice of Violation will have 14 days to settle the applicable fine. Payment will be made electronically through the Ghana.gov platform, including through mobile money and other approved digital payment methods.

Importantly, motorists will not be expected to pay fines directly to police officers. Chief Superintendent Obeng stressed that payments should be made through the official online system.

READ ALSO: DVLA to replace faded 2026 vehicle number plates for free – CEO explains why they faded

The digital approach is intended to make traffic enforcement more efficient and reduce direct interactions between motorists and police officers.

It could also help reduce disputes over traffic offences, since violations detected through the system will be supported by electronic evidence. The system is expected to make it easier for police to identify offenders, record violations and track payments.

The Ghana Police Service says the existing Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180) will soon be repealed and replaced with the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026. The new regulations are expected to provide the legal framework for the use of technology in traffic enforcement.

This will include the use of both manned and unmanned enforcement devices, such as cameras and scanners, to detect, record and process traffic offences electronically.

READ ALSO: DVLA denies licences to 4,896 drivers over poor eyesight

If the new system is fully implemented, motorists will need to remember one important detail: their driver's licence number.

During a police check, the number could be sufficient for officers to verify the driver's licence electronically, meaning the physical card would no longer necessarily have to be produced.

At the same time, motorists will need to pay close attention to text messages and electronic notices relating to traffic offences and use only the authorised payment channels to settle fines.

Ghana is moving from a largely manual traffic enforcement system towards one where driver verification, offence detection, evidence, notifications and payments can all be handled digitally.