BY Daniel Bampoe
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has announced a major policy shift in the vehicle registration system, aimed at strengthening security and accountability on the roads.
Starting January 2026, vehicle number plates will no longer be tied solely to vehicles but will instead be issued in the names of individual owners.
The new system marks a significant departure from the current practice, where vehicle registration numbers are automatically transferred with a vehicle upon sale.
Under the new arrangement, a vehicle’s registration number will become a personal identifier, directly linked to its owner rather than the car itself.
According to the DVLA, the change is designed to give law enforcement and security agencies better tools to trace vehicle ownership, thereby enhancing public safety.
A statement issued on October 3, 2025, emphasized that the reform will allow the transport ecosystem to link a unique number plate to a specific individual, making it easier to address cases of car theft, hit-and-run incidents, and crimes committed with unregistered or misidentified vehicles.
In practice, the policy means that when a vehicle changes hands, the outgoing owner will be required to remove their personalized number plate before handing over the car.
The new buyer must then apply for and receive their own plate, assigned in their name, before the vehicle can be legally used on the road.
“The vehicle number in the possession of an individual belongs to the individual, who has a responsibility to take off the number plate at the time of change in ownership,” the DVLA explained.
Vehicle owners are therefore being urged to see their number plates as their personal property and take responsibility for safeguarding them.
This reform, the DVLA says, is part of its broader mandate to modernize Ghana’s vehicle licensing regime in line with international best practices.
In many advanced jurisdictions, number plates are linked to individuals rather than cars, ensuring that vehicle history and ownership records remain consistent and traceable over time.
The announcement comes after years of public concern over vehicle-related fraud, stolen cars, and difficulties in tracking vehicles used for criminal activities.
Road safety advocates have long argued that a personalized plate system would tighten loopholes that allow stolen or illegally sold cars to circulate with little trace.
The DVLA has assured the public that full guidelines on how the transition will be managed will be released before the policy takes effect.
It has also encouraged vehicle owners to prepare for the change by updating their registration records to ensure a smooth migration into the new system.
