The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has intensified its crackdown on fake and cloned vehicle number plates, with about 30,000 number plates seized and 230 vehicles impounded within three months of implementing its new identification measures.
The Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Mr Julius Neequaye Kotey, said the enforcement exercise formed part of efforts to protect the integrity of the country’s vehicle identification system and improve road safety and security.
He said the Authority was committed to taking full control of the manufacturing and embossment of vehicle number plates to prevent fake plates from entering the system.
Mr Kotey disclosed this at the 2026 mid-review conference of the DVLA in Sunyani, held on the theme: “Transforming DVLA for a Digitally Driven and Efficient 24-Hour Service Culture.”
According to him, cloning detectors deployed by the Authority had helped identify and impound about 230 vehicles within three months of implementation.
The exercise, he said, had also uncovered vehicles operating without the required duties having been paid.
Mr Kotey said the DVLA would therefore subject every vehicle to verification before assigning a new number plate during the transition to the new regime.
He described the new license plate system as a major transformation of Ghana’s vehicle identification framework, particularly with the introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-enabled number plates.
He noted that the continued infiltration of fake number plates undermined the purpose of the new system and called for stakeholder support to ensure its successful implementation.
The DVLA has also commenced public education on the new number plates, their features and the different categories expected to be introduced.
Mr Kotey said the legal basis for the new regime had been provided by the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), which repealed L.I. 2180.
He explained that Regulations 10 to 22 of the new legislative instrument provided for the various types of number plates to be introduced from January 2027.
As part of measures to strengthen control over production, Mr Kotey announced that a sod-cutting ceremony had already been held for the construction of a new number plate manufacturing centre at the DVLA’s Narhman office.
He said the facility would enable the Authority to exercise greater control over the production and embossment of number plates and help curb the circulation of counterfeit plates.
The Bono Regional Manager of the DVLA, Mr George Okyere, said the transport sector remained a critical component of the national economy, with the Authority’s operations affecting drivers, fleet owners and citizens seeking driver’s licences and vehicle registration.
“Our efficiency directly impacts national development, road safety and the trust of citizens,” he said.
