The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) is set to begin the local production and embossment of vehicle number plates in Ghana, ending its dependence on third-party manufacturers and imported number plates.
The initiative forms part of the DVLA’s ongoing digital transformation and road transport reforms aimed at improving vehicle registration, strengthening number plate security and reducing the circulation of fake vehicle number plates across the country.
DVLA Begins Construction of Number Plate Manufacturing Centre
The DVLA has commenced the construction of a dedicated vehicle number plate manufacturing centre in Accra.
The facility, located at the premises of the DVLA’s Greater Accra Regional Office, is expected to be completed within three months. Once operational, it will produce a new generation of vehicle number plates embedded with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.
The RFID-enabled number plates are expected to improve the identification and tracking of vehicles while strengthening security within Ghana’s vehicle registration system.
The Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kotey, officially cut the sod for the project on Friday, August 28, 2026, marking the commencement of construction.
DVLA Number Plate Reform to Fight Fake Plates
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Kortey said the establishment of the manufacturing centre was part of the authority’s broader institutional transformation agenda.
According to him, the project demonstrates the government’s commitment to repositioning the DVLA as a stronger and more efficient institution within Ghana’s road transport sector.
He explained that once the facility becomes operational, the DVLA will be able to produce high-quality vehicle number plates locally, helping to address concerns over poor-quality plates and the increasing circulation of counterfeit number plates.
The DVLA CEO said the project would also strengthen the authority’s ability to regulate the production and embossment of vehicle registration plates.
Number Plate Embossment to Be Decentralised
Mr Kortey disclosed that locally manufactured number plates would be distributed to DVLA offices across the country for embossment.
The move, he said, would bring vehicle registration and number plate services closer to motorists and improve access to DVLA services.
Under the new arrangement, each region will receive at least one number plate embossment machine. However, Greater Accra and the Ashanti Region will receive five and three machines respectively due to the high number of vehicles registered in those regions.
The decentralisation is expected to make the vehicle registration process in Ghana more efficient while reducing pressure on major DVLA offices.
DVLA to Regulate Private Number Plate Embossers
Mr Kortey clarified that the new policy is not intended to eliminate the livelihoods of private number plate embossers.
Instead, the DVLA intends to strengthen regulation within the sector to ensure that only authorised and qualified operators manufacture or emboss vehicle number plates.
He explained that the previous situation where individuals could acquire the means to manufacture or emboss number plates without adequate regulation would no longer continue.
The authority is expected to regulate embossers across the country to ensure compliance with DVLA vehicle registration standards and number plate security requirements.
RFID Number Plates Expected to Strengthen Vehicle Security
The introduction of RFID-enabled vehicle number plates is expected to mark a major shift in Ghana’s vehicle identification and registration system.
By manufacturing the plates locally and incorporating modern identification technology, the DVLA aims to improve the integrity of vehicle registration records and make it more difficult for counterfeit number plates to enter the system.
The initiative is also expected to support the DVLA’s goal of becoming a modern, self-reliant and technologically advanced state institution capable of delivering essential services to motorists.
Ghana’s Current Number Plate System
Currently, the DVLA does not manufacture or emboss vehicle number plates directly. Number plates used in Ghana are either imported or produced by third-party manufacturers.
However, concerns have been raised over the quality of some plates and the increasing presence of fake vehicle number plates within the registration system.
The establishment of the new DVLA manufacturing centre is therefore expected to give the authority greater control over the production, distribution and embossment of vehicle number plates in Ghana.
The reform could ultimately improve vehicle registration security, enhance road transport administration and help curb the use of counterfeit number plates across the country.
Source: newsthemegh.com