All vehicles in Ghana will be required to transition to RFID-enabled number plates starting April 1, 2026, according to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
The move represents a major overhaul of the country’s vehicle registration system, aimed at modernizing vehicle identification, enhancing road safety, and streamlining electronic road toll collection.
According to the DVLA, the new plates will feature Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips, enabling authorities to track vehicles digitally in real time.
The technology is expected to facilitate automatic toll collection, speed monitoring, and other traffic management operations, reducing reliance on manual enforcement and improving compliance with road usage regulations.
The phased rollout, according to the DVLA, will begin with new vehicle registrations from January 1, 2026, while existing vehicles must complete re-registration by April 1, 2026. Plates will display a regional code, a unique four-digit number, and a zonal identifier, replacing the current year-of-registration system.
To curb misuse, the DVLA said that Defective Vehicle (DV) and Temporary (TMP) plates will be redesigned, with a sticker-based system introduced for vehicles not yet road-ready. Enforcement measures will also be strengthened to prevent unauthorized use of temporary or dealer plates.
The adoption of RFID-enabled plates is part of a broader push to digitalize Ghana’s transport sector, improve revenue collection from tolls and registration fees, and enhance vehicle tracking for law enforcement.
The DVLA plans to conduct public awareness campaigns and stakeholder engagement sessions in the months leading up to the rollout.
