The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has announced stricter regulations governing the use of vehicle number plates, warning motorists who misuse Dealer Vehicle (DV) plates that they risk sanctions.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, the Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kotey, said the new measures are aimed at strengthening vehicle registration, improving road safety and curbing the abuse of dealer number plates.
He stressed that DV number plates are reserved exclusively for licensed car dealers and should not be used by private individuals for everyday activities.
“It is wrong to use a DV number plate as a private citizen when you are not a car dealer,” he said.
Mr Kotey explained that DV plates are issued solely for moving defective vehicles to repair facilities and are not intended for personal use.
“It is not meant for driving around or going to church or town. It is meant for going to the mechanic shop. That is why the police keep stopping and questioning them because you are only meant to go to the mechanic shop,” he stated.
To improve accountability, the DVLA has introduced a coding system that links every dealer plate to a specific licensed car dealer.
“We have introduced a code for car dealers, so when we see someone driving the car around, we will track it to know the car dealer, and the dealer will face sanctions,” Mr Kotey said.
He further announced that under the new regulations, anyone who imports a vehicle into the country has two weeks from the date the vehicle leaves the port to complete its registration.
“Under the new regulation, when you bring a car out of the port, you have two weeks to register the vehicle,” he said.
For owners who are not yet ready to complete the registration process, the DVLA has introduced a temporary number plate.
“If you are not ready to register your car, you can acquire the temporary plate, which is valid for six months, after which you are required to register the car,” he explained.
Mr Kotey added that licensed car dealers will continue to receive DV number plates after the initial two-week period, but these can only be used for transporting defective vehicles for repairs.
“If you are a car dealer, after the two weeks, you will be given a DV number plate, which is for a defective vehicle, and you can only use it when going to fix a fault on the vehicle,” he said.
He also disclosed that the Authority has introduced ceremonial number plates, which are valid for seven days.
“We also have the ceremonial plates, which are valid for seven days, but you must show proof that the car has already been registered,” he noted.
As part of efforts to prevent the illegal transfer of number plates between vehicles, the DVLA has also introduced new tamper-resistant registration screws.
“The new screws for the registration work clockwise. It cannot go anticlockwise, so you can’t just be moving the number plates and changing and embossing them on different vehicles,” Mr Kotey explained.
According to the DVLA CEO, the new regulations form part of broader reforms aimed at enhancing the integrity of Ghana’s vehicle registration system, improving traceability and supporting law enforcement in tackling vehicle-related crime.
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