By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has explained why vehicle owners in Ghana are required to remove their number plates after selling their cars, clarifying that number plates are legally owned by individuals, not permanently assigned to vehicles.
According to the Authority, the policy introduced under the current vehicle registration regime, is aimed at improving traceability and preventing former vehicle owners from being wrongly linked to traffic offences or criminal activities committed after a vehicle has changed ownership.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, January 2, 2026, DVLA Director of Corporate Affairs, Stephen Attuh, said number plates are connected to several national systems, including traffic enforcement and security databases, making it critical that plates always reflect the current legal owner.
He explained that law enforcement agencies rely on number plates to identify vehicle owners whenever traffic violations or criminal activities occur.
“If you sell the car and remove the plate alongside with the vehicle, the one who commits an infraction records it in your name. That’s the kind of system we want to build now, so that when you sell it, you take it off,” Mr. Attuh stated.
Under the policy, vehicle owners who sell their cars are required to remove their number plates at the point of sale to avoid being held accountable for future infractions involving the vehicle.
The DVLA further clarified that removed number plates may be kept by the Authority and reassigned to the same owner if they later acquire another vehicle.
“DVLA may take possession of that plate until the next time you get another vehicle and you want to use it. We will realign the vehicle details to the number plate and connect you so that you begin to use it. So that is the reason we are looking at it,” he explained.
The Authority says the reform is part of broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s vehicle registration system, enhance accountability, and ensure that traffic enforcement and security records accurately reflect vehicle ownership at all times.
