DVLA to begin producing and embossing vehicle number plates locally

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) is set to take full control of the production and embossment of vehicle number plates in Ghana, ending its reliance on third parties and imported plates.

As part of the initiative, the Authority has commenced construction of a vehicle number plate manufacturing centre at its Greater Accra Regional office in Accra.

The facility is expected to be completed within three months and will produce new number plates embedded with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kortey, cut the sod for the commencement of construction works on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Mr Kortey said the project formed part of the Authority's broader transformational reforms aimed at strengthening the security and integrity of vehicle number plates issued in Ghana.

“The sod that has been cut today demonstrates the government's commitment to reposition the DVLA as a key institution in the road transport sector,” he said.

He explained that the facility, once completed and operational, would guarantee a reliable supply of quality number plates while helping to tackle the proliferation of counterfeit plates.

DVLA begins new phase
Mr Kortey described the initiative as a major step towards transforming the DVLA into a modern, self-reliant and efficient public institution capable of providing essential services to the road transport sector.

“When we manufacture our plates, we will distribute them to our offices for embossment,” he said, explaining that the arrangement would bring the service closer to vehicle owners across the country.

He disclosed that each region would be provided with an embossment machine, while Greater Accra and the Ashanti Region would receive five and three machines respectively due to the high volume of vehicles registered in those regions.

The DVLA CEO stressed that the move was not intended to deprive private embossers of their livelihoods but rather to bring greater regulation and accountability to the sector.

“What we are saying is that the era where anyone gets the means to manufacture or emboss number plates is a thing of the past. DVLA will regulate embossers to do things right,” he said.

He added that embossers would be distributed across the country to ensure that only authorised persons were allowed to emboss standardised and quality number plates.

Concerns over counterfeit plates
The DVLA currently relies on imported number plates and plates manufactured by third parties, rather than producing and embossing them directly.

The arrangement has, however, raised concerns over the quality of some plates on the market as well as the increasing circulation of counterfeit number plates.

The establishment of the new manufacturing centre is therefore expected to give the DVLA greater control over the production, distribution and security features of vehicle number plates in Ghana.