DVLA uncovers widespread fake and expired DV number plates - Warns of impending prosecutions
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has uncovered widespread use of fake 2026 DV number plates and expired 2025 DV plates in the Greater Accra Region, with a stern warning that effective May 4, persons using those vehicles will be arrested and prosecuted.
During a month-long road inspection activities, the authority also found many forged DP stickers in the system, contrary to Regulation 23(11) of the Road Traffic Regulation, 2012 (L.I 2180), which prohibits the use of a vehicle with forged trade licence.
The operations were carried out by the Compliance and Enforcement Unit of the DVLA, in collaboration with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, ahead of the May 4 deadline.
At a media briefing held in Accra on April 23, the Deputy Director of Vehicle Inspection and Registration at the DVLA, Kwasi Bona Otuo-Srebour, stressed that effective May 4, the authority would strictly enforce Regulation 23 of the Road Traffic Act to ensure that persons using fake DV plates and forged DP stickers were arrested and prosecuted.
He said it was worrying that despite the awareness creation by the DVLA, there was still a high level of non-compliance by people. "We are sounding caution that from May 4, this year, we will not only take the fake plates; we will ensure that the offenders are arrested and prosecuted," he stressed.
Context
In February this year, the DVLA announced the release of 2026 DV number plates and subsequently urged members of the public to stop using the 2025 DV number plates.
Following reports of continuous use of the expired and fake DV plates, the authority stepped up compliance and enforcement activities in parts of the Greater Accra Region, particularly the Adenta, Naaman and Tema enclaves.
Enforcement
Ahead of the deadline, officials of the authority have been mounting checks on major streets and highways to enforce compliance and warn culprits of an impending nationwide clampdown on the use of the faulty DV plates.
One of the enforcement activities took place at the East Legon enclave in Accra on April 23 by a joint team from the DVLA and the Motor Traffic and Transport Division (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service.
The joint team looked out for faulty DV plates for 2026, expired DV plates for 2025 and beyond, and stylish number plates not prescribed by the DVLA.
The Assistant Manager for the Compliance and Enforcement Unit of DVLA, Kofi Ansah Apenteng, who led the operations, explained that the exercise had been necessitated by the increasing use of faulty DV plates by drivers.
"Our investigation shows that a lot of faulty DV plates for 2026 are in the system, so it was necessary for the compliance and enforcement team to dig deep and see what is really happening.
So, for the past one month, we have been doing this enforcement exercise to detect all those who are forging our DV plates and stickers we issue at the ports," he said.
At the end of the three-hour exercise, the team discovered that many of the infractions were related to vehicles with expired DV plates.
There were other cases of vehicles with faulty 2026 DV plates while some also had tinted glasses, contrary to the provisions of the Road Traffic Regulations.
