Drivers across the country will soon see a major change in how their licences are renewed, as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority moves to tie expiration dates directly to motorists’ birthdays.
Under the new policy, a driver’s licence will lapse on the holder’s date of birth rather than on a fixed calendar date. Announcing the change, the Chief Executive of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kotey, said the measure was part of a broader reform agenda aimed at modernising the authority and improving service delivery.
“With this initiative, your date of birth will be the day on which your licence expires.
The public should take note of this change.
We are also extending this system to roadworthiness certification, so when it is time to renew your roadworthy certificate, you will receive an SMS indicating the due date,” he said.
Mr Kotey made the remarks at a media briefing held last Friday to mark his first year in office. He explained that aligning licence expiry dates with drivers’ birthdays would make it easier to track renewals, minimise confusion, and bring Ghana’s licensing regime in line with international best practices.
He further noted that the policy was expected to boost compliance, limit missed renewals, improve service efficiency, and strengthen revenue mobilisation within the transport sector.
As part of the reforms, the DVLA will introduce a short message service notification system to alert motorists ahead of the expiration of their driver’s licences and roadworthiness certificates. According to Mr Kotey, the SMS alerts would reduce dependence on manual reminders and help ease congestion at DVLA offices caused by last-minute renewals.
He added that the reforms formed part of the authority’s wider digital transformation drive, which sought to “improve efficiency, curb avoidable infractions, reduce revenue leakages, and support road safety enforcement nationwide.”
Reflecting on achievements during his first year in office, Mr Kotey said the DVLA had registered more than 10,000 earth-moving and other movable machines at the ports, a move that increased monthly registration volumes from 10,000 to 16,000.
He also disclosed that the authority had opened 10 new offices, including 24-hour service points, in regions such as Savannah, Bono, Ashanti, and Greater Accra. In addition, mobile licensing units, SMS reminders, and skills development programmes had been introduced to improve public access to services.
The DVLA, he said, had strengthened partnerships with institutions such as the State Insurance Company and the National Identification Authority to streamline operations and reduce delays.
According to Mr Kotey, the innovative strategies and prudent management systems adopted over the past year had resulted in a nine per cent increase in revenue, funds he said would be reinvested to expand operations and improve infrastructure.
Looking ahead, he said the authority was prioritising the rollout of an automated vehicle emission testing system and the tightening of vehicle inspection procedures. He explained that the initiative would help curb the use of rickety vehicles that emit poisonous gases into the atmosphere, posing risks to human health and the environment.
Mr Kotey also indicated that the DVLA was committed to implementing new number plates with enhanced tracking technology and expanding 24-hour services to more regional offices to ensure wider access to quality services nationwide, Graphic Online reported.
