A Ghanaian number plate is set out by regulation 10 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (LI 2180). Read one from the left:
GR 1234 - 22
| Part | Means |
|---|---|
| GR | Where the vehicle was registered |
| 1234 | Its number in that series |
| 22 | The last two digits of the year it was registered in Ghana |
The plate also carries the Ghana flag and the country mark. A car’s plate is 34 by 18 centimetres; a motorcycle’s 26 by 16.
The letters at the front
The letters say which region’s registration series the vehicle came from. A region that fills one series opens another, which is why Greater Accra has many.
| Letters | Region |
|---|---|
| GR, GT, GW, GN, GE, GC, GS, GX and other G-series | Greater Accra |
| AS, AW, AE, AK and others | Ashanti |
| CR | Central |
| ER | Eastern |
| WR | Western |
| VR | Volta |
| NR | Northern |
| BA, BR, BW | Bono |
| UE, UW | Upper East, Upper West |
Regions created in 2018 have their own codes too. Lists online disagree on some of them; the registration certificate names the office.
The year is the year of registration in Ghana, not of manufacture. A car imported in 2022 that was built in 2012 carries 22.
Plates that are not region codes
- GV - a government vehicle (regulation 16).
- DV - a trade plate, used by dealers and garages to move a vehicle that is not yet registered. Trade licences begin with D (regulation 23). A private car driven for months on DV plates is one the owner has not registered, and the DVLA has said it is tightening this.
- Diplomatic plates, in their own colours, belong to foreign missions and international organisations.
- L and P plates are not number plates: a red L on white is a learner, a white P on green a driver in their first year. — The DVLA theory test
Checking a car before you buy it
The year on the plate is a quick first check against the papers. A seller’s documents should show the same number, the same chassis number as the one stamped on the car, and the seller’s name. A plate whose year does not match the registration certificate, or a plate that looks newer than the car, is a reason to stop and ask. — Registering a vehicle — Buying a used car, step by step
The new plates the DVLA plans
The DVLA has announced new plates with a chip (RFID) and a QR code, which police and toll systems can read, and without the year: a code for the DVLA office would take its place. The rollout has been postponed more than once, because it needs LI 2180 amended by Parliament. As the DVLA set it out in July 2026, every vehicle is to be re-registered with the new plates between January 2027 and December 2028, after a pilot on government vehicles.
Until the law changes, the plate on your car is valid. What an owner can do now:
- If your vehicle was registered before 2023, have its record moved onto the DVLA’s digital system (“onboarding”) at a DVLA office. The DVLA has said that a vehicle not onboarded cannot get its title or registration card and cannot be re-registered when the new plates come.
- Keep the registration documents and roadworthy current, which is what re-registration will check.
Do not pay anyone for a “new plate” before the DVLA announces the scheme is open. Plates are issued through DVLA offices.