Don’t rush for number plates in January 2026 – DVLA warns

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has cautioned the public against rushing to its offices at the beginning of 2026 in an attempt to secure new registration numbers, explaining that the new vehicle registration plates will no longer display the year of registration.

Speaking to Channel One TV during a DVLA stakeholder engagement in Takoradi on Tuesday, December 2, on the new vehicle registration system, Western Regional DVLA Manager, Frank Gasese, noted that the authority’s offices are usually congested at the beginning of each year because many people want plates bearing the new year.

He said the new system will eliminate this pressure, as numbers will no longer be generated based on the year of registration or on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Under the old system, as soon as it was 2nd January, people would even sleep on DVLA premises just to secure one of the first registration numbers of the year. This created pressure and congestion, and both customers and DVLA staff were never free.

“We would work the whole day and sometimes close around 8 p.m. because people were still in long queues waiting to be served.

He added, “With the new system, you simply apply online because there is no guarantee of getting the first or second number. You upload your information online, and once we verify everything, we will schedule you. With this system, we will no longer experience the pressure and long queues that used to overwhelm our offices.”