Ghana calls for review of fees for expired driver’s licences — MyJoyOnline
In Ghana, the organisation CUTS has called on parliament to review the practice of charging fees for the late renewal or replacement of driver’s licences. As MyJoyOnline reports, the author of the publication believes that the expiry of a licence alone does not prove that its holder drove a car without a valid licence.
Ghana’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) previously stated that a driver’s licence must remain valid at all times and must not expire. At the same time, CUTS argues that this approach does not take into account situations where a person did not use a car, was abroad, was undergoing treatment, or was unable to drive due to their health condition.
CUTS arguments
The publication cites examples of military personnel and diplomats on overseas assignments, students without a car, as well as people recovering from a stroke or following medical advice not to drive. The author stresses that before returning to driving, such individuals must renew their licences and meet the necessary health and licensing requirements. At the same time, in his view, the period of expiry itself should not be evidence of a violation.
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According to CUTS, Regulation 46(1) of the Road Traffic Regulations 2026, L.I. 2519, provides for the possibility of renewing a driver’s licence within one month before its expiry date, but does not establish an obligation to do so before that date. The material also notes that Regulation 46(8) provides for liability for failing to renew a licence in the prescribed manner: a fine of between five and 25 penalty units, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both penalties.
Complaint about delay at the DVLA
The author described the case of an applicant who visited the DVLA office in Kumasi in 2022 after spending a year abroad. According to him, the person was issued a temporary licence that had to be repeatedly extended, and was summoned twice for repeated biometric data capture. In May 2026, when the permanent card was ready, the applicant, the author claims, had to pay an expiry fee to receive the document.
CUTS called on parliament to examine how the DVLA applies the provisions of L.I. 2512 and L.I. 2519, disclose the legal basis for each fee, and create a mechanism for appealing erroneous charges. The author also raised the question of whether charging such a fee after a court penalty for failing to renew a licence could constitute potential double punishment.
