The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) is set to begin printing renewed driver’s licenses locally at its offices nationwide by the end of October 2026, in a move aimed at reducing lengthy delays in issuing license cards.
DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey announced the plan at the commissioning of a new Ultra driver licensing and vehicle registration centre at Amrahia in the Adentan Municipality on Friday, August 21, 2026.
The initiative is part of the Authority’s efforts to decentralise its services and address complaints over the length of time applicants have to wait before receiving their driver’s licenses.
Mr Kotey said the new system would allow the Authority to print renewed licences at local offices instead of relying on a centralised printing arrangement.
He said the target was to have the instant printing system rolled out by the end of October.
The CEO, however, stressed that the system would initially cover licence renewals only.
Persons applying for a driver’s license for the first time will continue to undergo the full three-month licensing process before they are issued licences.
The distinction, he explained, is necessary because new applicants must complete the required stages of testing and certification before they can qualify for a driver’s licence.
Mr Kotey said the expansion of DVLA offices across the country was intended to ensure that residents had easier access to licensing and vehicle registration services.
“This is the 26th office we have commissioned in one and a half years since we came into power, so that when everybody wakes up, they have a DVLA office close to them,” he said.
The development comes as the DVLA continues to expand its physical presence across the country as part of its drive to decentralise services, decongest existing offices and improve customer convenience.
Mr Kotey said the reforms were also being supported by technology and stronger enforcement measures aimed at improving road safety and the integrity of the country’s driver and vehicle licensing system.
He defended the DVLA’s recent strict enforcement of delinquency charges, explaining that the policy was intended to encourage motorists to comply with licensing requirements and ultimately help protect lives and reduce road accidents.
He also directed officers at the newly commissioned Amrahia centre to support the Authority’s efforts to eliminate “goro” activities from DVLA offices.
He warned that employees who facilitate or allow unauthorised intermediaries to operate within the centre would be held responsible.
Mr Kotey cautioned staff against allowing such activities to become entrenched at the new facility and charged them to ensure that customers dealt directly with the Authority through approved procedures.
The CEO further warned prospective drivers against individuals who claim they can secure driver’s licences with only passport photographs.
According to him, the licensing process is governed by strict ISO standards and requires biometric capture as part of the identification and verification process.
“We don’t use passport pictures for licences because we take biometric details. So, anybody who requests your passport picture and says that when you give me two passport pictures, I will be able to get you a licence will give you a fake licence,” he noted.
He urged applicants to follow the official procedures and avoid intermediaries who promise shortcuts in obtaining driver’s licences.
He added that the Authority will soon begin piloting a new RFID-enabled vehicle number plate system as part of efforts to strengthen vehicle identification, combat cloning and improve the ability of authorised agencies to verify vehicle information.
The pilot rollout of the new RFID-enabled vehicle number plates is expected to begin in October as part of the Authority’s broader technology-driven reforms.
At the Amrahia commissioning, the MP for Adentan, Mohammed Adamu Ramadan, commended the DVLA for the new facility and expressed gratitude to the Authority for establishing a second Ultra centre in the constituency.
He said the additional centre would make DVLA services more accessible to residents and reduce the burden on people who previously had to travel farther to access licensing and vehicle registration services.
The Amrahia Ultra centre therefore adds to the DVLA’s growing network of service points as the Authority seeks to combine decentralisation with digital reforms to improve the delivery of driver and vehicle licensing services nationwide.