The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has announced that starting January 2026, vehicle licence plates will be issued in the names of individual owners as part of efforts to strengthen road safety and enhance national security.
In a statement issued on October 3, the Authority explained that under the new system, each vehicle number plate will be directly linked to its registered owner, who will also bear the responsibility of removing the plate when transferring ownership of the vehicle.
Vehicle owners are therefore required to treat their number plates as personal identifiers and ensure their proper safeguarding. “When a vehicle is transferred from its immediate owner, that owner must remove the number plate to allow the new owner to go through the process of securing an assigned number to be affixed to the vehicle,” the DVLA stated.
According to the Authority, the policy aims to help security agencies easily trace vehicles to their owners, thereby improving law enforcement and safety within the transport sector.
The new directive officially takes effect on January 1, 2026.
Source:Africa Publicity
