The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) is facing calls to suspend its escalating “delinquency” charges on expired driver’s licences until it publicly establishes the legal authority, approval process and formula used to determine the fees.
The demand has come from CUTS International, a public policy think tank, which argues that the charges lack clear backing in the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180) and could unfairly penalise motorists whose licences have expired even when they have not driven during the period.
In a statement issued on August 9, 2026, the Director of the West Africa Regional Centre of CUTS International, Accra, Appiah Kusi Adomako, said the DVLA should disclose the precise statutory instrument and approved fee schedule authorising each charge.
Under the DVLA’s Summary of Licensing and Other Activity Rates for 2026, renewing a licence before its expiry costs GH¢127. However, the amount increases to GH¢204.25 for a licence expired by between one day and six months, GH¢279.25 for seven to 12 months, GH¢315.25 for up to two years, GH¢352.25 for up to four years and GH¢404.25 for more than four years.
CUTS said similar escalating charges applied to the replacement of expired licences.
“The DVLA must show Ghanaians the law, the approved fee schedule and the formula behind every cedi it collects as a delinquency charge. Public power must rest on law. If the Authority cannot point to a clear legal basis for each charge, it must stop collecting the money and refund affected licence holders,” Mr Adomako said.
Legal basis questioned
At the centre of CUTS’ objection is Regulation 33 of L.I. 2180, which provides for the renewal of a driver’s licence both before and after its expiry.
The organisation said the regulations expressly recognise that licences may be renewed after expiry and separately provide for an offence where a person fails to renew as prescribed.
Under the law, a person who fails to renew a driver’s licence as prescribed is liable, upon summary conviction, to a fine of between 10 and 25 penalty units, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both.
CUTS argues that the distinction is important because the law provides for enforcement and prosecution where an offence is committed, rather than automatically treating every expired licence as evidence of unlawful driving.
It is therefore asking the DVLA to clarify whether the escalating amounts are approved renewal fees, administrative penalties or another form of charge.
“If the amounts are penalties, the DVLA must explain the legal process that permits an administrative system to impose them without proof of driving during the period of expiry, without a hearing and without a finding by a court,” the statement said.
Mr Adomako stressed that CUTS was not advocating driving with an expired licence.
“CUTS is not encouraging anyone to drive with an expired licence. Driving without a valid licence must attract lawful enforcement. Our concern is different: the DVLA should not presume that every person with an expired licence continued to drive, then impose an automatic escalating charge without first establishing the legal and factual basis,” he said.
Expiry does not prove driving
CUTS said the mere expiry of a licence should not automatically be equated with unlawful driving.
It noted that a licence holder could be living abroad, studying, ill or simply not driving for an extended period. Such a person, it argued, could return years later and seek to renew the licence without having driven on Ghanaian roads during the period of expiry.
Mr Adomako said such motorists should be encouraged to regularise their licences before returning to the road rather than being treated as though they had committed an offence.
“That citizen should be encouraged to regularise his licence before returning to the road. He should not be branded delinquent and punished as though expiry itself proves unlawful driving. The system must distinguish an expired document from the separate act of driving without a valid licence,” he said.
CUTS also questioned the use of the word “delinquency”, saying it could imply wrongdoing before the circumstances of an individual licence holder had been established.
It proposed the use of neutral descriptions such as “renewal after expiry”, alongside clear criteria for waivers, exemptions or proof that a vehicle was not being used.
Concern over GH¢181 data amendment fee
The think tank also raised concerns about a GH¢181 charge for amending a licence holder’s electronic records.
It argued that charging motorists to update basic information such as telephone numbers or residential addresses could discourage people from keeping their records current.
According to CUTS, accurate contact and residential information is important for road safety, identity verification, criminal investigations and emergency communication.
“The DVLA should design fees to support compliance, not discourage it. When a citizen wants to correct an address or telephone number, the Authority gains better data. Charging GH¢181 for a basic update risks leaving the database outdated and weakens the public interest the database is meant to serve,” Mr Adomako said.
CUTS has consequently called on Parliament to conduct an urgent inquiry into the legality, approval and administration of the DVLA’s escalating “delinquency” charges.
It also wants the DVLA and the Ghana Police Service to clarify their respective enforcement responsibilities so the public can clearly understand the processes for investigating, prosecuting and sanctioning drivers who operate vehicles without valid licences.
