Following delays in the installation of a new registration system, the Driver and automobile Licensing Authority (DVLA) has stated that, beginning of January 2, 2026, automobile registration plates will bear the suffix "26." The Authority was unable to implement the new number plate system because the necessary legal revisions were not finished before Parliament went into recess, according to Stephen Attuh, Director of Corporate Affairs at the DVLA. Before Parliament went into recess, the particular provisions in the LI-2180 that we need to be able to alter before we can adopt the plate were not effectively passed. He clarified, "That regime must be in place before we can roll out the new license plate because we are a law-guided institution."
In addition to eliminating the year-based suffixes, the new system would have RFID-enabled license plates, which would enable digital scanning for speed monitoring, road toll collection, vehicle tracking, and law enforcement. Nevertheless, the necessary changes to the Road Traffic Regulations (L.I. 2180) were not completed in a timely manner.Therefore, from today, we will be using the suffix 26 instead of the suffix 25, which was for 2025.We will launch the new platform and system after the revisions are approved, Mr. Attuh continued. The DVLA stated that the current year-based suffix system will be used for vehicle registrations across the country until the legal framework is in place. The Authority promised drivers that as soon as Parliament completes the required amendments, the new registration system will be put into effect.