The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has announced that beginning January 2026, vehicle licence plates will be issued in the names of individual owners as part of efforts to enhance road safety and security.
According to the DVLA, the new system means that each vehicle number will be directly linked to its owner, who will have the responsibility to remove the plate at the time of transfer of ownership.
The Authority explained that vehicle owners are to treat their number plates as personal identifiers, with an added responsibility of safeguarding them.
“When vehicles are transferred from the immediate owner, that owner owes a responsibility to himself to take off the number to allow the new owner to go through the process to secure an assigned number to be fixed on the vehicle,” the statement issued on October 3 noted.
DVLA said the policy is designed to enable security agencies to link a unique vehicle number to an individual, strengthening law enforcement and safety within the transport system.
The new directive takes effect on January 1, 2026.
