The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has issued a stern advisory to the motoring public, cautioning that thousands of drivers may be operating vehicles under legal illusions due to incomplete transfer-of-ownership documentation.

The warning comes as the Authority intensifies its vehicle registration reforms, designed to bridge a dangerous gap where individuals possess a vehicle and its plates but lack the legally defensible title required by law.

Many buyers of second-hand vehicles mistakenly believe that holding the physical keys and the logbook (DVLA Form V) constitutes full legal ownership.

However, according to Stephen Attuh, the DVLA’s Director of Corporate Affairs, legal title remains anchored to the person named in the Authority’s central database until an official transfer is executed.

Speaking on Citi FM, Mr. Attuh highlighted the systemic risks this creates for both buyers and sellers, particularly when a vehicle is linked to a road infraction or a criminal investigation.

“We realize that it gets to the point where a person owns a vehicle, and yet the person may not be able to produce documents specifically to indicate that the person owns a vehicle," Attuh explained. "This process is to allow people to have full transfer of ownership. You know, you could have a car, you would sell the car to me and sometimes you still hold on to the document and yet because I go ahead to use the number plate on the vehicle, I assume that I have title to the car. I don’t have one."

To streamline the process and reduce future disputes, the DVLA has revised its protocols for vehicles entering the Ghanaian market. Under the new reforms, titles are now issued directly to the individual at the point of first registration.

“So what we seek to do now is that if you own your own brand new, or you bought a vehicle that has not been registered here in Ghana before, you want to register with all the documentation, we hand over the title, specifically to you as an individual so you can call it your car,” Mr. Attuh noted.

However, for the thriving pre-owned market, the responsibility shifts to the buyer to ensure the "proper transfer system" is engaged.

“Again, if then the vehicle has been pre-owned by another person, you would want to ensure that you do the proper transfer system so that you can call it your vehicle,” he added.

The Authority warned that in the event of a hit-and-run, a robbery, or a contested insurance claim, law enforcement and judicial bodies prioritize the registered title-holder. Sellers who fail to ensure the buyer completes the transfer could find themselves legally liable for incidents involving a car they no longer physically possess. Conversely, buyers face the risk of having their vehicles impounded or their ownership challenged in court.

The reforms are aimed at:

• Strengthening Accountability: Ensuring every vehicle on the road is linked to a verifiable identity.
• Improving Traceability: Aiding the Ghana Police Service in rapid identification during emergencies.
• Legal Defensibility: Providing owners with a "clean" title that can withstand scrutiny in property disputes.