The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) says it printed more than 440,000 driver’s licence applications by the end of 2025 as part of an intervention to clear a backlog that included applications dating as far back as 2023.
Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey disclosed this at the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House on Monday, October 12, 2026, saying addressing the backlog was one of the major challenges management had to tackle after assuming office.
He said the Authority introduced a 24-hour printing scheme at its Print Farm to accelerate the production of outstanding licences.
“When I assumed office, there were two critical interventions we had to undertake. The Authority faced a significant backlog of unprinted driver’s licence applications, some dating back to 2023,” he said.
“We immediately introduced a 24-hour printing scheme at the Print Farm and, by the end of 2025, printed more than 440,000 licence applications.”
Mr Kotey said the DVLA had also secured instant licence-printing machines to facilitate the immediate replacement of licences for applicants whose records had been with the Authority for at least six years.
He explained that the intervention was intended to eliminate unnecessary delays in replacement services and prevent similar backlogs from recurring.
He stressed, however, that applicants seeking new licences would still be required to complete the full licensing process before their documents could be printed, adding that the Authority was also advancing plans to introduce simulator-based driving tests.
