The National Identification Authority (NIA) will from tomorrow, November 3, 2026, begin full enforcement of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (L.I. 2523), which makes biometric verification mandatory for all identity-related transactions in Ghana.
The Head of the Corporate Affairs Directorate at the NIA, Williams Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, disclosed this at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026.
According to him, L.I. 2523 was introduced to the public in July 2026 by the sector Minister, Hon. Muntaka Mubarak, who gave all affected institutions and the general public a three-month grace period to get onboarded onto the NIA’s verification platform.
Mr. Darlas said the grace period officially lapsed on Monday, November 2, 2026, paving the way for the implementation and compliance monitoring phase.
"Within the three months, we ran a two-month campaign on radio and television and a three-month campaign on our social media handles. We engaged both public and private institutions, those already onboarded and those yet to be onboarded, just so everybody is in line with L.I. 2523," he said.
He announced that a Biometric Verification Implementation Task Force will hit the streets from November 3 to visit institutions and ensure compliance.
What L.I. 2523 Requires
Mr. Darlas explained that L.I. 2523 strengthens identity verification by requiring the use of approved biometric verification methods for all transactions where identity verification is required by law.
Under the new regulation, institutions are prohibited from relying solely on what he described as "ocular verification" - the visual inspection of the Ghana Card to establish identity.
Institutions are also prohibited from photocopying, scanning, or retaining copies of the Ghana Card for verification purposes.
"If you visit any institution to secure a service and they require a photocopy of the Ghana Card, they are going against L.I. 2523, which is punishable by law effective today," he stressed.
He clarified that the Ghana Card remains Ghana's official national identity card and has not been replaced. Citizens are therefore not required to register for a new card.
"What we are saying is that to reduce fraud and impersonation, every transaction that requires identification must be done through biometric verification using the old card you have," he said.
He noted that while the Ghana Cards issued in 2018 will expire in 2028 after its 10-year lifespan, no card has expired yet.
The regulation, he said, is intended to curb identity fraud and impersonation, where fraudsters use the Ghana Card details of innocent citizens to register SIM cards and perpetrate fraud.
No Intermediaries - NIA Warns
The NIA has also cautioned institutions against dealing with third-party verification providers.
"We do not have intermediaries. If you want to get onboarded onto the NIA verification platform, you get in touch with the NIA and no other institution," Mr. Darlas stated.
He said any institution seeking access to the National Identity Register must be legally registered in Ghana, be certified by the Data Protection Commission, and undergo the NIA's approved onboarding process, including signing a contract.
He warned that institutions already onboarded who sublet the verification service to small and medium enterprises are violating the law and will be surcharged and taken off the platform.
"No individual is also allowed to serve as an intermediary for the NIA. We do not contract anybody on behalf of the NIA," he added.
Sanctions and Clarification on Telcos
Mr. Darlas said compliance with L.I. 2523 is a legal obligation, not optional. Offending institutions face fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 penalty units upon prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction, in addition to administrative sanctions, including being permanently de-boarded from the NIA verification platform.
He however clarified that the presentation of the physical Ghana Card is still required for "Match-on-Card" verification, particularly by telecommunication companies.
"Match-on-Card verification means you present your card, they put it in a machine and you donate your fingerprint so that it communicates with the fingerprint on the chip of the Ghana Card. That is allowed because it is biometric verification," he explained.
For banks and other institutions connected via API, verification can be done using the Ghana Card number.
The NIA therefore urged all institutions to review their existing identity verification arrangements and ensure all verification services are obtained directly from the Authority.
Institutions with concerns about how the regulation applies to a specific transaction have been advised to seek clarification from the NIA.
