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Photocopying or visually inspecting Ghana Cards for transaction purposes has now become an offence following the gazetting of amendments to the National Identity Register Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2111).
Under the amended regulations, institutions and individuals are required to use biometric verification to authenticate identities during transactions, replacing the previous practice of relying on photocopies or manual inspection of the Ghana Card.
The amended law, which was laid before Parliament three months ago and gazetted on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, introduces penalties for individuals and organisations that fail to comply.
Organisations found violating the regulations could, upon summary conviction, face fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 penalty units, while individuals who breach the law may be fined between 50 and 500 penalty units.
The Minister responsible for the National Identification Authority (NIA) is expected to provide further details on the implementation and enforcement of the new measures.
Meanwhile, organisations seeking access to the NIA’s Identity Verification Platform have been advised to apply for onboarding through the Authority’s designated verification channels.
L.I. 2111, also known as the National Identity Register Regulations, 2012, provides the legal framework for the use of the Ghana Card as the country’s primary national identification document.
The law requires authentication of the Ghana Card for several key services, including voter registration, opening bank accounts, SIM card registration and accessing public services.
With the latest amendments, authorities say the move is aimed at strengthening identity verification, improving data security and ensuring the Ghana Card is properly used as the official means of identification.
Story by Efua Nessa