The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced that organisations can no longer photocopy or rely on visual inspection of the Ghana Card to verify a person's identity during transactions following an amendment to the National Identity Register Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2111).

Speaking on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the NIA, Wisdom Kwaku Deku, disclosed that the amended regulations have been gazetted, making biometric verification through the NIA's identity verification system the only legally recognised method of confirming a Ghana Card holder's identity.

Under the new law, institutions that violate the regulations face fines ranging from GH¢6,000 to GH¢24,000, based on the current penalty unit value of GH¢12. Individuals who breach the law could also be fined between GH¢600 and GH¢6,000 upon summary conviction.

Mr Deku explained that the amendment prohibits organisations from photocopying Ghana Cards or accepting visual inspection of the card as sufficient proof of identity. Instead, all identity checks must be conducted electronically through the NIA's biometric verification platform.

The NIA said the amendment forms part of ongoing efforts to curb identity fraud, safeguard personal information and eliminate the widespread practice of photocopying Ghana Cards, which authorities say exposes cardholders to identity theft.

The move builds on earlier interventions by the NIA and the Bank of Ghana. During a stakeholder engagement with the Ghana Association of Banks and all 25 universal banks in March 2025, the Deputy Head of Office for Financial Integrity at the Bank of Ghana, Ashitei Trebi-Ollennu, stressed that the central bank had never authorised the photocopying of Ghana Cards, warning that the practice increased customers' exposure to fraud.

At the same meeting, the Head of the NIA's Legal Directorate, Teresa Eson-Benjamin, reiterated that the Ghana Card remained the only legally recognised identity document for banking transactions. Later, in September 2025, NIA Head of Corporate Affairs Williams Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas announced plans to introduce sanctions against institutions requesting photocopies of Ghana Cards because of the associated identity theft risks.

The Bank of Ghana subsequently implemented a revised Supervisory Guidance Note in October 2025, directing regulated financial institutions to use only the Ghana Card for customer identification and verification.

The guidance also introduced biometric liveness checks for digital account opening and restricted transactions for persons without a Ghana Card, Non-Citizen Identity Card or Refugee Identity Card, except under limited circumstances.

Mr Deku said the latest amendment now extends the biometric verification requirement beyond the banking industry to all organisations that rely on the Ghana Card for identity verification. He urged institutions yet to connect to the NIA's identity verification platform to begin the onboarding process immediately to comply with the new legal requirements.