NIA bans photocopying of Ghana Cards for transactions, makes biometric verification compulsory

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced that the photocopying or visual inspection of the Ghana Card for identity verification during transactions is no longer permitted, following the coming into force of amendments to the Identity Register Regulations (LI 2111).

The new regulations make biometric verification the only approved method for confirming the identity of Ghana Card holders during transactions, with organisations and individuals who fail to comply facing sanctions under the law.

The Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary of the NIA, Wisdom Yayra Koku Deku, disclosed the changes in a statement after the amended Legislative Instrument was gazetted.

“It is now an offence to photocopy or visually inspect a Ghana Card for the purpose of transaction. Biometric verification is now mandatory,” Mr. Deku stated.

He explained that institutions can no longer depend on photocopies or physical inspection of the Ghana Card to verify customers’ identities. Instead, all identity checks for transactions must be conducted through biometric authentication.

Mr. Deku cautioned that any organisation that disregards the new directive would be violating the law.

“An organization that contravenes this order commits an offence and faces a fine of at least 500 penalty units and up to 2,000 units on summary conviction,” he said.

He added that individuals who breach the regulations also face penalties ranging from 50 to 500 penalty units.

Speaking on the implementation of the amendment, Mr. Deku noted that the legislative process had been completed.

“This follows the maturity of the LI 2111 amendment, which was introduced in Parliament three months ago and gazetted today,” he said.

He indicated that the sector minister would provide further guidance on the implementation of the new measures.

In the meantime, the NIA has encouraged organisations that require identity verification services to begin integrating with its digital verification platform.

The amendment forms part of ongoing efforts to tackle identity fraud and the misuse of personal data by eliminating the practice of photocopying Ghana Cards.

The move builds on earlier reforms introduced by the Bank of Ghana and the NIA. In March 2025, both institutions engaged the Ghana Association of Banks and all 25 universal banks on identity verification requirements, during which the central bank clarified that it had never approved the photocopying of Ghana Cards. The NIA also reaffirmed that the Ghana Card remains the only legally recognised identity document for banking transactions.

Later, in September 2025, the NIA announced plans to amend the Identity Register Regulations to impose sanctions on institutions that photocopy or request copies of the Ghana Card. This was followed by a revised Supervisory Guidance Note issued by the Bank of Ghana in October 2025, directing banks to rely solely on the Ghana Card, the Non-Citizen Identity Card and the Refugee Identity Card for customer identification while making biometric liveness verification mandatory for digital account opening.

The latest amendment to LI 2111 reinforces those measures by making biometric verification compulsory for Ghana Card transactions and introducing penalties for organisations and individuals who continue to use photocopies or visual inspection instead of the approved verification process.

By: Paulina Armah/ Radio1.