Ownership of number plates is not transferable

TWO years ago, a man came to make an enquiry about vehicle registration at the FRSC–NVIS Plant, Lagos. Having explained to him, he demanded for a particular local government code, “FST”.  Unfortunately, the requested code was not available at MVAA, Ojodu, Lagos State Work Station where he was directed to. Again, he did not want any of the available codes because his previous car was registered with “FST”. At this juncture, I asked, “Where are the number plates from your previous car?” He answered: “I sold the car with the registered number plate”. I queried further, “why?” He said, “Without selling the car with those number plates, it would be very difficult getting a buyer for it because I engraved the registered number on the car.”

Having educated him on the current number plate otherwise known as personalized number plate and the consequence of his action, he implored me to assist in educating the buyer of his registered car in order to retrieve his number plates. Worse still, the buyer was a car dealer in another state who claimed to have bought and sold four registered cars to new buyers. As at the time of contacting him, he had sold the registered number with “FST”. However, a deal was struck between the authentic owner of the registered “FST” and the car dealer which involved some financial settlement for the buyer of the vehicle registered “FST” before it could be retrieved.

Remarkably, the patronage of the current number plate which was launched six years ago by former President Goodluck Jonathan is highly commendable. Although the transition process from old to new number plate was not without its hitches, the wide acceptability of this innovative policy will enhance safety and security on Nigerian roads. The security and revenue implications of registration and licensing of vehicles brought about the need for its regulation and control. As such, one of the distinguishing features of the current number plate, the security watermark, helps to detect fake number plates. Also, documents that would reduce vehicle theft, inappropriate vehicle data and misappropriation of revenue are currently in place.

It looks good seeing a great number of vehicles affixed with the present number plates. Some of these vehicles were newly registered while others might have changed their number plates from old to new. Those vehicle owners who are still using the old number plates apart from being in the minority are also legally allowed to ply Nigerian road as long as they are in possession of valid vehicle papers and their number plates not defaced or lost.

Perhaps, I may strongly advise vehicle owners whose number plates are defaced or who have lost any to apply for replacement of such through the concerned State Internal Board of Revenue (Motor Vehicle Administration) in order to avoid Vehicle Number Plate Violation (NPV)- a traffic offence which attracts three points with a fine of N3, 000.

Also, a vehicle owner with old fancy number plate (e.g. GOD WINS) or old out-of- series number (AB 555 KJA) cannot affix any of these number plates to a new vehicle under this present dispensation. Accordingly, the National Road Traffic Regulation 2012, states that “any person who wishes to transfer the out of series or fancy number plates of any vehicle to another shall obtain a police clearance and attach same to his application to the authority who may approve as deemed fit upon payment of the prescribed fee provided that the authority shall be that of the State of last registration”. Under the present dispensation, any application seeking to transfer old out of series or old fancy number plates to a new vehicle will categorically be turned down. Such applicant will be advised to apply for fresh out of series or fancy number plates. Thus, non-compliance with relevant provisions of the laws governing the usage of various categories of number plates attracts traffic penalty. It is unlawful for any vehicle owner to affix an unregistered out of series or fancy number plates to his/ her vehicle on Nigerian roads.

On no account must a vehicle owner sell his vehicle with the affixed new number plates. At the point of sale, the affixed number plate should be removed and securely kept for future use- after the laid down procedure for transfer of number plate has been followed. The present number plates should not be transferred to another person. It is personalized. In other words, each registered number is attached to a vehicle owner. Failure to adhere to this regulation may expose or implicate the registered vehicle owner if his registered number is involved in a crime elsewhere. A vehicle owner may have legally sold the vehicle whereas his registered number plate is being illegally used by a new legal vehicle owner. When next you want to sell your registered vehicle with the current number plates, remember you can only legally transfer the ownership of the vehicle and not that of the number plates.

• Dairo is the Acting Head, FRSC Driver Licence Centre (DLC), Onireke, Ibadan, Oyo State.