Photocopying or visually inspecting a Ghana Card during a transaction is now a criminal offence following the enforcement of an amendment to the National Identity Register Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2111).
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Wisdom Kwaku Deku, announced on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, that the amended regulations had been gazetted.
The new rules make biometric verification the only legal method for confirming the identity of a Ghana Card holder during a transaction.
Under the amended regulations, organisations that violate the directive could face fines between GH¢6,000 and GH¢24,000 upon summary conviction.
Individuals who breach the regulations may also face fines ranging from GH¢600 to GH¢6,000.
Biometric verification becomes mandatory
The amendment prevents institutions from photocopying Ghana Cards or relying on physical inspection of the card as proof of identity.
Instead, organisations must verify customers through the NIA’s biometric verification system.
The move forms part of efforts by authorities to prevent identity fraud and reduce the misuse of personal information linked to the Ghana Card.
Mr Deku said the requirement now applies to all organisations that use the Ghana Card for identity verification, not only financial institutions.
He encouraged organisations that have not yet connected to the NIA’s identity verification platform to begin the onboarding process to comply with the new legal requirements.
Banks warned against photocopying Ghana Cards
The new regulation follows several engagements between the NIA and key stakeholders over concerns surrounding the photocopying of Ghana Cards.
In March 2025, the Bank of Ghana and the NIA met with the Ghana Association of Banks and representatives from all 25 universal banks to discuss identity verification requirements.
At the meeting, the Deputy Head of Office for Financial Integrity at the Bank of Ghana, Mr Ashitei Trebi-Ollennu, stated that the central bank had never approved the photocopying of Ghana Cards.
He warned that the practice exposed customers to possible identity fraud.
The Head of the Legal Directorate of the NIA, Mrs Teresa Eson-Benjamin, also explained that the Ghana Card remained the only legally recognised identity document for banking transactions.
In September 2025, the NIA’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr Williams Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, announced plans to amend the regulations to introduce sanctions against institutions that photocopy or request copies of Ghana Cards.
He said the practice increased the risk of identity theft.
Bank of Ghana introduces stricter rules
The Bank of Ghana later issued a revised Supervisory Guidance Note, which came into effect in October 2025.
The guidance requires regulated financial institutions to use the Ghana Card to identify and verify customers, including Ghanaian citizens, permanent residents, resident ECOWAS nationals, refugees and eligible foreign nationals.
It also requires biometric liveness checks for customers opening accounts through digital platforms.
The guidance further restricts financial institutions from allowing transactions for persons without a Ghana Card, Non-Citizen Identity Card or Refugee Identity Card, except in specific approved situations.
With the latest amendment, the NIA says biometric verification will now serve as the standard method for confirming identity across all sectors that rely on the Ghana Card.
