Understanding LTO’s No Registration, No Travel Policy

In late 2023, Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Vigor D. Mendoza was asked about possible reforms to increase the agency’s revenue collection. He referred to the then financial data and seemed quite surprised, as if misleading information was presented to him.

Want to know what the data revealed that shook the chief to the very core?

So, as per the documents around 65% of motor vehicles in the country were classified as delinquent. Meaning, vehicles that were not registered with LTO, their owners either failed or deliberately refused to do the needful. Based on the LTO data, out of the 38.3 million vehicles in the country, around 24.7 million are classified as delinquent, i.e., only 13.3 million motor vehicles are registered.

What does no registration of the motor vehicles translate to for LTO? It results in heavy revenue losses for the agency, which if translated would be to several reforms, improved services along other good things. In addition, non-registered motor vehicles are a threat to the country’s road safety, as most of them either have issues passing the LTO’s roadworthiness inspection (emission testing) or do not have insurance coverage.

Keeping all these factors in mind, on Nov 16, Mendoza directed all LTO regional directors to strictly implement the “No Registration, No Travel’ policy.

So, that was the history of the LTO ‘No Registration, No Travel’ policy. Let’s now understand its meaning, importance, and associated penalties.

What is the ‘No Registration, No Travel’ policy?

‘No Registration, No Travel’ policy directs mandatory registration of all motor vehicles before they operate on any public highway in the country. Vehicle owners must also renew their registration on or before the fixed date, if not, the motor vehicle will become unfit for use on the road.

LTO introduced the ‘No Registration, No Travel’ policy in conjunction with the Land Transportation and Traffic Code (R.A. 4136). Enacted in 1946, the latter is one of the most important driving laws ever enacted. Under its scope are included provisions for -

• Creation of the Commission (LTO)
• Registration of a motor vehicle
• Setting of registration fees (for Motor Vehicles)
• Issuance, usage, and suspension of certificates of registration and number plates of motor vehicle
• Application, fees, examination, issuance, suspension, revocation, and renewal of driver’s license
• Implementation of rules for foreign drivers in the Philippines
• Covers & defines what constitutes the illegal use of the license, number plates
• Vehicle capacity (in terms of passenger or fright or cargo) along with penalties in case of overloading
• Motor vehicle accessories (use and modification)
• Traffic rules (Speed limit, signals, turning & parking, miscellaneous rules, etc)
• Penalties & fines for violation
• Collection of fees, taxes & fines, toll fees, and others

Overall, the RA 4136 covers every possible aspect of land transportation in the Philippines, including motor vehicle registration- and that’s what we are interested in today.

Also Read: Here’s how to add and verify a medical certificate on the LTMS portal

Importance of ‘No Registration, No Travel’ Policy’

This policy is quite necessary for the country as an unregistered vehicle loosely translates to a not-so-roadworthy vehicle or one with an owner without a driver’s license. All of which is a recipe for poor road safety with a high probability of accidents. Here is why it is important -

• It aims to reduce the number of delinquent vehicles, thus minimizing the threat such vehicles pose to road safety. Ultimately improving the overall country’s road safety quotient.
• Vehicle tracking and monitoring will become super easy for the authorities when all motor vehicles are registered (renewed) on time.
• LTO will face no revenue loss.

• Implementation of this policy is fair to the law-abiding vehicle owners who follow rules and ensure their vehicle registration is done and is valid.

Steps taken by the LTO to implement the ‘No Registration, No Travel’ Policy

The LTO under the leadership of Mendoza is calling for a unified effort to improve road safety via the No Registration, No Travel’ Policy. Here are

• The LTO chief has instructed regional LTO directors to cooperate with other government agencies and consolidate a list of motor vehicles with expired registrations. Such vehicles pose a threat to other road users and therefore it is important to identify them and get them registered.
• LTO urges owners of vehicles with expired registrations to get the registration renewed as soon as possible.
• The agency is doing routine checks to ensure the roadworthiness of the vehicles.
• LTO coordinated with other law enforcement agencies to strictly implement the policy

Penalties for not complying with the ‘No Registration, No Travel’ Policy

Non-compliance with the policy and the law will have repercussions in the form of penalties.

Scenario	Penalty
Vehicle registration completed, but plate not attached	PHP 5000
Vehicles without registration	PHP 10,000
Vehicle not registered in 3 years or more	PHP 10,000 and other penalties (also the car will be impounded)

Motor vehicle registration and renewal in the Philippines

Yes, the LTO car registration process is quite tedious, but knowing the process beforehand things become quite easy. Here is a step-by-step guide to get you started -

LTO car registration for new vehicles

By the dealer -

Car dealers in the Philippines register a newly purchased vehicle for three years for the owner for free. Post the three years, owners will need to renew the registration on their own. For added convenience, LTO has empowered customers to monitor the registration process and report delays at the end of the dealer.

By the new car owner

Step 1: Get the required documents ready. The list includes -

• Original sales invoice
• Original Certificate of Stock Reported (CSR)
• Original LTO copy or electronically transmitted Insurance Certificate of Cover (Third Party Liability)
• Payment Reference Number (if payment is made through e-PAT)
• Original PNP-HPG MV Clearance Certificate and Special Bank Receipt (SBR)

Step 2: Visit the nearby LTO office

Once all the required documents are collected, it is time to visit the nearby LTO office that processes new vehicle registrations.

Step 3: Submit the required documents

Submit the document to the evaluator who will assess them and compute the fees for you.

Step 4: Submit MVIR (Motor Vehicle Inspection Report)

An LTO officer will inspect the vehicle and right after you’ll be required to submit the MVIR.

Step 5: Pay car registration fees

Here’s a quick breakdown of the fees a new car owner is required to pay for registration -

Stickers & tags	PHP 50 each
Regular plate	PHP 450
Inspection fee	Upto PHP 115

Step 6: Receive your stickers, plates, & certificate of registration

Head to the release counter and collect all the documents including stickers, plates, certificate of registration, and more.

LTO car registration renewal for existing vehicles

The car registration renewal process is more or less the new car registration. The only difference is that the vehicle will go through an inspection and emission test to get a Certificate of Emission Compliance (CEC).

In case you do not want to spend long hours at the LTO office, car registration renewal can be done online via the LTMS portal.

Bottom line

Through its No Registration, No Travel policy, LTO aims to improve road safety and streamline the registration of motor vehicles. It aims to reduce the number of delinquent vehicles in the country by reminding all vehicle owners, especially those with expired registration to renew the registration. Failure to do so will result in penalties.

Also Read: The complete breakdown of LTO Fees: Registration, licensing, and penalties in the Philippines