MANILA, Philippines – Have you already registered your vehicle with the Land Transportation Office (LTO)?

There’s no better time to check than now as the LTO ramps up its implementation of what it calls the “no registration, no travel” policy.

Although the agency relaxed its enforcement during the holiday festivities last year, the LTO has vowed to crack down on unregistered motorists in 2024. If you’re among them, it may be time to visit your nearest LTO office.

Who is covered by the policy?

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II is targeting all unregistered vehicle owners with the campaign – about 24.7 million or 65% of all motor vehicle owners as of November 2023. Most of these unregistered vehicles are motorcycles, numbering 20.15 million. Another 4.01 million four-wheeled vehicles and 490,000 trucks and buses are unregistered.

The stricter enforcement of vehicle registration rules means that motorists caught with unregistered vehicles could face stiff fines that reach up to P10,000.

Aside from issues with road safety and the roadworthiness of vehicles, Mendoza said those millions of unregistered vehicles also translate to up to P37.10 billion in lost government revenues from registration fees and penalties.

While the agency urges all motorists to register their vehicles, the LTO is planning a crackdown on unregistered and “colorum” jeepneys in particular starting Thursday, February 1.

Although the timing of this campaign coincided with the previous deadline for unconsolidated jeepneys to stop plying routes, Mendoza clarified that the anti-colorum drive is not related to the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.

That means jeepneys that remain unconsolidated will not be arrested by LTO enforcers on the basis of being unconsolidated. However, they may be apprehended if their vehicles are not registered with the LTO or not confirmed with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, which handles the franchises and provisional authorities granted to jeepneys.

How do you register your vehicle?

If you’ve just newly purchased a vehicle, such as a car, your dealer will usually process the initial motor vehicle registration for you, which is valid for three years.

Motorists can also opt to process their own first-time registration. To do so, you must prepare required documents before visiting an LTO office and paying your vehicle registration fee.

Meanwhile, the LTO also has separate guidelines and requirements for the renewal of vehicle registration. For a more detailed guide on the specific documents required, you can visit the LTO’s website.

Take note that you can only register your vehicle following the LTO’s schedule. The last digit of your vehicle’s plate number tells you the month in which you can process your registration:

• 1 – January
• 2 – February
• 3 – March
• 4 – April
• 5 – May
• 6 – June
• 7 – July
• 8 – August
• 9 – September
• 0 – October

The second to the last digit of your plate number tells you when during the month you can visit an LTO office:

• 1, 2, 3 – 1st to 7th working day of the month
• 4, 5, 6 – 8th to 14th working day of the month
• 7, 8 – 15th to 21st working day of the month
• 9, 0 – 22nd to the last working day of the month

Mendoza warned motorists that they will have “no other option but to conduct enforcement if this is the way to compel all the remaining delinquent motor vehicles to comply with the obligation that comes with vehicle ownership.”

From January 1 to 23, an additional 182,458 motor vehicles registered across the country, while 1,966 vehicles were impounded during the same period. – Rappler.com