LTO: Plastic driver’s license cards out now; schedule of renewal announced

An employee of Land Transportation Office shows some driver’s licenses that have yet to be distributed. (File photo from INQUIRER / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA)

MANILA, Philippines — Land Transportation Office (LTO) can now issue plastic driver’s license cards to holders of expired and paper-printed licenses.

LTO Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II made the announcement in a press briefing on Thursday.

“Mayroon na tayong sapat na plastic card, ‘yung driver’s license cards, para ma-issue po sa kanila,” he said.

(We already have enough plastic cards, the driver’s license cards, to be issued to them.)

He also reported about 700,000 to 800,000 plastic cards have been delivered to different LTO offices nationwide.

Meanwhile, another 2 million cards are expected to arrive by the end of October.

“So kung binayaran na nila ‘to noong nakaraan pero paper license lang ang nakuha nila, all they have to do is go back to the district office or LTO office kung saan sila nagbayad at iprisinta nila ‘yung kanilang official receipt,” he advised drivers.

(So if they have paid in the past but only got a paper license, all they have to do is go back to the district office or LTO office where they paid and present their official receipt.)

The expiration date of the driver’s license and its corresponding renewal schedule are as follows:

– April 1 to 30, 2023, renew from October 6 to 31, 2023
– May 1 to 31, 2023, renew from November 1 to 30, 2023
– June 1 to 30, 2023, renew from December 1 to 31, 2023
– July 1 to 31, 2023, renew from January 1 to 31, 2024, 2023
– August 1 to 31, 2023, renew from February 1 to 29, 2024
– September 1 to 30, 2023, renew from March 1 to 31, 2024

“Ginawa nating staggered… Hindi natin sinabay-sabay for two reasons: Number one, ‘yung ating supply of plastic cards ay staggered naman,” Mendoza explained.

(We made it staggered… We didn’t do it at the same time for two reasons: Number one is that our supply of plastic cards is staggered.)

“Pangalawa, ayaw natin bigla-bigla nalang lahat pupunta sa ating district offices,” he said.

(Secondly, we don’t want everyone to go to our district offices all at once.)

LTO previously extended the validity of expired driver’s licenses.

However, drivers who will fail to renew on the given schedule will have their licenses considered expired and they will pay a penalty.

The office hopes to resolve about 2.4 million backlog in driver’s licenses by the end of the renewal schedule.

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