Car Registration and Renewal

by Ronel Forbes

March 8, 2022

Purchasing a vehicle is one thing, but registering it is quite another. Make your ownership formal with the LTO car registration before you hit the road with your brand-new car. If you have an existing car, you must also renew your registration.

If you don’t perform one of these things, you’ll face fines and problems with the authorities.

We recognize that registering an automobile with the LTO can be difficult, especially in these challenging times. However, if you know where to begin, things will be much easier. Follow the steps in the following step-by-step guide to getting through the system:

A car or motor vehicle registration in the Philippines is essentially a government-run process that establishes a relationship between cars and their owners/users via registered plate numbers. It is also required by the Philippine Land Transportation Office.

Car Registration with the LTO (for Brand New Vehicles)

For registering a brand new, locally assembled/manufactured, and imported Completely Built Unit, follow the steps below (CBU).

The registration of brand new cars is usually performed by the dealer in the Philippines. Here are the measures to take if you choose or need to manage them yourself.

Step 1: Make sure you have all of the necessary paperwork.

For fresh new cars (Locally, Imported, Registration of Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) (AO-2006-01), Registration of Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV), Three-Wheeled Vehicle, Tax-Exempt), below are the registration requirements:

Original Sales Invoice
Appropriate Certificate of Insurance Coverage
Stock Certificate (Original) Reported (CSR)
PNP-HPG MV Clearance Certificate Original
Tax Identification Number (TIN)

The following are the requirements for imported vehicles (bought outside of the Philippines) (through Carmudi):

Commercial Invoice of MV issued by the country of origin
Bill of Lading
BOC Certificate of Payment
Certificate of Stock Reported (CSR)
Sales Invoice of the MV
PNP-TMG MV Clearance Certificate
Duly accomplished and approved Motor Vehicle Inspection Report (MVIR)
Appropriate insurance certificate cover
Valid Certificate of Public Convenience duly confirmed by the LTFRB, in case of for-hire MV’s
Taxpayer’s Identification Number (TIN)

Step 2: Go to the LTO office closest to you.

Proceed to the transaction counter that is appropriate for you.

Step 3: Submit all of the necessary documentation.

The fees will be calculated when the evaluator has assessed the documents.

Step 4: Submit the completed MVIR.

Have your vehicle’s emissions checked? Obtain all required documentation, including the results.

Step 5: Pay the cashier all of the required fees.

Obtain your OR (official receipt).

Step 6: At the Releasing Counter, wait for your name to be called

So you can collect your Certificate of Registration (CR), plates, and stickers.

When Should Your Car’s Registration Be Renewed?

The number on your car’s license plate will serve as a guide.

The LTO used your plate number’s digits to determine when you should renew your vehicle’s registration. The month your car was registered is determined by the last digit.

The following is a table of the LTO’s monthly car registration renewal schedule:

The last digit of your plate number	Month in which your vehicle should be registered
1	January
2	February
3	March
4	April
5	May
6	June
7	July
8	August
9	September
0	October

That’s not all, though. You should also be aware of the weekly timetable, which shows when your car can be renewed each month.

Check the second-to-last digit of your license plate number for this. For your convenience, I’ve included a table:

Plate number’s second-to-last digit	Days of the month you should renew
1, 2, 3	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (week 1)
4, 5, 6	8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (week 2)
7, 8	15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 (week 3)
9, 0	22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

Renewal of a Vehicle Registration with the LTO

It’s simple to renew your vehicle’s registration.

The emission test, as I recall from my last renewal, took the longest. However, once you have all of the essential documents, the process should be quick.

Based on the official website of the LTO, the following is a summary of the general actions required to renew your vehicle’s registration.

Following the documentation of the process:

Step 1: Gather all of the necessary paperwork for your vehicle’s registration renewal.

Step 2: Go to the LTO Branch that is the closest to you.

Step 3: Present all of the requirements to the evaluator at the transaction counters.

Step 4: Have the vehicle examined and submit a properly completed MVIR.

How to Renew LTO Car Registration Online is Now Available

The LTO will establish the Land Transportation Management System, an online portal, in June 2020. (LTMS). The new online gateway is for making appointments for driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals. This will reduce transaction times in LTO offices and aid in the prevention of coronavirus spread.

However, the LTMS’s car registration service (https://portal.lto.gov.ph/) is still in pilot mode as of this writing. Only transactions relating to driver’s licenses are presently available through the new online site.

Beginning in September 2020, motorists will be able to renew their vehicle registration using the LTMS, according to the LTO.

For the time being, car owners can schedule a renewal appointment through the LTO Online Personal Appointment & Scheduling System (PASS), which was inaugurated in 2018 and is still operational.

Step 1: Log in to the LTO Online PASS system.

Step 2: Fill out the form with information on your vehicle, yourself, and your contact information.

Step 3: Schedule an appointment.

Step 4: Get ready to renew your car registration.

Step 5: Visit the LTO office to renew your vehicle registration.

Last Thoughts

If you own a car, you already know how difficult vehicle registration and renewal with the LTO can be. Because the process is so time-consuming, some people have resorted to under-the-table dealings in order to complete the registration. This is something you should avoid, no matter how long the process takes.

The LTO car registration will teach you patience if that’s any consolation. This is something that new car owners should be aware of.

Read also: Car’s Chassis, VIN, and Engine Number