Your license may be seized if you commit one of several serious offenses. Keep in mind that only those who have been properly deputized by the Land Transportation Office may take your driver’s license. They ought to introduce themselves correctly and issue you a ticket that accurately details your infraction.
To avoid penalties, you must return your license within five business days and pay the indicated fines for your infraction.
This is the procedure:
Step 1: Visit the Enforcement Office
The address of the enforcement agency where you can pick up your license is listed on the ticket that was given to you.
In the event that local law enforcement agents seize your license, you must go to the location specified on the citation. For instance, breaking the law in Manila entails paying your fines in person at Manila City Hall.
Head to the district office or, in the event of violations on the main thoroughfares, to the LTO headquarters office in East Avenue, Quezon City, if your license has been seized by LTO deputized traffic inspectors.
The LTO welcomes the DILG memorandum because it allows the organization to assert its primary authority as the only law enforcement agency tasked with enforcing the country’s traffic laws. This will help to maintain the safety of the nation’s roads and encourage an orderly flow of traffic in towns, cities, and provinces, according to the LTO.
It was further stated that the memorandum presents the LTO with the chance to collaborate closely with the LGUs to raise driver awareness of road safety by holding training sessions and encouraging road discipline.
Step 2: Pay the penalty
Depending on which law enforcement agency seized your license, the process varies. You will be issued a resolution document for the LTO, which needs to be presented with the citation. You can pay the fine and additional fees by handing these to the cashier.
Present the ticket at the designated window for licenses that have been seized by local law enforcement, then wait while they calculate your total fine. After that, proceed to the cashier to finish the transaction.
Step 3: Distinctions
You will be required to attend a two-hour training on Traffic Safety Management if your license is seized by LTO authorities. Before you can get your license back, you’ll need to pass a test. You’ll receive a certificate attesting to your seminar success.
For licenses seized by local government enforcement, this is not the case. Your driver’s license will be released once you wait for them to do so.
Step 4: Making a claim
After delivering the required documentation to the licensing area, you can obtain your license. You must submit the seminar certificate with the LTO. After you have been fully notified of the infraction and paid the fee, your license will be released to the local government along with a receipt.
Once you’ve paid the fines and completed the seminar, getting your license back becomes a matter of waiting. The entire procedure should only take a few hours, and it is advisable to do it right away to avoid further consequences if you are unable to pay the ticket.
Please Read: PHILIPPINE DRIVER’S LICENSE
Who has the authority to seize and who cannot?
Imagine you are cautiously driving down EDSA when all of a sudden a traffic cop flags you down and orders you to pull over to the side of the road. Even though you are aware that you have not broken any traffic laws, you are pretty interested as to why you were pulled out. What will you do if the traffic cop demands to see your driver’s license?
Situations like these occur every day, but if you are aware that you have disregarded a particular traffic sign or road mark, you must appear before an enforcer.
All land transportation in the nation is managed by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), a government organization. It issues driver’s licenses, whether they be professional, non-professional, or student permits. The LTO is the only organization that can confiscate a driver’s license because it is the only organization that issues them.
Now, who are these individuals who have the authority to take your license away if you break a traffic law? Only officials who have been deputized by the LTO are permitted to, according to Republic Act 4136.
Each official has a set of mission instructions that outline their jurisdiction, reporting period, role as an official, and whether they have the authority to issue citations or revoke licenses. On the one hand, Temporary Operator’s Permit (TOP), which is used as a receipt that a driver’s license was seized, is only available to deputized officials.
On the other hand, licenses that merely carry a traffic citation ticket cannot be seized by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) officers. If you break a traffic law, an MMDA officer may ask for your license, but they are not allowed to take it away, especially if they are not LTO deputized.
The list of infractions that each driver may incur while operating a vehicle is provided by the Land Transportation and Traffic Code. It is crucial for you to understand which of these traffic laws you are truly breaking if you are suspected of breaking one and are being detained for it.
These include infractions relating to permits, registration, license plates, stickers, equipment parts, accessories, gadgets, and markings of a motor vehicle, as well as infractions relating to weight and load restrictions.
A driver’s license is a privilege rather than a fundamental right. It’s crucial that you are well-versed in your rights as a driver because you were granted your license based on your qualifications and compliance with the law.
Conclusion
It is important for everyone to abide by the laws of the road. They are there to keep everyone safe, which is why they are there.
There are benefits to waking up early (6 AM). You will be able to park your car and be among the first in line. However, if you are a “FRONTLINER”, senior citizen, person with a disability, or expecting, you will be given precedence.