LTO extends deadline against use of temporary, improvised license plates

MANILA: The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has extended the deadline for the imminent implementation of the prohibition of temporary and improvised plate numbers.

Per the agency, the proposed deadline of September 1 has been moved to December 31, 2024.

“We ask the motorists to claim and install their respective license plates as soon as they are available either in the car dealerships and replacement plates in our offices,” LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Attorney Vigor Mendoza II said.

To recall, the country’s land transportation bureau issued a memorandum against the use of improvised and temporary license plates after having found out that registered owners of vehicles, especially the newly bought ones, are not claiming their license plates from motor vehicle dealerships.

According to LTO, thousands of license plates remain unclaimed in various motor vehicle dealerships. These dealers — during a meeting last month — stated that their clients were unable to claim the plates despite repeated messages to them.

“There is no more backlog in four-wheel vehicles so there is no reason for these vehicle owners not to claim and install them in their vehicles,” Mendoza noted.

“Ang natitira na lamang pong backlog ay mga plaka sa mga motorsiklo at ito po ay ang focus namin ngayon in compliance with the directive from President Marcos to address all the backlog on license plates by June next year (the only remaining backlog is license plates on motorcycles and this is our focus now in compliance with the directive from President Marcos to address all the backlog on license plates by June next year),” he stressed.

Mendoza clarified that the deadline extension will not diminish the organization’s effort to aggressively come up with measures to deliver all the unclaimed license plates to the rightful owners.

Per LTO’s head honcho, he already instructed the agency’s Regional Directors and District Office heads to coordinate with the local government units for the distribution of the license plates.

Relatedly, the LTO has issued a total of 3,940 Show Cause Orders on motor vehicle dealers across the country who failed to release license plates as well as the Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration (OR/CR) of their clients within the 11-day prescribed time.

“Maging aral sana ito sa sa lahat ng car dealers na hindi nagtatapos sa pagbebenta ng mga sasakyan at motorsiklo ang kanilang obligasyon, dapat ay ibigay nila ang mga nararapat na serbisyo sa kanilang kliyente lalo na ang mga plaka at OR/CR dahil napakahalaga nito alinsunod sa mga batas at regulasyon ng ating bansa (may this be a lesson to all car dealers that their obligation does not end with the sale of cars and motorcycles, they should provide the appropriate services to their clients especially license plates and OR/CR ​​because it is very important to comply to the laws and regulations of our country),” Mendoza commented.

Dealers who fail to comply could face penalties of up to P1 million.

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