LTO suspends special plates issuance

MANILA: The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has temporarily suspended the issuance of special plates. This new development from the government agency was recently detailed in Memorandum Circular MVL-2026-5023, signed by LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao. 

Specifically, the temporary suspension covers requests for new special plates until further notice. And yes, this includes the stoppage of applications “regardless of the current stage” of an applicant or registrant. 

On this note, special plates that are yet to be approved or finalized when the memorandum was issued “shall be temporarily suspended until further instructions are issued.” 

Why the suspension? Well, the LTO says that this will allow the agency to be more consistent in the policy implementation and “service delivery” of special plates. It will also give the LTO time to address current operational concerns related to the said plate number type. 

As defined by LTO Memorandum Circular VDM-2024-2614, special plates, otherwise known as vanity plates, are custom license plates produced by the LTO for private vehicles. 

Prior to its current suspension, getting a special plate involved a payment of P35,000. This affords an opportunity to choose any of the letters (Alpha) combination plus a quadruple numeric combination (except 0000) or any three letter combination plus any four number combination “not yet issued as a series.” 

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Other LTO updates

Apart from the new LTO memorandum detailed above, the said government agency has released its official guidelines for the “use of temporary certificate of registration.” 

To note, official registration certificates usually come in security paper - a resource which is reportedly in short supply due to delayed deliveries from the National Print Office. 

As a temporary measure, the LTO will use A4-size bond paper. Registered car owners, however, will be informed through various channels once a proper certificate of registration in security paper is available. 

More recently, the LTO has issued a cease-and-desist order against the BOSS (BMW Owners Society of Safe Riders) Ironman Challenge. This prevents the event’s organizers from staging another event similar to the one held in Davao earlier this year.

The LTO has also published several memorandum circulars detailing the approval of the following upcoming vehicles:

• Honda CB500 updates
• Suzuki eVitara
• TVS iQube 2.2
• Yamaha YZF-R1M update
• Suzuki Carry PV (troop carrier)

Also read:

Will Lexus PH bring in the LC500's 'final' version?

LTO Chief Asec. Lacanilao steps in as LTO-NCR RD

LTO releases guidelines for utilization of ‘seatbelt fund’

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