Still waiting for your replacement license plate to be issued? Or perhaps you’ve bought a new vehicle and you’d like to know if the plate is ready for pick up? If you happen to be registered with the Land Transportation Office – National Capital Region (LTO – NCR), you can easily check the availability of your license plate online!
At present, license plates are being produced in full swing, with plates for newer vehicles already being issued. Whether you’re waiting for a replacement plate, or the plate for your new motor vehicle (MV) or motorcycle (MC) — all you have to do is head to an online portal to check for availability. Once again, please note that this applies to vehicles registered with LTO – NCR offices only.
Why You Need a License Plate
Before anything else, let us first review the importance of license plates and why you need them:
It serves as your vehicle’s identity. Together with your vehicle’s LTO Official Receipt (OR) and Certificate of Registration (CR), your license plate serves as your vehicle’s identify. It indicates that your car or motorcycle has been duly registered, and that it has earned the right to be used on public roads and highways.
It helps ensure road safety and security. Having a license plate means that your car or motorcycle has been tested, and is therefore deemed as “fit” or worthy to be used on public roads.
It helps authorities catch traffic violators. Using the license plate as a visible identifier, authorities are able to catch motorists who are breaking the rules — to penalize as well as to teach them a lesson!
Speaking of traffic violations, please keep in mind that the LTO is implementing a “No Registration, No Travel” policy. This means that driving without a license is illegal; the same goes for driving with an unregistered car or motorcycle.
If you get caught driving an unregistered car vehicle, you can expect to get slapped with a PHP 5,000 fine! In addition, your vehicle might be impounded… thus leading to additional costs (for towing) and penalties (for every day that it’s impounded). You can only claim your car once you’ve paid the necessary penalties.
Thus, do not underestimate the importance of vehicle registration. Whether it’s a new application or a renewal, be sure to follow the due process… and also to carry your LTO OR and CR at all times!
Availability of Replacement Plates
Since 2015, “white” license plates have replaced the old “green” plates of motor vehicles. It is currently the standard plate for all registered vehicles in the country. If you have applied for a replacement plate, here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can check its availability online:
Check Replacement Plates Online
- Using a computer or a mobile phone, go to this link on the LTO – NCR website. Look for the search bar in the middle of the webpage.
- Enter your vehicle’s license plate number in the search bar, then click “search.” Do not leave any spaces between the numbers and letters. (NOTE: Simply refresh the webpage after a few attempts, and make sure you input the correct number for accurate results.)
- If your replacement plate is already available, the screen will display the following details: Replacement Plate Number, LTO Office, Office Address, Office Email, Office Contact, and Office FB Page.
- Once you have confirmed that your replacement plate is available, you can proceed to the LTO Office displayed to pick it up. (NOTE: If you want to pick up your plate in another LTO Office, you can do so by making a request and filling up the form below the webpage.)
Requirements to Claim Replacement Plates
Your replacement place is available. Yay! Now how can you claim it? Here’s a list of documents that you need to bring, in order to claim your replacement plate from the LTO Office. Keep in mind that the requirements differ for “first owners” and “second owners.”
For First Owners:
- Photocopy of Valid ID of Registered Owner
- Latest Official Receipt (OR)
- Photocopy of Certificate of Registration (CR)
For Second Owners (not yet transferred):
- Photocopy of Valid IDs (buyer and seller)
- Deed of Sale
- Latest Official Receipt (OR)
- Photocopy of Certificate of Registration (CR)
If, for some reason, you are not able to pick up your replacement plate personally — you can ask an authorized representative to get it for you. However, he/she would need to bring the following additional requirements:
- Authorization Letter from Owner
- Photocopy of Valid ID of Representative
As soon as you have gathered all the requirements, go to the LTO Office where you’ll be picking up your replacement plate. Upon arrival, proceed to the Releasing Section. Present your documents and wait for them to give your plate. Once you have received it, you will be asked to sign a release form for confirmation. The whole process should take around 15 minutes only, depending on the number of people who have come to collect their license plates.
Availability of Brand New Plates
Those who have recently bought new vehicles can expect to received brand new plates, as well. In the NCR, these are the LTO New Registration Unit (NRU) Offices:
- Regional Office – NRU (1303, 1301, 1801)
- Las Piñas District Office – NRU (1324)
- Mandaluyong District Office – NRU (1336)
- Muntinlupa District Office – NRU (1336)
- Quezon City District Office – NRU (1380)
Check Brand New Plates Online
To check the availability of your brand new license plates, simply follow the steps below:
- Using a computer or a mobile phone, go to this link on the LTO – NCR website. Look for the search bar in the middle of the webpage.
- Enter your vehicle’s license plate number in the search bar, then click “search.” Do not leave any spaces between the numbers and letters. (NOTE: Simply refresh the webpage after a few attempts, and make sure you input the correct number for accurate results.)
- If your license plate is already available, the screen will display the following details: Plate Number, MV Classification, LTO NRU Office, Name of Dealer, and Date Released to Dealer.
- Once you have confirmed that your license plate is available, please coordinate with your dealer regarding the claiming process.
NOTE: If you have any questions or concerns, please coordinate with the LTO NRU Office displayed on your screen.
Requirements to Claim Brand New Plates
Be sure to ask your dealer for the requirements and procedure on claiming your new license plate. That being said, here are some of the general requirements that you need to prepare:
- Photocopy of Valid ID of Registered Owner
- Latest Official Receipt (OR)
- Photocopy of Certificate of Registration (CR)
Infographic from LTO
Below is an infographic from LTO – NCR regarding inquiries about the availability of replacements plates, along with brand new motor vehicle (MV) and motorcycle (MC) plates. As you can see, the announcement features the corresponding links to Replacement Plate and New MV/MC Plate inquiries.
If you are using a mobile phone, you can also access or visit the links by scanning the QR codes displayed on the infographic.
Final Thoughts
Once again, if you have applied for replacement or brand new license plates for your vehicles through an LTO – NCR Office, you can check their availability using the portals featured above. As for motorists in other regions of the Philippines, please contact your respective LTO Regional or District Office.
While waiting for your replacement or brand new plate, using a “temporary” plate is a must. Check out this article to learn about the rules on using temporary plates on motor vehicles.