LTO further extends validity of motor vehicles' registrations

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Thursday announced  that it has further extended the validity of registration for motor vehicles in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

In a statement, the LTO said motor vehicles with plate numbers ending in “6” or those scheduled for registration renewal in June in all areas –other than the National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna, Cebu, and Region III –registration validity is extended for 30 days starting June 30, 2020.

“Thus, no penalty shall be collected for renewal transactions from 01-31 July 2020 for these motor vehicles,” it said.

Meanwhile, LTO offices have given all motor vehicles plate numbers ending in “6” or those scheduled for renewal in June in NCR, Laguna, Cebu, and Region III, an additional 30 days of extended validity period.

This is on top of the 60 days extension given by LTO beginning from the date of the agency’s work resumption on June 3, 2020.

“This means that these vehicles have an extended deadline until 03 September 2020,” the LTO said.

Furthermore, an extension of 30 days for renewal registration is given for motor vehicles with plate numbers ending in “7,” “8,” “9” and “0” in all LTO offices.

The 30-day extension is effective from their supposed expiration as follows:

• Plates ending in “7” - from July 31 now adjusted to August 31
• Plates ending in “8” - from August now adjusted to September 30
• Plates ending in “9” - from September 30  now adjusted to October 31
• Plates ending in “0” - from October 31 to November 30, 2020

“No penalty and surcharge shall also be collected for renewal transactions within the revised schedule given by the LTO,” the agency said.

“The said schedule will be implemented in order to avoid congestion at LTO offices and ensure that the processing of transactions will observe strict health and safety protocols,” it added.

Earlier, the LTO issued an order to implement non-collection of penalties for late registration of motor vehicles and renewal of driver’s licenses which expired during the duration of community quarantine.

The non-collection of fees has been effective since early March this year, upon the enforcement of  enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and later all over Luzon.

On 9 May, the LTO issued another Memorandum Circular (MC), which automatically extends the validity of registration of motor vehicles expiring on March 1 and until the date of work resumption.

The extension was for 60 calendar days from work resumption, and includes motor vehicles with plate numbers ending in “3,” “4,” and “5” or March, April and May, as well as those with no plates yet, the LTO added.

On June 24, the agency issued another MC to further extend the validity of registration for motor vehicles with registration renewal schedules  from June through October, or those with plate numbers ending in “6,” “7,” “8,” “9,” and “0.”

“We are continuously extending the validity and the period for renewal of registration of motor vehicles since March. This is in adherence to the directive of Secretary Arthur Tugade, at the start of the community quarantine, [in consideration of] the health and economic crisis we are facing," LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said.

Galvante appealed to motorists to follow the revised schedule of renewal transactions, and to not wait for the deadline, to effectively carry out smooth transactions, as well as avoid aberrations, especially as the chance of COVID-19 transmission within the community remains high.

“Aside from considering the financial health of motorists, we have crafted this schedule so that we can create a systematic and organized process of renewal of motor vehicle registration in all our offices. This is also to ensure that the clients’ and our employees’ welfare are well-protected at all cost,” the LTO official said. —LBG, GMA News