Duterte: Nationwide rollout of driver's licenses with 10-year validity set for December

All offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) across the country will start issuing driver’s licenses with 10-year validity in December, President Rodrigo Duterte has announced.

The LTO licensing office on East Avenue, Quezon City started the issuance of these licenses on October 28.

Duterte said the rest of the LTO offices in Metro Manila would begin this month to be followed by all other regions.

“By December 2021, the LTO commits that all its offices nationwide will be issuing licenses with a 10-year validity,” Duterte said in a pre-recorded address aired Wednesday morning.

Under Republic Act 10930 signed by Duterte in 2017, “any holder of a professional or nonprofessional driver's license who has not committed any violation of Republic Act 4136 and other traffic laws, rules and regulations during the five-year period shall be entitled to a renewal of such license for 10 years,  subject to the restrictions as may be imposed by the LTO."

The LTO has required renewal applicants to undergo a comprehensive driver's exam.

The exam can be done face-to-face or online at portal.lto.gov.ph.

The project was first implemented in Quezon City but will be rolled out in other areas on November 3.

LTO chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said on Wednesday that the mandatory Comprehensive Driver’s Education Program (CDEP) would not cause any “undue delay” and “hardship” to renewing driver’s license holders since “this is free and readily available through multiple channels.” — VBL, GMA News