The Land Transportation Office will implement new guidelines on the same-day registration and release of license plates and official receipt/certificate of registration (OR/CR) for all brand-new motor vehicles starting next month.
In a statement on Thursday, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II announced that the guidelines will be cascaded nationwide through district offices and dealers, with the Memorandum Circular taking effect on October 15, 2025.
“The instruction is to release all of them within three days, but on the part of the LTO, we assessed that the release of license plates and OR/CR could be done on the same day the newly purchased vehicle is released to the owner. That is why we will implement it,” he added.
The move aims to ensure that the 11-year problem with the backlog of license plates will not happen again.
The backlog numbering at least 12 million was finally cleared in June 2025, or a year after President Marcos Jr. assumed power.
In his 2025 State of the Nation Address, Marcos directed the LTO to uphold its commitment to issue the registration and license plate of brand-new motor vehicles within three days.
“This is actually a compliance with the President’s directive to us during his recent SONA that we have to ensure that the license plates and OR/CR (Official Receipt/Certificate of Registration) are released in the soonest possible time,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said a system was conceptualized to enable the immediate release of the license plate and OR/CR on the day new motor vehicles are released.
“Once this Memorandum Circular becomes effective, no brand-new motor vehicle or motorcycle shall be released by the dealers without the LTO license plate/s, and OR/CR,” he added.
