As motorists, we have huge responsibilities. The lives of us, our passengers, and other road users are basically in our hands whenever we’re behind the wheel. This is why the gasgas saying “driving is a privilege, not a right” is still very true no matter how cliché it sounds.
At the core of all this are our driver’s licenses. Yes, we know that a monkey can probably pass our driving test, but legally these licenses prove that we as individuals are both capable and worthy of operating motor vehicles. No license, no driving—it’s that plain and simple. Of course, some people tend to ignore that fact. One thing these people also tend to overlook, though, is that driving without a license—for whatever reason that may be—is illegal.
In this article, we quickly run through a couple of violations pertaining to driver’s licenses along with their corresponding fines and penalties. We’ve also included one regarding license applications as indicated by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) website and the Land Transport Management System (LTMS) Portal.
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1) Driving without a valid driver’s license or conductor’s permit
This first one’s a no-brainer. If you haven’t acquired your driver’s license or renewed your existing one yet, you shouldn’t be driving. The same applies to conductors of public utility buses.
- Fine: P3,000
- Penalties: Disqualification from acquiring any driver’s license and prohibition from driving any motor vehicle (MV) for a period of one year from the settlement of fines
2) Failure to carry driver’s license, certificate of registration, or official receipt while driving a motor vehicle
Okay, so you already have a driver’s license. Good job. Just take note that getting a license is only part of it—you have to actually bring said license with you whenever you get behind the wheel, too.
Say you got flagged down for a violation or figured in an accident, If you don’t have your driver’s license with you, what are you going to show authorities then? At that point, you’re almost the same as an unlicensed individual illegally operating a motor vehicle.
This violation as indicated in the Land Transportation Office’s LTMS Portal also covers the failure to carry a certificate of registration and an official receipt (OR/CR) while operating a vehicle. It didn’t specify as to the “official receipt” stated includes that of the driver’s license, but we reckon the best practice here is to just keep the two documents together all the time.
- Fine: P1,000
3) Submission of fake documents in relation to the application for a driver’s license
Are you lacking documents to apply for or renew your driver’s license? Don’t even think about taking shortcuts and faking your way into acquiring that license.
Now, if you think about it, the fine isn’t really that hefty. But the implications of these actions could potentially cause even more trouble in the future, so beware.
- Fine: P3,000
- Penalties:
- Driver’s license shall be put on alarm
- Revocation of driver’s license and disqualification from acquiring a new driver’s license and prohibition from operating a motor vehicle for one year from the payment of fines without prejudice to the filing of appropriate criminal charges
