The Land Transportation Office (LTO) says its driver’s license card supply is now sufficient to cover renewal and printing backlogs from April to September 2023. On October 5, the agency removed the automatic extension of driver’s license validity, and instead released an adjusted schedule for the renewal of driver’s licenses that expired from April to September.
The staggered renewal deadlines, which are based on the month of expiry, should prevent congestion at LTO offices. “Ang iniiwasan natin dito ay dahil nga may plastic card na ay biglang bugso ng tao sa ating mga opisina para mag-renew,” said LTO chief Atty. Vigor Mendoza II. “Gusto nating magkaroon ng sistema upang mabilis at komportable sa ating mga kababayan.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the adjusted deadlines for renewing driver’s licenses in 2023.
Which months are covered by the adjusted driver’s license renewal deadlines?
The LTO’s advisory covers licenses that expired from April to September 2023, when the supply of plastic cards was either limited or affected by a court order. Check out the adjusted renewal deadlines below:
- Driver’s licenses that expired from April 1 to 30, 2023 – renew within October 6 to November 6, 2023*
- Driver’s licenses that expired from May 1 to 31, 2023 – renew within November 1 to 30, 2023
- Driver’s licenses that expired from June 1 to 30, 2023 – renew within December 1 to 31, 2023
- Driver’s licenses that expired from July 1 to 31, 2023 – renew within January 1 to 31, 2024
- Driver’s licenses that expired from August 1 to 31, 2023 – renew within February 1 to 26, 2024
- Driver’s licenses that expired from September to 31, 2023 – renew within March 1 to 31, 2024
*All LTO advisories posted on social media so far indicate that the deadline for renewing licenses that expired in April 2023 is on October 31, 2023. But during a press briefing on October 5, Mendoza specifically said that the deadline is November 6.
What if I had already renewed my driver’s license, but was only issued a paper license?
If you had already renewed your driver’s license from April to September this year and are only waiting for the printed card version, the LTO says you simply need to go back to the licensing office to claim the actual driver’s license card. You must return to the same district office or renewal center that processed the renewal, and present the official receipt to claim your physical driver’s license.
Based on the wording of the advisory and Mendoza’s statements, you can do this anytime—for instance, if you were issued a paper license when you renewed in June, then you shouldn’t need to wait until December (based on the schedule above) to get your driver’s license card. If you live some distance from the renewal center, the safe thing to do is to call ahead and confirm, so you don’t waste a trip. The format of temporary paper licenses includes the contact details of the renewal center.
What if I miss my renewal schedule?
If your driver’s license expired anytime from April to September 2023 and you miss the corresponding renewal deadline, your driver’s license will be automatically deemed expired, and you’ll have to pay a late-renewal penalty. Remember, the adjusted deadlines supersede the automatic validity extension of driver’s licenses—that was meant to be a temporary solution to begin with, and was meant to be adjusted once the plastic card supply normalized.
What about driver’s licenses expiring from October onwards?
Truth be told, driver’s licenses expiring from October onwards weren’t covered by the advisory. The logical assumption is their validity would be extended, too, but logic (like plastic cards) don’t always come in abundant supply as far as these regulations are concerned.
The prudent thing to do would be to follow the deadline indicated on your expiring driver’s license until the LTO issues a new advisory. We will also update this story as soon as we get further clarifications on this matter.
