If your improvised or temporary license plates use the format prescribed by the Land Transportation Office via last year’s Memorandum Circular No. JMT-2023-2400, well, you can’t keep using them beyond this month.
On September 1, 2024, the new ‘Guidelines on the use of improvised and temporary motor vehicle/motorcycle plates’ or Memorandum Circular No. VDM-2024-2721 will take effect. The implementation of this measure was originally set to begin on August 1, but the LTO released a follow-up memo delaying its rollout.
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Once VDM-2024-2721 takes effect, “all motor vehicles and motorcycles using non-LTO issued plate number, except as authorized and specified by this Memorandum, shall be apprehended and the appropriate legal actions and penalties in accordance with existing laws and regulations shall be imposed.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the new format of improvised and temporary license plates.
Temporary license plates for new four-wheeled motor vehicles
Brand-new four-wheeled vehicles shall use the conduction sticker number on their temporary license plates. The new design still requires the inclusion of the MV File Number and the region where the vehicle is registered, but drops the name of the dealer that sold the vehicle.
The color of the fonts to be used shall be based on a vehicle’s classification:
- Private vehicles – white background and black alphanumeric characters
- Electric and hybrid vehicles – white background and green alphanumeric characters
- Government vehicles – white background and red alphanumeric characters
In addition, the new memorandum circular states that “the use of temporary plates for private motor vehicles shall be valid only within a period of 15 days from the issuance of sales invoice.”
Does this mean permanent license plates may be issued within that time frame? Well, the LTO said in May that it has no more backlog for vehicle license plates. The memorandum circular actually begins with the statement, “considering the absence of backlog in the production of motor vehicle plates vis-a-vis our continuous improvement and alignment of policies with current standards and practices...”
If the agency can release the permanent license plates in that period of time, well and good. Otherwise, if a plate number is already assigned but no permanent license plates have been released, the memorandum circular doesn’t say what the next step is for vehicle owners.
Temporary license plates for motorcycles
Brand-new motorcycles shall use the MV File Number on their temporary license plates. The memorandum circular states that this applies to motorcycles purchased before January 1, 2023. But for motorcycles purchased after VDM-2024-2721 takes effect, “the use of temporary plate reflecting the MV File Number shall be valid only within a period of 15 days from the issuance of sales invoice.”
Again, the issuance doesn’t indicate what should be used if a plate number is assigned, but permanent license plates are not yet available.
Improvised license plates
Improvised license plates may be used by vehicle owners waiting for the replacement of lost or mutilated license plates. They require an authority/permit to use issued by the LTO District or Extension Office that processed the duplicate plate request.
Temporary vintage license plates
Unlike with improvised plates, the use of temporary vintage license plates does not require authorization from the LTO. The temporary plate must state the plate number as well as the year the vehicle was manufactured and the words ‘Vintage Vehicle.’
For the full copy of LTO Memorandum Circular No. VDM-2024-2721, click here.
