Land Transportation Office (LTO) assistant secretary Jay Art Tugade approved the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Vintage Vehicle Regulation Act (Republic Act No. 11698) on January 30, 2023. The IRR will take effect on April 17, 2023.
Under the IRR, a ‘vintage vehicle’ refers to a motor vehicle that is at least 40 years old reckoned from the date of manufacture, whose chassis, engine, steering assembly, and suspension assembly are either original or authentic, and whose body has not been altered in general appearance, subject to the exceptions in Section 2 of Rule IV of the IRR. It excludes replicas and reproduction of vintage vehicles. Thus, all vehicles manufactured prior to 1983 may qualify as vintage vehicles.
Registration under the Vintage Vehicle Registration Act is not mandatory for all vehicles manufactured prior to 1983; it is merely an option for the owner. The owner of a vintage vehicle can still avail of the regular inspection procedure and standards for other motor vehicles.
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The key benefit for owners is that vintage vehicles registered under this Act are not required to meet the anti-pollution, safety, road-use, and other standards that were not in force at the time of their manufacturing, either as a condition for their registration or use on public roads.
All vintage vehicles either a) imported after the effectivity of the IRR, or b) registered with the LTO under the vintage vehicle sub-classification, are not required to comply with the following laws.
The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 and Anti-Pollution standards shall not apply to registered vintage vehicles.
However, registered vintage vehicles with modern engine replacement of the same brand or manufacturer and of the same general specification as the engine original to the vintage vehicle, or vehicles belonging in the same historical model line or automobile brand lineage as the vintage vehicle shall still follow the regulations set by the Clean Air Act and Anti-Pollution standards.
The Seat Belts Use Act of 1999 shall not apply to registered vintage vehicles manufactured on or before 31 December 1967.
The prohibition on the importation, registration, and use of right-hand drive vehicles (Republic Act No. 8506) shall not apply to vintage vehicles manufactured on or before 31 December 1970.
Vintage vehicles with lost papers (LTO Certificate of Registration or Official Receipt) may be registered under a vintage vehicle sub-classification, subject to the submission of documentary requirements.
A vintage vehicle that has not been previously recorded or registered with the LTO and has no evidence of ownership (including those acquired without the necessary documentation or those with a lost deed of donation, sale, or conveyance) may apply for its initial registration with the LTO under a vintage vehicle sub-classification, subject to the submission of documentary requirements.
The LTO will publish a notice of application in a newspaper of general circulation, once a week for 3 consecutive weeks, and on its website for 3 days from receipt of the application. If there are no objections within 3 months from the last date of publication, the LTO shall register the vintage vehicle under the name of the applicant. The registration shall be without prejudice to the rights of persons who may claim ownership under applicable laws.
Vintage vehicle owners are given three years from the effectivity of the IRR to register their vehicles under this ‘no evidence of ownership’ category.
The IRR also provides, among others: The minimum standards for the inspection of vintage vehicles; the requirements for the importation and exportation of vintage vehicles; the procedure for the re-stamping of the chassis number; the onsite registration of vintage vehicles at permanent exhibits and museums; and, a vintage vehicle distinctive license number plate.
