When you buy a brand-new vehicle, you won’t have to worry about registering it for the first three years. It’s one of the conveniences you get when you purchase a new vehicle. Now, it looks like that convenience is going to get a little more, er, convenient.
The Department of Transportation has announced that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has greenlit the agency’s proposal to extend the initial registration for brand-new vehicles from three years to five. It will release a memorandum circular regarding this ahead of the start of implementation on February 15, 2026.
DOTr secretary Banoy Lopez said said that this will remove the this move will make car ownership more hassle-free for motorists, especially now that carmakers are now offering longer warranties for new cars. “Kumbaga nag-level up itong mga casa, magle-level up din tayo sa mga polisiya natin. But more than that, [dahil sa extension ng validity] maiiwasan natin ‘yung mahabang pila sa LTO sa mga magre-renew na naman, tapos may issue rin ng fixers at corruption, at again, [priority natin] ‘yung convenience ng public,” he said.
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The agency said this will also help address the issue of motorists with brand-new cars not renewing their respective vehicle registrations after the first three years. The DOTr, however, clarified that after the initial five years, vehicles should still be registered yearly.
“On the sixth year, kailangan nang i-renew ‘yan and every year thereafter,” added Lopez. “Ang rason po diyan, habang tumatagal o tumatanda ang ating sasakyan, it becomes less reliable because of depreciation or wear and tear. Mas kailangan ang LTO na magkaroon pa rin ng comprehensive roadworthiness check.”
Lopez also appealed to the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) to make the initial five-year registration free for all brand-new cars to lessen the burden on motorists.
“I think 80-90% ng car dealers, nagbibigay sila ng free registration as a come-on,” said Lopez. “Makikiusap ako sa CAMPI na baka pwede pa rin nilang gawin free registration pa rin para at least makakatipid ‘yung ating mga kababayan.”
