How to check and claim your car's replacement plate

So you have a car. It’s not brand new and it still bears that green “Philippines 2000” or “Perlas ng Silangan”, even the “Matatag na Republika” license plate. That’s fine, but did you know that you need to surrender that license plate to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for replacement?

Yes, these old plates are due for replacement as part of the LTO’s plate standardization since 2015.

How to: check replacement plate availability

The first step is to check your Certificate of Registration (CR) to see if your motor vehicle (MV) is or was originally registered in any of the LTO branches in the National Capital Region (NCR).

After confirming that the vehicle is, LTO-NCR registered, go to www.ltoncr.com/replacement-plates-green-to-white-plates/ and input your vehicle’s plate number (without spaces) on the search bar provided.

The page will then return with details such as the LTO office where you can claim the replacement plate, address of that LTO office, email address, contact number, and social media page of that LTO office.

For LTO Region 4-A (CALABARZON) units, you may check for the plate replacement availability at www.ltolipri.com and input the plate number on the search bar provided.

This page for LTO Region 4-A will provide you with the LTO District Office and address where you can claim your replacement license plates.

Note: Your vehicle's replacement plate has a security feature that can be verified using a smartphone capable of reading QR codes. This feature will then be used by authorities if your vehicle's replacement plate is legit.

Documentary requirements

Of course, the LTO staff will not hand over your vehicle’s replacement plates without the necessary supporting documents.

To claim your vehicle’s replacement plates, bring the following documents:

Registered owner

-Photocopy of Certificate of Registration (CR)

-Photocopy of latest Official Receipt (OR)

-Photocopy of any valid/government-issued ID of the registered owner

Not the original owner

-Photocopy of Certificate of Registration (CR)

-Photocopy of latest Official Receipt (OR)

-Photocopy of any valid/government-issued ID of the registered owner

-Deed of Sale

-Photocopy of valid ID of vendor and vendee

-For authorized representatives of the current MV owner, bring a signed authorization letter with a photocopy of the valid ID of the owner along with the OR/CR.

If your MV is registered outside NCR or LTO Region 4-A, don't hesitate to get in touch with the appropriate LTO regional office on how to claim your replacement plates.

In August 2023, LTO chief Atty. Vigor Mendoza II has ordered all LTO District Offices, extension offices, and all concerned departments to distribute all the license plates (new and replacement) that are in their possession to the actual legal owner or the actual and legal possessor of the vehicle or motorcycle by sale or transfer of ownership.

In other words, please do not wait for the LTO to issue another order that will compel vehicle owners (with a penalty) to claim their new and replacement plates.