How to Check LTO Plate Replacement Online
Land Transportation Office has rolled out LTO Plate Upgrading across the entire Philippines. The process is called LTO Place Replacement, in which the LTO is going to replace the old green plates with new white plates in all motor vehicles.
If you still have those old green plates on your car then you should learn about the LTO Plate Replacement Process and follow it to replace your old number plates with the new white plates.
What is LTO Plate Replacement?
The LTO Plate Replacement is a process to upgrade old green plates to new white plates in the Philippines. This process involves checking plate availability, visiting concerned LTO Branch, submit required documents and pay the fees. LTO releases the replacement plates on the same day if the plates are ready.
Every vehicle in the Philippines will receive the new white plates replacing their old green plates. The new white plates are more readable from a distance which helps LTO to identify the vehicles more accurately on the road.
Is LTO Plate Replacement Mandatory?
The LTO Plate Replacement is not mandatory at the present time, but it is going to be mandatory in near future. Starting from the earlier, the Land Transportation has crafted almost 18 lac (1.8 million) New White Plates and the replacement process is going on.
The LTO Plate Replacement can be mandatory for you if,
- Your vehicle has old green plates that are faded, cracked, damaged, bent and/or difficult to read from a distance.
- Your vehicle plates are older than 5 years. (Note: The ideal lifespan of any vehicle plate is 5-7 years in Philippines.)
- Your plates were not issued after registration.
- Your vehicle has a temporary plate released by the dealer.
- The LTO has notified you via email or SMS about your vehicle plate replacement.
The LTO Plate Replacement is not required if you already have the new white plates on your vehicle.
How to Check If Your Replacement Plate is Available
The Land Transportation Office has provided an online inquiry service at LTO-NCR Portal for checking if the replacement plate for your vehicle is available or not.
In order to check the availability of LTO replacement plate for your car or any other vehicle, you can follow the steps I am sharing here.
- Go to LTO-NCR Plate Replacement Inquiry Page www.ltoncr.com.
- Scroll down to the search section.
- Enter your vehicle plate number correctly.
- Wait for 1-2 seconds.
- If your replacement plate is ready, it will show up concerned LTO Office Name, Address and Contact Details.
- If your replacement pate is not ready, it will show up zero results.
In case you applied for plate replacement earlier and your status is not showing online, you should contact the LTO Office/Branch where you submitted your plate replacement application.
Requirements to Claim Replacement Plate from LTO
If your replacement plate is ready, you can claim it from the concerned LTO Office/Branch. Before you visit the LTO Office, you should know about the requirements to claim replacement plate(s) from LTO that I am sharing here.
For 1st Owner:
If you are the first, original owner of the vehicle then you should provide following documents to claim replacement plates from the LTO.
- Photocopy of Certificate of Registration (CR)
- Latest Official Receipt (OR)
- Photocopy of Valid ID of Registered Owner
For 2nd Owner:
If you are not the first owner but you have purchased the vehicle from the first owner and the transfer of ownership is not done yet then you should provide below given documents to claim replacement plates from the LTO.
- Photocopy of Certificate of Registration (CR)
- Latest Official Receipt (OR)
- Deed of Sale
- Photocopy of Valid ID of Vendor/Seller
- Photocopy of Valid ID of Vendee/Buyer
For Authorized Representative:
If you cannot visit the LTO Office, you can send someone else as an authorized representative to claim replacement plates from the LTO on your behalf. The authorized representative must provide the documents given as under.
- Authorization Letter from the Owner
- Photo Copy of Valid ID of the Representative
How to Claim Replacement Plate from LTO
Once you know that your replacement plates are ready to pickup at the LTO Office, you should get your documents ready and head to concerned LTO Office on a working day. I have already explained the required documents above, now I will tell you how to claim your replacement plate from the LTO Office.
- Check your replacement plate availability online and note down the concerned LTO Office Address.
- Visit the concerned LTO Office/Branch.
- Go to Plate Release Section.
- Inform the LTO Personnel that you want to claim the replacement plate(s).
- Submit your documents and wait for the verification process.
- Pay the Plate Replacement Fee (not applicable if already paid earlier).
- Soon the LTO Personnel will bring your replacement plate(s), check the plate to confirm its yours.
- Sign the Release Form and exit the LTO Office.
So, this is how you can claim the replacement plate(s) from the LTO Office in your region/district.
How Much Does LTO Plate Replacement Fee?
In order to replace the number plates of your vehicle, you must pay the applicable fee to the LTO, fee details are mentioned below.
- One Plate Replacement Fee: ₱300 to ₱500
- Both Plates Replacement Fee: ₱600 to ₱1000
If you want an LTO Personnel to install the number plate on your vehicle, the LTO may charge an additional fee of up to ₱200. However, it is also possible that the LTO may offer free installation of plate(s).
How Long Does LTO Take to Replace My Plate?
The LTO takes time to replace your plate is directly dependent on the availability of your plate. If your replacement plate is available at LTO Office and it is ready to pickup then the LTO will release your plate on same day.
In case your vehicle replacement plate is not available then you need to submit an application for replacement and the LTO may take 7 to 10 days or several weeks to complete the replacement process based on the workload at that particular LTO Branch.
Can I Install New Plate on My Vehicle by Myself?
Yes, you can install the new plate(s) on your vehicle by yourself. The Land Transportation Office allows the vehicle owners to install the LTO replacement plate(s) on their vehicles.
There is no condition for installation by a professional or an LTO Personnel. The only condition you must follow is that you must have the Authentic LTO Plate and you must attach the plate correctly.
The LTO has strictly prohibited the vehicle owners from tampering with the Number Plates. The tampering includes the following_
- Creating their own number plates.
- Modifying number plates to make them look fancy.
- Bending or Changing the shape of number plates.
- Adding personal design, tap, sticker, logo or anything on number plates.
- Altering number plates to hide the character or blur them.
- Using reflective covers to reduce visibility of number plates.
- Drilling extra holes on number plates.
- Changing/Swapping number plates with other vehicle.
So, you can install the number plate on your vehicle by yourself but you cannot tamper the number plate as it is unlawful and illegal.
Avoid Mistakes in LTO Plate Replacement Process
The LTO Plate Replacement Process can be completed in one day if the replacement plate is ready and your documents are valid. In order to get your replacement plate faster and save yourself from multiple visits to LTO Office, you must avoid making common mistakes during the plate replacement process.
Don’t Skip Checking Plate Availability
Some people assume that everyone’s replacement plates are ready at the LTO Office but it is not true. The LTO Plate Replacement is an ongoing process and it will take time. You must check availability of replacement plate of your vehicle online.
If the replacement plate is available, only then you should visit concerned LTO Branch to collect your new number plate.
Carry All Required Documents Original and Photocopies
When going to the LTO Office to claim replacement plate(s), you should carry all required documents. Make sure that you carry both the original and photocopies of the documents and the documents are clearly visible.
If your documents are valid and visible, the LTO will process your claim request faster and you will get your replacement plate(s) in 10-15 minutes.
Visit Correct LTO Branch on Correct Time
When checking availability of replacement plate online, note down concerned LTO branch name and address. In order to claim your vehicle plates, you must visit the correct LTO branch on a working day. Avoid going to LTO on Sunday or a public holiday or during festival days.
What to Do with Old Green Plates
While upgrading from old green plates to new white plates, it is obvious to wonder what to do with the old plates. Whether you should give the old plates back to LTO or keep them with yourself, let me give you a simple advice.
When you visit the LTO Office to claim the replacement plates, you should ask the LTO Personnel about the old green plates. If the LTO is ready to take the old plates back, you can hand over the old plates to the LTO after new plates are installed.
If the LTO Personnel refuses to take the old plates back then you should destroy the old green plates after the new plates are installed on your vehicle.
Conclusion:
The LTO Plate Replacement is an important process for all vehicle owners in the Philippines. The Land Transportation Office provides online replacement plate availability checking on LTO-NCR Portal.
Above I have explained how to replace your old green plates with new white plates as per LTO Rules. In case you still have queries, feel free to ask them in the comment section.
