You Can Get Your New License Card Within the Day, Says DOTr

No more paper licenses. That's what Department of Transport (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade said during a recent briefing. According to Tugade, their agency, along with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has resolved the driver's license backlog that reached up to three million cards.

Not only that, but the Secretary also has an interesting stat regarding the issuance of the new licenses. According to their data, the LTO issued 27,620,091 driver’s license cards from July 2016 to March 30, 2021.

But perhaps the best piece of news for motorists comes from DOTr Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran. You no longer have to wait days or weeks to get the new license card, said the undersecretary. As soon as you apply for (or renew) your license, you will have it within the day. “Ngayon, ang dating papel na lisensya, card na, at valid pa for five years! (Now, licenses which used to be paper in the past are now cards, and they’re valid for five years!),” added Tugade.

With that, the LTO and DOTr say that they are on track for the 10-year license validity system. To recap, those who do not incur penalty points on their license are rewarded by having their licenses valid for ten years. Right now, newly issued and renewed licenses are valid for five years.

With a growing need for personal transport, now is the perfect time to get a driver's license or get it renewed if you haven't been driving for a while. And if you need a set of wheels to get you started, we here at Automart.Ph will gladly assist you with that.