Question & AnswerQ&A (SEC MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 2, S. 2014)
All motor vehicles and trailers used or operated on highways in the Philippines must be registered annually with the Bureau of Land Transportation according to the provisions of the Act.
The dates of annual registration are based on a registration scheme prepared by the Bureau of Land Transportation and approved by the Minister of Transportation and Communications, designed to distribute registrations equitably over the calendar year and which cannot be changed more than once every three years with at least 90 days public notice.
The registration becomes delinquent and invalid if not renewed on or before the deadline.
Dealers must submit a report to the Director of Land Transportation within five working days after the sale, transfer, or any transaction involving motor vehicles, including importation, manufacturing data, and remaining stocks, and must also provide a duplicate authenticated copy to the buyer.
No repair that restores the original or registered engine serial number is allowed unless approved by the Director of Land Transportation, and any alteration or tampering of the engine serial number will lead to refusal of registration or re-registration.
Such encumbrances must be recorded with the Bureau of Land Transportation to be valid against third parties, and any cancellation or foreclosure must also be recorded. Without such notation, no certificate of registration shall be issued.
Vehicles are classified as Private, For Hire, Government, and Diplomatic.
Private motor vehicles shall not be used for hire under any circumstance.
Tourists can use their vehicles without local registration for up to 90 days provided the vehicle displays current foreign number plates and the owner's name and addresses are registered with the Bureau of Land Transportation; beyond 90 days, the vehicle must be registered locally.
The schedule of registration fees is prepared by the Bureau of Land Transportation with approval from the Minister of Transportation and Communications, in consultation with the Minister of Finance, and is based on factors such as vehicle model, body configuration, weight, cubic displacement, and number of cylinders.
Yes, registration fees for government-owned vehicles are determined in consultation with the Minister of the Budget and bound by available funds.
They are subject to a recording fee of One Hundred Pesos (P100) only, and receive stickers in lieu of regular plates; they are not required to be physically brought to the Bureau nor covered by compulsory vehicle insurance.
References to the "Land Transportation Commission" or "Commissioner" in the original law are automatically substituted by "Bureau of Land Transportation" and/or "Director" respectively.