LTO MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. ACL-2009-1156

: The purpose is to implement coding standards for engine and chassis numbers to ensure the uniqueness of every motor vehicle component and to discourage false information entry in LTO databases, thereby aiding in the enforcement of Republic Act 6539 (Anti-Carnapping Act).
: Only alpha characters from A to Z and numeric characters from 0 to 9 are allowed in encoding engine and chassis numbers.
: No, all special characters such as asterisks (*), dashes (-), spaces ( ), and similar symbols are prohibited from being inputted.
: It should be encoded as '4K12345' by removing the dash (-).
: It should be encoded as 'PMSS12345C' by removing the dashes (-) and spaces.
: It supports the effective enforcement of Republic Act 6539, also known as the Anti-Carnapping Act, by discouraging entry of false information into LTO databases.
: All orders and memoranda that are in conflict with this circular are superseded by this memorandum.
: The memorandum took effect immediately upon adoption on May 12, 2009.
: Removing special characters ensures data integrity, prevents false or duplicate identification numbers, and facilitates accurate database management for vehicle registration and law enforcement.