Question & AnswerQ&A (LTO ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 009-2004)
The legal basis includes Batas Pambansa 43, Batas Pambansa Bilang 74, and Republic Act No. 4136, which govern motor vehicle registration and issuance of license plates in the Philippines.
The main reason is the impending exhaustion of the current alpha-numeric combinations for license plates, particularly in highly populated regions, and to provide an additional source of government revenue.
Owners of brand new private motor vehicles within specified types such as cars, SUVs, Asian Utility Vehicles, Sports Pick-ups, and Commuter Vans applying for initial registration with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Excluded vehicles include public utility vehicles, cargo trucks (private/for hire), service vehicles (hotel limousines, tourist vehicles, rent-a-car, ambulance, funeral hearse), vintage vehicles, government vehicles, diplomatic/OEV, used imported/surplus motor vehicles, and vehicles with more than four wheels.
The system uses numbers 01-100 paired with letter combinations, including three-letter followed by two- or three-digit numeric characters, with inclusion of letters 'I', 'O', and 'Q' under special considerations.
The letter 'O' is printed in a different font style to distinguish it clearly from the numeric character zero (0).
Triple alpha and non-triple alpha with two numeric characters (01-99) cost Php 25,000.00, combinations with numeric character '100' cost Php 15,000.00, and special combinations such as triple numeric or triple alpha with specified numbers cost Php 15,000.00, all inclusive of handling charges.
Yes, the OMVSPs are issued in pairs and are considered regular license plates under the law.
The vehicle owner must pay the applicable registration fees and charges to the LTO in addition to the cost of the optional special plates.
They maintain the same color scheme with green embossed alpha-numeric characters, green slogan 'Matatag na Republika', full-color graphics of Center Rizal Monument, special font style, and adhere to the standard license plate format.
The administrative order took effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation and after filing copies with the University of the Philippines Law Center.
Including these letters expands the combination possibilities to meet demand, recognizing these letters have previously been issued as special license plates and are necessary to augment available combinations.