Guidelines on Protocol License Plates for Officials

Executive Order No. 400 regulates the assignment and issuance of low-numbered (protocol) license plates to motor vehicles used by officials of the Republic of the Philippines.
LTO Memorandum Circular No. 582-2005 sets operational guidelines and procedures for entitlement, application, processing, production, issuance, fees, and monitoring.

Section 1 grants entitlement to the listed officials to use low-numbered/protocol license plates with the assigned numbers as follows:
- President of the Republic of the Philippines — 1 and/or PANGULO.
- Vice-President of the Republic of the Philippines — 2.
- Senate President — 3.
- Speaker of the House of Representatives — 4.
- Chief Justice of the Supreme Court — 5.
- Cabinet Secretary — 6.
- Senator — 7.
- Congressman — 8.
- Associate Justices of the Supreme Court — 9.
- Presiding Justice and other Justices of the Court of Appeals — 10.
- Chairman of the Commission on Elections — 11.
- Cabinet Undersecretary — 12.
- Solicitor General — 13.
- Chief of Staff, AFP/Chief, PNP — 14.
- RTC Judges — 16.
Section 2 extends entitlement to all other officials with equivalent rank/position as those listed, subject to approval by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation Communications upon the recommendation of the Assistant Secretary of the Land Transportation Office.

Section 3 requires that low-numbered/protocol plates are issued in pairs for motor vehicles duly registered in the name of the entitled official or in the name of the entitled official’s spouses.
Section 3 limits the assignment to any entitled official (with the stated exceptions) to not more than two (2) pairs of low-numbered/protocol plates for two (2) motor vehicles.
Section 3 sets exceptions where the listed maximum limit does not apply:
- President of the Philippines,
- Vice-President of the Philippines,
- President of the Senate,
- Speaker of the House of Representatives, and
- Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Section 3 limits Senators and Congressmen of the Philippines to not more than four (4) pairs of low-numbered/protocol plates.

Section 4 strictly prohibits the assignment or transfer of low-numbered/protocol plates to unauthorized persons or to motor vehicles not covered by entitlement.
Section 4 prohibits government officials entitled to protocol plates from assigning/transferring those plates to unauthorized persons or unauthorized vehicles.
Section 4 provides that a violation is sufficient cause for:
- revocation of the granted privilege, and
- confiscation of the issued protocol plate.
Section 4 requires imposition of the corresponding penalty for the violations as provided by existing laws.

Section 5 requires that requests and/or applications for issuance of protocol plates be submitted to the Office of the Assistant Secretary.
Section 5 requires the following supporting documents:
- a) Letter request.
- b) Certified xerox copy of Appointment and Oath of Office.
- c) Certified xerox copy of the mv Certificate of Registration (CR) and the latest Official Receipt (OR) of Registration under the name of the official or spouse.
Section 5 requires submission with complete supporting documents as part of the application package.

Section 6 requires that approved applications/requests with complete supporting documents be forwarded to the Property Section, Administrative Division for processing and preparation of a Production Order (PO).
Section 7 provides that a Production Order is forwarded to the Chief, Administrative Division for recommendation and indorsement to the Assistant Secretary for approval.
Section 8 directs that after approval, the Production Order is forwarded to the Plate Making Plant (PMP) for production with the prescribed time frame.
Section 8 requires that finished protocol plates be delivered to the Property Section, Administrative Division for recording and issuance to the concerned official or to the official’s duly authorized personnel.

Section 9 requires payment of Three hundred Seventy Seven (P377.00) Pesos covering the cost of the plate and other miscellaneous fees.
Section 9 directs payment by the owner to the LTO Diliman District Office.
Section 9 provides that the OR (Official Receipt) serves as the basis in issuing the requested protocol plates.

Section 10 requires a Monthly Monitoring Report to be submitted by the Chief, Property Section.
Section 10 requires the Monthly Monitoring Report to be noted by the Chief, Administrative Division.
Section 10 requires submission of the Monthly Monitoring Report to the office of the Assistant Secretary using the attached form.