Engine Number Registration Rules

Republic Act No. 4136 provides that no repair involving the exchange, elimination, effacing, or replacing of the original or registered motor number shall be allowed.
Republic Act No. 4136 requires that any motor vehicle with a trace of motor number alteration or tampering must be refused registration or re-registration, unless satisfactorily explained and approved by the Commissioner (now Assistant Secretary).
Batas Pambansa Bilang 74 amends the rule by requiring that no repair involving restoration of the original or registered serial number as stamped on the engine shall be allowed unless satisfactorily explained to and approved by the Director of Land Transportation (now Assistant Secretary).
Batas Pambansa Bilang 74 further provides that no change involving alteration or tampering with the original or registered engine serial number shall ever be allowed, and any engine with a trace of tampering shall be refused registration or re-registration.
The circular cites Section 9, Republic Act No. 6539 for the mandate on factory numbering of engine blocks, chassis, or body.

The circular directs LTO to ensure that the motor vehicle is legitimately acquired.
The circular directs LTO to ensure that the motor vehicle is roadworthy.
The circular requires collection of the correct road user’s tax as part of the registration function.
The circular issues guidelines to implement the statutory prohibition on engine serial number tampering and related registration controls.

Assigning and stamping a new serial number to a defaced engine or motor is prohibited.
No registration or re-registration is allowed for a motor vehicle with a trace of engine serial-number alteration or tampering.
No registration, re-registration, or processing of stock reporting is allowed for an engine whose serial number does not include its model/series (e.g., 7K-12345, where 7K is the engine model/series identifying the engine’s manufacturer).
Stamping additional characters to an engine’s serial number in duplication to the one already registered or reported to LTO is regulated under the rules on manufacturer/assembler responsibility and approval.

A vehicle with a trace of altered or tampered engine serial number must be refused registration.
A vehicle with a trace of altered or tampered engine serial number must be refused re-registration.
The refusal applies to registration-related actions that include processing of stock reporting when the engine serial number fails the model/series inclusion requirement.
The governing approval requirement for restoration is confined to cases properly supported and approved by the Assistant Secretary.

Restoration of the original or registered engine serial number is allowed only when the request is properly supported with necessary documents.
Restoration requires duly approved action by the Assistant Secretary.
An owner’s request for restoration must be supported by an affidavit stating the circumstances besetting the effacing or obliteration of the engine serial number.
The request must include a letter-request from the owner for restoration of the engine serial number.
The restoration request must include a PNP-TMG macro-etching report and clearance for the purpose of restoring the original or registered serial number.
The restoration request must include source documents such as Certificate of Registration, BOC Certificate of Payment, and Sale’s Invoice.
The restoration request must include an MVIS inspection report.

Stamping of additional character(s) to an engine’s serial number, when such addition duplicates the one already registered or reported to LTO, is the responsibility of the manufacturer or assembler.
Such stamping is allowed only if the addition to the original engine’s serial number is properly reported and approved by the Assistant Secretary.

Any person engaged in the manufacture of engine block, chassis, or body must cause the numbering of every engine block, chassis, or body manufactured.
The numbering must be placed in a convenient and conspicuous part of the engine block, chassis, or body.
The Land Transportation Commission (now the Land Transportation Office) may direct the numbering for purposes of uniformity and identification of the factory.
The numbering duty under Section 9, Republic Act No. 6539 is linked to factory identification and uniformity of vehicle component numbering.

All memoranda and orders in conflict with these guidelines are superseded.
The circular establishes mandatory operational guidance for LTO registration decisions involving engine serial numbers.