/ Tips & Advice

How to transfer motorcycle ownership in the Philippines

A step by step guide to transferring ownership of your newly acquired used motorcycle.

EJ Punsalang EJ Punsalang on Feb 11, 2021
OR CR change of ownership

Scouring the used market for a motorcycle can be both exciting and challenging. Oftentimes some pretty amazing gems can be hiding in the used market, with bikes that are either extremely rare, or offer amazing value for money. This is especially true when it comes to big bikes, as it isn’t an uncommon sight to see a barely used Ducati listed for sale on the internet. Perhaps the owner found it a tad overbearing and decided to list it for sale, or perhaps they had a change of heart and decided to go for another bike.

Nonetheless, if you are now the new owner of a used motorcycle, there are a few things you need to do before you can truly call it your own. That includes getting it insured, ensuring all original and aftermarket parts are accounted for, and of course, transferring ownership under your name. That being said, here’s a simple step by step guide on how to transfer ownership of your newly purchased bike.

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Deed of sale

When closing the deal on a used motorcycle, you’re going to need to craft a Deed of Sale. This is one of the most important documents in the transfer procedure, as it contains all the vital information of the motorcycle in question. So, make sure to triple check all the details when crafting the Deed of Sale. Information such as the buyer and the sellers complete details, as well as the agreed amount for which the bike is being sold must also be complete and accurate. Of course, the motorcycle’s details such as the license plate number, chassis number, engine number, and many others must also be complete.

Accompanying the Deed of Sale would be photocopies of 2 valid government-issued IDs of the seller. A driver’s license and passport should do the trick. Apart from this, a three-signature specimen is also required to validate the authenticity of the IDs, as well as the Deed of Sale. It’s always a good idea to have several copies of the Deed of Sale. We recommend producing 4 original copies—one for you, one for the seller, one for the Notary Public, and one for the LTO. Once this has been done, you’re going to need to have all four copies of the Deed of Sale notarized. The Notary public will subsequently affix their seal and stamp, and keep one copy for their records.

LTO OR CR

When buying a used motorcycle, it’s important to ensure that all registration documents are complete and original, and under the name of the seller. Things can easily go sideways if either the OR or CR, or both, are missing. This could inadvertently leave you with an expensive paperweight sitting in your garage. That said, it’s also a plus if the registration documents are updated, however if this isn’t the case, it may be best to arrange with the seller to have the registration updated prior to closing the deal. 

If you are acquiring a motorcycle that’s seen more than one owner in the past, it’s also a good idea to ensure that all the original OR/CRs from all previous owners are complete as well—this is just to ensure that there have been no gaps in the transfer process. Nobody wants to have to search for a person just to acquire a signature or worse, find a document that’s been missing for years. 

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PNP-HPG Clearance

Once you’ve ensured that all registration documents are 100-percent original and complete, you can now head over to the nearest PNP-HPG office to get your motorcycle’s clearance sorted out. Oftentimes, the PNP office is situated inside the LTO compound in order to make things more convenient. That said, simply queue up, present the following documents to the officer:

  • Notarized Deed of Sale
  • Complete and updated registration documents (OR and CR)
  • Photocopies of the 2 valid IDs of the seller
  • 3 Signature specimen 

A brief inspection of the motorcycle will be conducted and a certificate of clearance will be issued shortly thereafter. 

Head over to your nearest LTO

LTO Office

Once you’ve completed the PNP-HPG clearance, you can now proceed to the Land Transportation office to have the transfer of ownership processed. Once there, hand over the following documents.

  • Notarized Deed of Sale
  • Complete and updated registration documents (OR and CR)
  • Photocopies of 2 valid IDs of the seller
  • 3 signature specimen
  • PNP-HPG clearance certificate

An inspection of your motorcycle will be done, and a technician will perform a macro-etching procedure on the chassis number of your motorcycle. During this process, the technician will stencil the chassis number on the chassis of the motorcycle while inspecting that it doesn’t appear to be tampered in any way whatsoever. Sometimes this procedure may require the technician to remove the paint in that area of the chassis. 

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Pay the fees

If you’ve followed all the instructions above, then chances are that the transfer of ownership procedure should go smoothly for you. The evaluator will give you the total cost, then instruct you to queue up at the cashier’s window to settle the fees. Estimated costs are as follows:

  • Legal research fund: P10
  • Transfer of ownership: P50
  • Computer fee: P159.06
  • Estimated total: P229.06

Claim your new papers

LTO Registration Office

The last step would simply be to return to the LTO after 3 to 5 working days to claim your new papers. It’s always a good idea to photocopy your new registration documents and carry those with you at all times, as opposed to the originals. Losing original registration papers is a huge pain in the neck, so take extra care and ensure to keep your original documents in a safe and secure place. 

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