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Motorcycle Registration in the Philippines – Everything you need to know

Registration, transfer of ownership, and more. We've got you covered.

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Motorcycle Registration All You Need To Know

If you’ve just taken your new motorcycle home and are wondering exactly what might come next, you wouldn’t necessarily be alone. Many owners out there might struggle with understanding exactly how registration, ownership transfers, and other legal matters might work when it comes to yearly ownership responsibilities. In order to clear out the fog, we’ve put together a list of all you’ll need to know for motorcycle registration in the Philippines.

Initial Registration

Initial Registration

Most dealerships offer registration services for brand new motorcycles, however, it may still be possible to acquire a motorcycle without registration. Regardless of whether or not you decide to purchase a brand new motorcycle with registration, here are a few things you may want to know about the registration process.

Brand new with registration

When purchasing a new motorcycle from the dealership inclusive of the registration service, motorcycles with registered engine displacements of 201cc and up are allowed to acquire a 3-year registration with the LTO, while motorcycles with 200cc’s and below are limited to a 1-year registration validity when purchased brand new. Only accredited importers and dealers will be allowed to facilitate this type of registration. The release of the OR and CR documents from the dealership may take up to 6 months, depending on your dealership arrangements

Brand new without registration

If you decide to purchase your motorcycle from the dealership without the registration service, owners will have to attend to the process themselves if the motorcycle is to be used on public roads. In order to do this, owners will need to secure the following documents when at the LTO. 

Requirements:

  1. Original Sales invoice
  2. Original LTO copy or electronically transmitted appropriate insurance Certificate of Cover (Third Party Liability)
  3. Original copy of Philippine National Police - Highway Patrol Group (PNPHPG) Motor Vehicle (MV) Clearance Certificate and Special Bank Receipt (SBR)
  4. Original Certificate of Stock Reported (CSR)
  5. Payment Reference Number if payment is made through e-PAT

Additional Requirements – Specific Cases

Additional Requirements for Specific Cases

Initial registration may also differ in process depending on the kind of motorcycle you will be registering. Special registrations will require a few additional requirements due to legal policies or laws. Here’s what you’ll need to know.

New motorcycles with sidecar

Requirements: on top of the requirements specified from the previous section, owners will also need to present an original affidavit of attachment for the sidecar that has been executed by the owner and mechanic on the date completion.

Related:
LTO updates classifications for three-wheeled vehicles

Used-Imported Motorcycles

These are motorcycles which have been exempted from EO 156/877-A, which restricts the importation of used vehicles for use in the Philippines. Used-imported motorcycles which are exempt from this law must produce the following requirements:

  1. One photocopy of a commercial invoice/certificate of title with English translation authenticated by the embassy.
  2. Original duly accomplished motor vehicle inspection report with a certificate of compliance to emissions standards in the Philippines.
  3. Requirements for Imported motor vehicles acquired through public bidding
  4. One Certified true copy of Official Receipt evidencing payment of acquisition cost
  5. One Certified true copy of the Notice of Award

For motorcycles acquired through this method, certain steps that must be followed in order to legally register the motorcycle in the Philippines. Steps may differ depending on location but the general process remains the same. 

  1. Submit the required documents to the LTO
  2. Proceed to the chosen LTO branch’s cashier and receive the OR
  3. Present the OR at the next station in the LTO branch’s process
  4. Receive your OR again together with the new CR, plates, and RFID sticker.
  5. If a motorcycle plate is not available at your LTO branch, temporary plates may be provided at first.

Renewal of Motorcycle Registration

Motorcycle Emissions Testing

Once the initial registration of your brand new motorcycle has transpired, owners will have to undergo the process of registering a motorcycle for public road use. Renewal of motorcycle registration must be done once a year, and the price of registration will vary from motorcycle to motorcycle.

When to renew your motorcycle

Motorcycles with plate numbers provided by the LTO will have to refer to the last digit of the plate number for the month of registration. Plate numbers ending with 1 will have to register in January, plates ending with 2 must register in February, and so on. The second to the last digit of the motorcycle plate determines which week of the month your motorcycle should be registered. Plates with second to the last digit numbers ending in 1, 2, and 3 must register before the 8th day of the month, 4, 5, and 6 before the 15th day of the month, 8 and 9 before the 22nd of the month, and 9 and 0 before the last day of the month. 

Motorcycles without plate numbers on the other hand will not be able to use the MV file number on the temporary plate as a basis for yearly registration. Instead, the date of release from the dealership must be used as your basis for yearly registration. If in case you may not remember this date, it would be best to visit the LTO branch where your motorcycle is registered for clarification.

If your motorcycle’s registration is expired, you will be fined P100 for every week beyond the due registration date.

Related:
When should you renew your motorcycle registration?

Motorcycle renewal requirements

General requirements

  1. LTO Copy and electronically transmitted appropriate Certificate of Cover (TPL)
  2. Duly accomplished Original Motor Vehicle Inspection Report (MVIR)
  3. Original Copy of Certificate of Emission Compliance
  4. Original Copy of your vehicle’s OR and CR
  5. Your motorcycle itself, for inspection at the LTO office

Steps for renewal of registration

  1. Submit requirements to your preferred LTO office
  2. LTO will facilitate the inspection of your motorcycle
  3. Proceed to cashier for payment of fees and receive your OR
  4. Present your OR at the appropriate window in the LTO facility
  5. Receive your new sticker for your plate
Related:
Motorcycle tires must be 5 years or newer to pass MVIS inspection
Related:
LTO sets 99 decibels as new sound limit for exhaust systems for MVIS inspection

Change of Ownership

Second Hand Motorcycle Sale

Transferring the ownership of your second hand motorcycle is one of the first things any owner should attend to. Legally, the motorcycle can be claimed as yours in full. On top of this, there will be fewer questions asked when motorcyclists are asked to present documents at a checkpoint. As such, motorcyclists looking to facilitate a change of ownership can follow the guidelines below.

Requirements

  1. MV Clearance Certificate from the PNP-HPG
  2. Motor Vehicle Inspection Report (MVIR)
  3. Latest OR and original CR
  4. Notarized Deed of Sale
  5. Proof of Insurance Coverage (CPTL)
  6. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
  7. Photocopy of 2 Valid IDs of the original owner and the new owner with 3x signatures of each person per photocopy 

Procedure

  1. Bring all requirements to the appropriate LTO branch
  2. LTO will inspect the vehicle to verify motorcycle details
  3. Pay the LTO fees for transfer of ownership
  4. Await the release of your new documents
  5. Create photocopies of the new documents

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