Earlier this week, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced the resolution of the license plate backlog that has challenged the agency since 2014. With 7.2 million plates now ready for distribution, the LTO believes there is no longer any reason for the motoring public to not have their official plates.

The problem, however, is that due to the inability of the LTO in the years past to supply the plates that motorists have already paid for, some (or many) have resorted to patronizing manufacturers for an unauthorized reproductions of their plates. 

These are considered illegal, and now the LTO has issued a stern warning to motor vehicle owners against the use of these unauthorized license plates, as it renews its intensive crackdown on manufacturers and sellers of these items. They will also target those who advertise their illegal activities online.

Acting LTO Chief Atty. Greg Pua, Jr., said that there is no longer any justification for motorists to acquire fake plates, given that the national backlog in legitimate motor vehicle plates has been fully addressed.

“Everyone now has a license plate, and right now, we are focusing on [the] immediate distribution of these plates to their owners. In fact, we have already downloaded millions of license plates down to the regional level for distribution,” said Atty. Pua.

The LTO’s commitment to this crackdown was demonstrated last week, when LTO personnel, in coordination with operatives from the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), successfully arrested four individuals in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, for manufacturing and selling counterfeit license plates.

Atty. Pua affirmed that the LTO is continuously coordinating with the PNP amidst intensified monitoring of social media platforms for those advertising fake plates.

The heightened enforcement follows a significant announcement on Tuesday, July 15, when Transportation Secretary, Vince Dizon and Atty. Pua declared that the 11-year backlog on license plates had been completely wiped out. This achievement was largely attributed to the LTO’s ramped-up printing efforts over the past two years, which resulted in the production of over 18 million motor vehicle plates.

Atty. Pua has urged motor vehicle owners who have yet to claim their legitimate plates to utilize the LTO Tracker app or coordinate with their respective dealers or nearest LTO offices for prompt distribution.

Under Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC, the precursor to DOTr), the “Failure to attach or improper attachment/tampering of Motor Vehicle license plates and/or third plate sticker” carries a PHP 5,000 penalty.

For motorcycles, the penalties are significantly harsher due to the Republic Act (RA) 11235, also known as the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act. Violators face fines of up to PHP 10,000 and imprisonment ranging from six months to two years.