All a car owner needs to know about the PNP-HPG Clearance Certificate

If you are a new or a seasoned car owner who has visited the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for one reason or the other then you must have heard about the Motor Vehicle Clearance Certificate from the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group. Commonly known as a PNP-HPG clearance certificate, it is one of the many requirements in several LTO transactions like -

• Registration of brand new vehicle
• Registration of brand new imported vehicle
• Registration of used imported vehicle
• Registration of CKD imported vehicle
• Registration of imported vehicle with a voluntary payment
• Registration of assembled rebuilt vehicle
• Registration of vehicle acquired through bidding
• Motor vehicle ownership transfer
• Modification of motor vehicle (colour, engine, chassis, and body design)
• Cancellation of Chattel Mortgage
• For motor vehicle shipment
• For a permit to assemble a motor vehicle
• For record check of a motor vehicle

If in the future you are planning any of the above LTO transactions, you’d need the PNP-HPG Clearance Certificate. And so here we are with a complete guide on the subject. Here we’ll be discussing the following aspects of this particular certification -

• Meaning & Importance
• Validity
• Issuing-body
• When & where to secure
• Eligibility
• Requirements
• Fees
• Step-by-step procedure

So, without wasting any time let’s begin understanding the PNP-HPG Motor Vehicle Clearance Certificate.

Meaning & Importance

The Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) issues a clearance certificate called the Motor Vehicle Clearance Certificate (MVCC). It is an official document which certifies that the vehicle in question is not on the list for stolen or wanted vehicles (as of the date of issue of the certificate). It therefore becomes a crucial certificate for several LTO-related transactions, as it proves that the vehicle is not part of any crime-related activity. In short, it is a clean chit for the motor vehicle.
Issuing body

As mentioned above, the Motor Vehicle Clearance Certificate is issued by the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group after a proper inspection of the vehicle which includes verification of the vehicle’s engine and chassis numbers. This process is called macro-etching/stencilling and it involves the usage of a paint remover to check whether or not the numbers are tampered with.

Validity

Yes, this clearance certificate has a shelf-life and that too a short one. It seems fine knowing that it confirms the vehicle is not involved in any illegal activity and therefore checking the status at short intervals is safest.

The PNP-HPG Motor Vehicle Clearance Certificate is only valid for seven days so it shall be submitted to the LTO within the said time frame.

Place to obtain

The PNP-HPG Motor Vehicle Clearance Certificate can be secured at two of the following places including -

• PNP-HPG motor vehicle clearance satellite station (located within the LTO offices; functional Mon to Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm with no noon break)
• PNP-HPG main headquarters, Camp Crame, Quezon City

Out of the two options, it is best to apply for the Motor Vehicle clearance certificate at the latter as all LTO branches nationwide accept certificates issued at Camp Crame. As for the satellite station, issued certificates can only be submitted at the LTO branch within the same jurisdiction.

Processing time

Once processed, a PNP-HPG MV clearance certificate takes at least three working days to be released and reached to the applicant.

Eligibility criteria

If you are a licensed driver in the Philippines, you can apply for a Motor Vehicle Clearance Certificate (MVCC). So, often one would find owners of new/used/imported vehicles, owners requesting vehicle modification, and owners of vehicles for shipment/record check/permit to assemble along with local dealers of MV requesting parties at the PNP-HPG motor vehicle clearance satellite station or main headquarters.

Requirements

There are n-number of motor vehicle owners requesting for PNP-HPG motor vehicle clearance certificate each with a separate set of requirements. So, let’s check it out

PNP-HPG for registration of brand new local motor vehicle	Original LTO sales of stock reported Original sales invoice Stencil of engine & chassis number TIN of new owner & dealer
PNP-HPG for registration of brand new imported motor vehicle	Stencil of engine & chassis number TIN of new owner & dealer Bill of lading Informal entry Original BOC certificate of payment Original LTO certificate of stock reported
PNP-HPG for registration of secondhand imported motor vehicle	Original BOC certificate of payment Original LTO certificate of stock reported Bill of lading Informal entry TIN of new owner & dealer Physical Inspection Report or Macro-Etching Certificate
PNP-HPG for registration of CKD imported motor vehicle	Original BOC certificate of payment Original LTO certificate of stock reported on the body, engine, and chassis Bill of lading Informal entry TIN of new owner & dealer Original affidavit of rebuilt  Physical inspection report or Macro-Etching certificate for vehicles (gross weight of 4500 kg or below), or stencil of engine and chassis number for vehicles (over 4500 kgs)
PNP-HPG for registration of imported motor vehicle - voluntary payment	Original BOC certificate of payment Original LTO certificate of stock reported TIN of new owner & dealer Physical inspection report or Macro-Etching certificate
PNP-HPG for registration of assembled-rebuilt motor vehicle	Original LTO certificate of stock reported on the engine and chassis Original sales invoice of the engine and chassis Original affidavit of rebuilt  Original deed of sale of the engine and chassis TIN of new owner & rebuilder Physical inspection report or Macro-Etching certificate for vehicles (gross weight of 4500 kg or below), or stencil of engine and chassis number for vehicle (over 4500 kgs) Original certificate of registration and LTO OR covering the acquired engine/chassis
PNP-HPG for registration of local motor vehicle acquired via bidding	TIN of new owner & dealer Physical inspection report or Macro-Etching examination Original sales invoice (OR) Certificate of award Certificate of assignment of LTO number
PNP-HPG for transfer of ownership	Original deed of sale or writ of execution from court authorising the transfer Original LTO OR/CR Original copy of cancellation/assumption/release of mortgage Certificate from insurance company that subject MV was not declared a total loss/wrecked prior to sale Original copy of special power of attorney (if sale was made through a representative) Original copy of secretary’s certificate (if sale was made through a representative)
PNP-HPG for motor vehicle colour modification	Original LTO OR/CR Original affidavit of change colour Physical inspection report or Macro-Etching certificate
PNP-HPG for motor vehicle engine/chassis modification	Original sales invoice of the engine and chassis Original LTO certificate of stock reported on the engine and chassis Original deed of sale of the engine and chassis Original affidavit of change engine/chassis Physical inspection report or Macro-Etching certificate Original LTO CR/OR covering the acquired engine/chassis
PNP-HPG for motor vehicle body design modification	Original LTO CR/OR Original affidavit of change body design Physical inspection report or Macro-Etching certificate
PNP-HPG for motor vehicle for shipment	Original LTO CR/OR Physical inspection report or Macro-Etching certificate Proof of ownership Bank/mortgagor approval/consent
PNP-HPG for motor vehicle for record check	Original LTO CR/OR Macro-Etching certificate
PNP-HPG for motor vehicle for assemble	Complete list of spare parts of the motor vehicle to be assembled or rebuilt together with names and addresses of source thereof Statement under oath by the owner

Also Read: Car Registration in LTO: A step-by-step guide

Step-by-step guide

Follow the below-mentioned steps and get yourself a PNP-HPG motor vehicle clearance certificate.

Step 1: Head to the nearest PNP-HPG motor vehicle clearance division/satellite station /main headquarters or open the PNP-HPG website

Step 2: Upon reaching MVCD, secure a Motor Vehicle Clearance Certificate (MVCC) application form or download the form online

Step 3: Submit the required documents (original and photocopy) at the MVCD receiving centre

Step 4: The action officer will review the submitted documents.

Step 5: Collect the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) order of payment form post the approval of the submitted documents

Step 6: Head to the nearest Landbank branch to pay the clearance fee including a PHP 200 physical inspection fee along with other LTO fees (depending on the LTO transaction). Do make a photocopy of the payment slip.

Step 7: Head back to the PNP-HPG office and show the payment slip from the Landbank branch

Step 8: Accept and duly fill out the motor vehicle clearance application form and action slip

Step 9: Take your car to the PNP Crime Laboratory or Motor Vehicle Inspection Area for the vehicle’s physical inspection and macro-etching examination, both conducted by the Crime Laboratory Service Technician.

Step 10: The application will then proceed for initial processing.

Step 11: Applicants' records will be checked and applications will be evaluated by a processing officer.

Step 12: The applicant's clearance certificate will be encoded, followed by a picture taken of the motor vehicle and license plate.

Step 13: Once the processing officer completes the final processing, sorting, and stamping of the certificate, you’ll receive the date on which you’ll get the MVCC.

Step 14: On the given date, head to the PNP-HPG MV Clearance Division where you applied and show your claim stub to the officer in charge and he/she hands you the MVCC.

Also Read: Check out all the violations, penalties, and fines a driver may face in the Philippines

Fees

MV Clearance fee for physical inspection	PHP 200
Permit to assemble	PHP150
Original registration (local & imported)	PHP 200
Original registration (motorcycle)	PHP 100
Transfer of ownership	PHP 300
Change body design	PHP 300
Change colour	PHP 300
Change engine/chassis	PHP 300
For shipment	PHP 300
Record check	PHP 300
Original registration (imported used)	PHP 400
Original registration (CKD)	PHP 400
Original registration (imported voluntary payment)	PHP 400
Original registration (acquired thru bidding)	PHP 400
Original registration (assembled-rebuilt)	PHP 550

Things to remember

An applicant can pay for the MV clearance fee online via the Landbank Electronic Payment Portal. Just select PNP-HPG as the merchant name and also as the LTO transaction type
The applicant will first need to secure a Certificate True Copy (CTC) of the required documents before applying for a PNP-HPG clearance certificate if his/her vehicle is registered at the LTO East Avenue branch
When the officer takes stencil, pay thorough attention

Bottom Line

Securing a Philippine National Police Highway Patrol (PNP-HPG) Motor Vehicle Clearance Certificate is an essential requirement for several LTO-related transactions. It has a shelf-life of seven days, therefore it must be put to use accordingly.

Also Read: Understanding 3-year LTO registration in detail