Forgers Beware: New 5-Year LTO Driver's License Boasts of 32 Security Features (Updated 2020)

Forgers now have 32 reasons to get very nervous these days, since it's now extremely difficult to duplicate the new five-year Land Transportation Office (LTO) Driver's License.

And LTO chief Edgar Galvante is fully confident it won't be forged easily.

“Meron 'tong 32 security features, 22 sa harap, tapos 10 features sa likod. Ang iba rito hindi makikita by (the) naked eye," he said.

"Kailangang may aparato para mabasa pero definitely hindi napakadaling gayahin kaya hopefully mawawala na itong mga fake licenses,” he said during a ceremonial handout of driver's licenses at the LTO main office on East Avenue, Quezon City last August 29.

He also added that processing the card uses complex technology.

"Very technologically-advanced itong processing na 'to kaya we are confident na hindi ito basta basta mapepeke."

Thirty-two security features

Dermalog, the German company that supplied the Department of Transportation-Land Transportation Office's (DOTr-LTO) 2-D barcode fingerprint biometrics in the license, even went so far in saying that it's "one of the most secure in the world."

And unlike the PVCs used in the old cards, the new one is made from a "more durable" polycarbonate material. Some of its security features include:

Embedded 2D Bar Code Fingerprint Biometrics - driver’s compressed fingerprint is encoded inside the 2D bar code.

Guilloche Security Design (fine line) - pattern of continuous fine lines with repetitive, lace, web-like curves are embedded on the card’s surface.

Ultraviolet Ink - license ink fluoresces green when you expose it to a UV light source.

Security Hologram - hologram overlays are added on the cards, and can only be replicated from an extremely expensive, technologically-advanced master hologram equipment.

Laser Engraving - information printed is laser-engraved, and cannot be mechanically or chemically deleted or removed without damaging the card’s surface.

Fixers beware: entire process only takes less than 10 minutes

Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, who recently got a lot of negative criticism after admitting he didn’t know how to drive, even went so far as to apply for a new license to test its efficiency.

It took him eight to nine minutes to finally receive his five-year card.

"Secretary Tugade only wanted to test how fast the new system is in renewing/applying for a driver’s license, from encoding of the driver’s data into the system up to the printing of license cards," the Department of Transportation released in a statement.

Galvante hopes that this speedy processing will stop fixers from taking advantage of applicants.

"Fixers are no longer needed to be issued a five-year license card," Galvante said.

DOTr also added that the undersecretary intentionally placed errors in the application form to see if the encoder and the system would notice his mistakes.

His data was immediately deleted afterwards.

Driver's licenses can possibly be extended  for up to 10 years

Meanwhile, LTO is now in the process of implementing a regulation that will extend the licenses of good and disciplined drivers for up to 10 years.

On the other hand, those who commit a certain number of violations will have their licenses suspended even before they reach their expiration dates.

Same-day processing of cards now available

Galvante also added that those who are applying for new licenses or renewing their old licenses will receive their plastic cards the very same day. Meanwhile, those who applied last October 2016 would get their licenses starting September this year.

"For those who [applied> last October, we want to emphasize that they don't need to pay additional fees. Whatever [fee> that is indicated in the receipt, that's the only amount they have to pay," he said.

The five-year licenses have been available in Metro Manila since August 29. They will be released in the Calabarzon area, Central Luzon, and Davao by mid-September. LTO hopes to make all the five-year licenses available nationwide by October.

Updated by Gail Alcabaza on August 11, 2020

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