LTO suspends student permit, new license applications until August

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has suspended the application and processing of new driver’s licenses, student permits, and Additional Restriction Code till August. 

According to the agency, all sites will only accept and process the said applications come August 3 from those who have secured driving course completion certificates.

Based on the advisory signed by LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante, the required driving course completion certificates shall be issued by LTO-accredited driving schools, authorized driving school instructors/administrators, and LTO-Driver Education Centers (DECs) in LTO offices, which are ready to conduct the 15-hour driving course starting July 1 2020.

The advisory also noted that student permit applicants, including those applying for foreign and expired permits, are required to secure the Theoretical Driving Course (TDC) Certificate.

Applicants of driver's licenses (Professional and Non-Professional), will also be required to secure Practical Driving Course (PDC) Certificates.

Those who seek to add Additional Restriction Code to their licenses will also need to secure PDC certificates. 

The needed certificates will then be electronically transmitted by the accredited driving school or DECs to the LTO-IT system. 

Further, LTO clarified that those eyeing to convert their foreign driver's permits to a Philippine license need not get TDC or PDC certificates. 

Galvante also said that move shall bolster the digitalization efforts of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in line with minimizing face-to-face interaction in various agency transactions.

“To recall, we have already launched the new Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) in 24 offices as our way of adhering to the directive of [DOTr> Secretary Tugade to shift to digitalization of transactions. As we ready for the nationwide activation of this new system, I have directed all concerned regional offices and district offices to be fully equipped and ready to accept electronically-transmitted certificates, which are prerequisite in securing driver’s licenses before August 3,” Galvante highlighted.

Earlier, the agency announced that it will be temporarily suspending the acceptance of Student Permit applications from July 1 until August 2, because of new training requirements in the transaction.

Also read:

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