THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) will now issue driver’s licenses valid for 10 years, but all motorists will also now be required to take a seminar and examination when renewing their licenses.
The LTO announced Friday, October 29, 2021, that the 10-year license validity is a provision of Republic Act 10930, passed in 2017, that amended the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
RA 10930 also requires those applying for new driver’s licenses as well as those renewing their licenses to take an exam.
In a statement, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said the law was intended to ensure that only those with driving skills and knowledge of road safety and courtesy would be given the privilege to drive motor vehicles.
Motorists who renew their driver’s licenses must pass the Comprehensive Driver's Education (CDE) composed of a refresher seminar and an exam.
The issuance of the driver’s licenses valid for 10 years will start at the LTO’s Central Office-Licensing Section and the Quezon City Licensing Center (QCLC).
After a week’s pilot run that began on Thursday, October 28, the issuance of driver’s licenses valid for 10 years will be expanded to other LTO offices in Metro Manila.
Outside these areas where the system of issuing 10-year valid licenses is not yet in place, motorists can renew their driver’s licenses using the old system, the LTO said.
Motorists renewing their licenses in LTO offices that are ready to issue 10-year valid licenses, however, will be required to take the CDE seminar and its accompanying exam.
The CDE seminar will be conducted for at most five hours. It can be taken for free in driver’s education centers, and for a fee in LTO accredited driving schools. But motorists can also take the seminar online via the LTO’s LTMS portal, the transport office said.
Motorists who will fail in the exam following the CDE seminar must take the test again.
Under Republic Act 10930, the new licenses that are valid for 10 years will be given only to those driver’s license holders without any traffic violations on file. Those with traffic violations recorded during the validity of their expired licenses, will be issued renewed licenses valid for only five years.
The LTO also announced that the validity of expired driver’s licenses has been extended by two months from the date of expiration.
The extension will give motorists who are renewing their licenses time to comply with the CDE requirement.
The CDE, consisting of video and written materials produced by the LTO, is offered free at all LTO offices and via the LTO website (lto.gov.ph), and through the LTO Facebook page and YouTube.
Motorists applying for renewal of their driver’s licenses need only to register for free at the LTO Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) via portal.lto.gov.ph, or can be assisted through the process by LTO frontliners in all LTO offices.
The LTMS allows all LTO clients to make transactions via the internet 24/7, including bookings for driver’s license application.
The portal has a driver’s education library provided for free, including CDE materials.
After studying the CDE materials, LTMS clients can take the required CDE exam online. On passing it, clients will be issued a CDE certificate for use in the renewal of their driver’s license. (CTL with PR)