LTO to release plastic driver”s license cards starting April 15

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced Wednesday that those who were issued with paper-printed driver’s license may already have it replaced with an actual plastic card starting April 15. 

“Babalik lang sila sa district office kung saan nila nakuha ‘yung papel na ‘yun at papalitan ng card,” said LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(They only have to go back to the district office where they got the paper, and it will be replaced with a card.) 

Meanwhile, the LTO said that for driver’s licenses that have expiration dates from April 1 to August 31, 2023, and April 1 to April 30, 2024, they are scheduled to renew their licenses from April 15 to April 30, 2024.

The second batch would be for driver’s licenses with expiration dates from September 1 to December 31, 2023, and May 1 to May 31, 2024, which are scheduled for renewal from May 1 to May 31, 2024.

Driver’s licenses with expiration dates from January 1 to March 31, 2024, and June 1 to June 30, 2024, meanwhile, could be renewed from June 1 to June 30, 2024.

Resumption

The resumption of the issuance of plastic driver’s licenses comes after the Court of Appeals (CA) lifted the injunction order which prevented the agency from receiving plastic cards. 

The LTO said Tuesday that one million pieces of plastic cards were delivered to its central office on Monday, March 25, after the CA ruled in favor of the Department of Transportation and the LTO.

In August 2023, a Quezon City court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that prevented the LTO from receiving plastic cards from contractor Banner PlastiCard. The delivery of 3.2 million plastic cards was affected due to this. 

The TRO was issued after the losing bidder, AllCard Inc., filed a complaint.

Due to lack of supply of plastic cards totalling 4.1 million, the LTO had to print driver’s licenses on papers. 

“By the third week of April, ‘yung second na one million papasok na. By second week of May, ‘yung kabuuan na 1.2 million, papasok. After that, meron tayo panibagong supplier na parating that will cover for the rest of the year,” Mendoza said. 

(One million more pieces of plastic cards will arrive by the third week of April, another 1.2 million will arrive by the second week of May. After that, we will have a new supplier that will cover the remaining cards for the rest of the year.) 

With this, the LTO chief said he believes that the problem in the lack of plastic cards to be used for driver’s licenses is “behind us already.” —Giselle Ombay/ VAL, GMA Integrated News