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The Land Transportation Office has established a way for motorists to verify their plate numbers online. LTO launched this verification method to lessen the number of people visiting their offices to check the status of their plate numbers. 

In addition, there is also the SMS verification method, where you can check the status of your plate number by sending a specific text. 

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Disclaimer: WhatALife! is not in any way affiliated with LTO. The information posted in this page is sourced from the official LTO website (lto.gov.ph).

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LTO Plate Number Registration

Plate numbers prove that your vehicle is registered and has permission to drive on public roads. In addition, plate numbers also serve as an identification for motor vehicles, making it easy to track the record of any violators.

Due to the reasons mentioned above, LTO implemented mandatory registration of vehicles. Any violators of this mandate will face severe consequences, such as revoking their driving license.

Why LTO Launched An Online Plate Number Verification

The most challenging part of buying a vehicle is registering it. Unfortunately, in the Philippines, many motorists still wait months or even years for their plate registration. Furthermore, tons of registrants apply yearly, and LTO is struggling with the demand.

In addition, LTO’s “no plate registration, no travel” policy allowed motorists to pressure the transportation agency to speed up their distribution. Hence, LTO established the online verification system to be shown as proof, together with the release of temporary registration plates.

LTO Online Plate Number Verification

As of November 2022, there are NO LEGITIMATE WAYS to verify your vehicle registration. Therefore, any website that offers FREE ONLINE PLATE VERIFICATION is DANGEROUS, and it’s encouraged to avoid using them. 

As additional advice, always check the domain name when doing government transactions online. For example, if the domain name (website link) contains ( .gov.ph ), it is a legitimate government website. If not, then avoid giving any information, personal or not, as much as possible.

Why LTO Online Plate Number Verification is Currently Suspended

In November 2020, the Land Transportation Office Partnered with Stradcom Corporation for them to provide IT services for the agency. Unfortunately, the information leak occurred due to a misconfiguration of the old website. The old website domain was lto.net.ph, and the hackers exploited the website’s vulnerability and stored data on lisensya.info.

How this works is similar to wiretapping. Lisensya.info tapped into LTO’s connection and stole driver’s license details. As a result, up to 9,952 driver’s license details were stolen. In addition, the hackers stole 19,406 motor vehicle data, ranging from the car’s manufacturer, plate number, engine number, chassis number, registration expiry, owner, and whether the vehicle is a private or public utility vehicle.

LTO SMS/Mobile Phone Verification

Even though internet usage has been more prominent nationwide, many places still need a proper internet connection. This is why another method of verification is required.

With the LTO SMS Plate Verification, you can check the validity and status of a registered motor vehicle for ₱ 2.50 per text. The process is straightforward. Simply text the following: LTO<space>Vehicle<space>Plate Number (no space in between) and send it to 2600. For example, LTO Vehicle XYZ123. (See sample below)

The Land Transportation Office will then send you the details recorded on their database. Other than the plate number, some information sent includes:

• Car Manufacturer;
• Model;
• Date of Registration
• Color, and;
• Violations;

Additional Notes

Do note that SMS plate verification is currently only available to private vehicles. Moreover, SMS verification is only available during government office hours on weekdays.

The plate numbers of PUVs, trucks, buses, motorcycles, etc., are currently unavailable to check using SMS verification. However, this verification method is helpful if you get stuck at a police or military checkpoint for not bringing your vehicle’s documents.

Closing remarks

LTO plans to print and distribute 19 million new plate numbers this 2022. They plan to achieve this through a modernization initiative that uses automated plate-making equipment, which can improve license plate distributions by accelerating its print rate.

As of April 2022, a second plate-making robot focused on manufacturing motorcycle plates has been activated. With the capacity to create 450 plates per hour, LTO claims that with additional funding, the transportation agency will clear the backlog of plates by June 2022. – WhatALife!/Vaughn

Sources: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)

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Also read: LIST: LTO Violations 2022, fines and penalties in the Philippines