Vehicle registration plates of the Philippines

Vehicle license plates in the Philippines are issued and regulated by the Land Transportation Office, a government agency under the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

History

Main article: History of vehicle registration plates of the Philippines

Current specifications

In this section, "L" stands for an alphabet letter and "D" stands for a digit in defining license plate formats.

• Private vehicle: LLL-DDD
• Public utility: LLL-DDD
• Government vehicle: LLL-DDD

Dimensions and medium

The current series of Philippine registration plates ("plaka" in the Tagalog vernacular) measure 390mm X 140mm. The characters are stamped on an aluminum plate then applied with reflectorised paint, with watermarks of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) logo stamped all over the plate as well as a small logo of the plate manufacturer. This was replaced with a reflectorised, printed coloured sticker featuring the statue of Dr. José Rizal in 2003. At that time, it has the words "Pilipinas" at the bottom, until in 2004 it was replaced with "Matatag Na Republika" (Strong Republic). All plates issued by the LTO (as of 2008) are solely produced by a privately-funded manufacturer in Manila.

There were many variations prior to the current format, and it depends on who is the incumbent president; the trend of the slogan on the license plate first began within the Ramos administration and followed by the next two presidents. This can be seen on what is the slogan written at the bottom of the plate.

• PILIPINAS (most common format) (1981–1995, 2001–2003)
• PHILIPPINES 2000 (1995–2000)
• ANGAT PINOY 2004 (2000–2001)
• PERLAS NG SILANGAN (2001–2002)
• MATATAG NA REPUBLIKA (2004–present)

Typeface

There were numerous typefaces for Philippine registration plates. The current typeface used for Philippine registration plates was first implemented in 1981. It is loosely based on the Australian license plate system. There have been slight variations on the font design since then.

Talks have been going around in the Land Transportation Office regarding the use of the German Fälschungserschwerende Schrift/"FE-Schrift" (falsification-hindering script; similar typeface used on German vehicle license plates) on new licence plates for vehicles with regular registration, to serve as a more effective way preventing plate falsification.^{[citation needed]} This typeface is already used on personalised and vanity license plates.

Protocol/High-ranking government plates

These plates are blue D or DD plates reserved for the top government officials of the Republic of the Philippines.

• 1/PANGULO - President
• 2 - Vice President
• 3 - Senate President
• 4 - Speaker of the House of Representatives
• 5 - Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
• 6 - Cabinet Secretaries
• 7 - Senators
• 8 - Representatives (Congressmen)
• 9 - Associate Justices of the Supreme Court
• 10 - Presiding Justice and other Justices of the Court of Appeals, Solicitor General (President Arroyo abolished the OSG's protocol plate number '13' by virtue of Executive Order No. 400-A)
• 11 - Chairman of the Commission on Elections
• 12 - Cabinet Undersecretary
• 14 - Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Chief, Philippine National Police
• 16 - Regional Trial Court Judges
• 17 - First Level Courts (Metropolitan Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court in Cities and Shari'ah Circuit courts), added by Memorandum Order No. 297 signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on March 2, 2009

Regular government plates

Red characters on a white background, LLL DDD plates that start with the letter "S".

Government plate.

Temporary diplomatic plate, perhaps unofficial.

Diplomatic/other exempted vehicle plates

Blue characters on a white background plates reserved for diplomats, embassy and consulate officials, country ambassadors and some expatriates such as scientists and researchers at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in the form of DDDD or DDDDD.

Ambassadors' plates are always "1000" and have the country they represent at the bottom of the plate. These plates have a small decal on the bottom left part with a "CM".

1001 - 9999: a small decal on the bottom left part, displayed as "DC" for "diplomatic corps"
10000 - 25999: embassy vehicles - a small decal on the bottom left part displayed as "OEV" for "other exempted vehicle"

Public utility vehicles

Public utility plate.

Yellow plates (black characters on a yellow background) are in the form LLL DDD and usually begin with either the letter "N" or "P" or "T" or "U" in NCR. Since 1995, they always have either "V", "W", "X", or "Y" in the middle of the letter block. Older license plates starting with "N" and "P" may have other letters in the middle of the block, although the "V" "W" "X" "Y" letters are also present (from late 70's NVA-101 to early 1995 NYZ-999).

Private vehicles

For private vehicles, the plate contains green-colored symbols on a white background with the number format as "LLL DDD".

On newer vehicles, the first letter usually indicates the region where the vehicle is registered. For example, if the plate begins with the letter "N", the vehicle is registered in the National Capitol Region.

Trailers

Yellow or green plates that mostly have either "U" or "Z" in the middle of the letter block.

Electric vehicles

For electric vehicles, orange plates are used (white symbols on orange background).

Motorcycles

Private

Private motorcycle plate.

Green characters on a white background with the letters "MC" stamped on the upper right-hand corner next to the registration sticker. Usually in the format LL DDDD, but with the rise in the number of motorcycles on the road, the DDDD LL format has also come into use.

Public utility

Yellow characters on a Black background. Same format as in private motorcycles. This plate is very rarely seen.

Tricycles

Private

Green characters on a white background with the letters "MC" stamped on the upper right-hand corner next to the registration sticker. This is also rare because when a tricycle is purchased, its immediate use is to be a public transport vehicle and will be registered with black on yellow plates.

Public utility

Black characters on a yellow background with the letters "TC" stamped on the upper right-hand corner next to the registration sticker.

Department of Tourism accredited vehicles

Vehicles accredited by the Department of Tourism (usually tour buses and airport taxis) are issued plates that look similar to those of private vehicles, but have yellow highlights mixed with the green color and share the same first letter of current public utility vehicle plates. These vehicles must also have special stickers placed on the rear windows indicating that they are DOT-accredited.

Coding scheme

Geographical designation

• "A" - Region I (Ilocos Region) and CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region)
• "B" - Region II (Cagayan Valley Region)
• "C", "R" - Region III (Central Luzon Region), "R" are overflow series since the "C" series has been exhausted
• "D", "V" - Regions IV-A (CALABARZON) and IV-B (MIMAROPA), "V" are overflow series
• "E" - Region V (Bicol Region)
• "F" - Region VI (Western Visayas Region) 2011 - FGZ, FH(A-Z)
• "G", "Y" - Region VII (Central Visayas Region), "Y" are overflow series
• "H" - Region VIII (Eastern Visayas Region)
• "J" - Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) and ARMM
• "K" - Regions X and XIII (Northern Mindanao and Caraga)
• "L" - Region XI (Davao Region)
• "M" - Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN)
• "N" - National Capital Region, 1981–1982, 2009–2010
• "P" - National Capital Region, 1982–1991, 2010–2011
• "T" - National Capital Region, 1991–1995, 2011–present
• "U" - National Capital Region, 1995–1997
• "W" - National Capital Region, 1997–2001
• "X" - National Capital Region, 2001–2005
• "Z" - National Capital Region, 2005–2009

Plate Numbers in National Capital Region

1981	NA, NB, NC, ND, NE, NF, NG, NH, NJ, NK, NL, NM, NN, NP, NR, NS
1982	NT, PA
1983	PB, PC, PD
1984	PE, PF
1985	PG
1986	None
1987	PH, PJ
1988	PK, PL
1989	PM, PN
1990	PP, PR, PS, PT
1991	TA, TB, TC
1992	TD, TE, TF
1993	TG, TH, TJ, TK, TL
1994	TM, TN, TP, TR, TT
1995	UA(A-B), TS, UA(C-onwards), UB, UC, UD, UE
1996	UF, UG, UH, UJ, UK, UL, UM, UN
1997	UP, UR, US, UT, UU, WA, WB
1998	WC, WD, WE, WF
1999	WG, WH, WJ, WK, WL
2000	WM, WN, WP, WR
2001	WS, WT, XA, XB
2002	XC, XD, XE, XF, XG
2003	XH, XJ, XK, XL, XM
2004	XN, XP, XR, XS
2005	XT, ZA, ZB, ZC
2006	ZD, ZE, ZF, ZG
2007	ZH, ZJ, ZK, ZL
2008	ZM, ZN, ZP, ZR, ZS
2009	ZT, N-(I), N-(O), N-(Q), NI
2010	NO, NQ, P-(I), P-(O), P-(Q), PI
2011	PO, PQ, T-(I), T-(O), T-(Q), TI

I, O and Q are previously not used to avoid confusion with the numbers "1" & "0". But with the recent exhaustion of the "Z" series, they are already used by reverting to the old "N" series. A new serial scheme is implemented using these characters, instead of the third letter coming into series (e.g. after ZAA-999 has been reached, ZAB-101) the middle letter is the one being replaced (e.g. after NAI-999 series has been exhausted, NBI-101 will follow). After all the possible combinations with I, O and Q as third letter for the same starting letter have been used, I, O and Q are used as middle letters and the third letter is being replaced (e.g. After NZQ-999 has been used, NIA-101 will follow), if the reverted letter is exhausted (e.g. After PQZ-999 has been used, TAI-101 will follow)
e.g. NIA-101, PXO-296, NQZ-544

Provincial Plate Numbers

Private:

• "1980's"

  Region I/CAR - AA, AB
  Region II - BA, BB
  Region III - CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, CG
  Region IV - DA, DB, DC, DD, DE, DF, DG, DH
  Region V - EA
  Region VI - FA, FB, FC
  Region VII - GA, GB, GC
  Region VIII - HA
  Region IX/ARMM - JA
  Region X/XIII - KA, KB
  Region XI - LA, LB
  Region XII - MA

• "early 1990's"

  Region I/CAR -  AB(V-W-X-Y-Z), AC
  Region II - BB(L-M-N-P-R-S-T-U-V)
  Region III - CH, CJ, CK, CL
  Region IV - DJ, DK, DL, DM, DN
  Region V - EA(V-W-X-Y-Z), EB(A-B-C)
  Region VI - FC, FD
  Region VII - GC(W-X-Y-Z), GD, GE
  Region VIII - HA(M-N-P-R-S-T-U-V)
  Region IX/ARMM - JA(W-X-Y-Z)
  Region X/XIII - KB(M-N-P-R-S-T-U-V)
  Region XI - LC
  Region XII -MA(X-Y-Z), MB(A-B-C-D)

• "mid to late 1990's"

  Region I/CAR - AC(R-commons), AD, AE
  Region II - BB(W-commons), BC
  Region III - CM, CN, CP, CR
  Region IV - DN(C-commons), DP, DR, DS, DT
  Region V - EB(D-commons), EC
  Region VI - FD(R-commons), FE
  Region VII - GE(W-commons), GF, GG, GH, GJ, GK
  Region VIII - HA(W-commons), HB
  Region IX/ARMM - JB
  Region X/XIII - KB(W-commons), KC
  Region XI - LC(R-commons), LD
  Region XII - MB(E-commons)

• "2000 - 2005"

Motorcycle plate numbers - MC(NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION)

Private:

• "1980's" - NA, NB, NC, ND, NE, NF, NG, NH, NJ, NK, NL, NM, NN, NP
• "early 1990's" - NR, NS, NT, NU, PA, PB, PC, PD, PE, PF, PG, PH, TA, TB, TC,
• "mid to late 1990's" - PJ, PK, PL, PM, PN, PP, PR, PS, PT, PU, RD, TE, TF, TG, TH, TJ, TK, TL, TM, TN, TP, TR, TS, TT, TU
• "2000 - 2005" - UA, UB, UC, UD, UE, OF, UG, UH, UI, UJ, UK, UL, UM, UN, UP, UQ, UR, US, UT, UU, WA, WB, WC, WD, WE, WF, WG, WH, WI, WJ, WK, WL, WM, WN, WO, XI, XO, XQ
• "2006" - ZA, ZB, ZC, ZD, ZE, ZF, ZG, ZH, ZJ, ZK, ZL, ZM, ZN, ZP, ZR, ZS, ZT

          INVERTED PLATES(Provincial): DA, DB, DC, DD, DE, DF, as same a "C"
                         Metro Manila : NA up to NH

• "2007" - Inverted motorcycle plates - NI to NU, DG TO DI
• "2008" - PA to PL, DJ to DR
• "2009" - PM to PU, DS to DU, WA to WC
• "2010" - TA to TU, UA to present, WD to present

Motor Tricycle(TC)

• "1980's" - NV, NW, NX, NY, NZ, DV, DW, DX, DY, DZ, CV, CW, CX, CY, CZ
• "early 1990s" - PV, PW, TV, VV, VW, VX, VY, VZ
• "MID 1990S" - PX, TW, TY, TZ, VZ, VU
• "late 1990's" - PY, PZ, VT, VS, VR, VP, VN, VM, VL, VK
• "2000 - 2005" - XA, XB, XC, XD, XE, XF, XG, WP, WR, WS, UV, UW, UX
• "2006" - WU, XH, XJ, XK, XL, XM, XN
• "2007" - WV, WW, XP, XR, XS, XT, XU
• "2008" - WX, WY, WZ, XV, XW, XX, XY, XZ
• "2009" - QA to QZ (including QI, QO, QQ & QU)

Inverted Motor Tricycle licensed plates(TC)

• "2010" - DV, CV, CW
• "2011" - DW, CX

Special designation

• "S" - Government
• "Q" - Public Utility Motorized Tricycles
• "O", "I" - Private Motorcycles
• "N", "P", "T", "U" - Public utility vehicles (they usually begin with these letters but not always). They always (since 1995- PVA 101) have "V", "W", "X", or "Y" in the middle of the letter block (LLL).

e.g. PWM 757

Personalized plates

A motorist who would like to have personalized plates can have any letter combination he fancies upon three conditions:

1. It is unique i.e., the plate does not have a registered duplicate anywhere else in the Philippines.
2. The plate should not have the same format as government vehicles.
3. The motorist can afford to pay its PHP 25,000 ($500+) price tag.

Optional motor vehicle special plates (OMVSP)

A project of the Land Transportation Office since 2004, these plates are in the form of LLL DD. e.g. FPJ-22