Country	Philippines
Country code	RP (some sources state PI as still being the country's code)
Current series
Size	390 mm × 140 mm 15.4 in × 5.5 in
Material	Aluminum
Serial format	ABC 1234
Introduced	July 2018 (7 years ago) (2018-07)
Availability
Issued by	Land Transportation Office
History
First issued	1912 (1912)

Vehicle registration plates in the Philippines, commonly known aslicense plates (Filipino:plaka), are issued and regulated by theLand Transportation Office (LTO), a government agency under theDepartment of Transportation (DOTr).

In 2016, the LTO began issuing "virtual plates" as a temporary measure to address the backlog of physical license plates. New vehicles were given a virtual identifier consisting of a combination of alphanumeric symbols, which facilitated the release of permanent plates once they became available.^[1] In August 2017, theDepartment of Transportation (DOTr) selected the winning bidder under the government's "Moving Forward Program" to address the backlog of 3.4 million plates covering July 2016 to December 2017.

In January 2018, theSupreme Court of the Philippines ordered the release of license plates that had been held due to restraining orders affecting the modernization program. Full-scale distribution of the new plates was expected by mid-February 2018. The LTO received the plate-making machines that month and installed them in a new production facility. The new plates were released nationwide beginning in July 2018. Under this series, the first letter of the license plate indicates the place of registration, following the same designation system used in the 1981 series.^[2]

Under the current system, plates for four-wheeled vehicles follow the formatABC 1234 (three letters followed by four digits). Motorcycle plates initially used the format123 ABC, but as these combinations were exhausted, the LTO introduced new formats such asA 123 BC,AB 123 C,1 ABC 23,A 1234 C,A 1C 234, andA 12C 34.^[a] It is unclear whether this expansion of formats was part of the agency's original plan or a response to an unexpectedly rapid depletion of available combinations. In all cases, the first letter, regardless of its position, indicates the region where the motorcycle was registered. The LTO has not stated that the current set of formats is final, and additional combinations may be introduced as needed.

The replacement plates registered in the National Capital Region with two letters followed by four digits (and vice-versa) may be also required by the LTO for motorcycle plates, replacing the older white-green plates with white-black plates (e.g.1234 AB andAB 1234). Also, this action is to address the backlog plates of motorcycle riders in several regional offices nationwide. However, for motorcycle owners who have registered their plates with the format of two letters followed by five digits (e.g.AB 12345) between 2014 and 2016, the newer system shall be generated by the office.

The current license plates for four-wheeled vehicles measure 390 mm wide and 140 mm high, while motorcycle plates released since 2020 measure 235 mm wide and 135 mm high. The characters are stamped on an aluminum plate and coated with reflective paint. In 2018, theLand Transportation Office adoptedFE-Schrift as the official typeface for license plates because its characters are designed to be difficult to alter.^[3] Plates issued since 2018 no longer display a separate region code.

Before 1981, the Philippines used theNorth American standard measuring 300 mm × 150 mm (11.8 in × 5.9 in) for cars and trucks.^[4]

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When the new plate design was introduced in 2018, all virtual and temporary plates issued from July 2016 to December 2017 under the 2014 series were updated to use the new alphabetical designation.^[5][6] In the current system, the first letter of the plate number indicates the region of registration. The letterS is reserved for government-owned vehicles.

Pattern	Color	Class	Description	Image
NBC 1234 123NBCN123BCNB123C1NBC23N1234CN1C234N12C34	Black text on white background	Private vehicles	Private vehicles, not for commercial use. However, as of 2022, public utility vehicles and government vehicles are also using this plate design.
NBV 1234123NVB N123VBNV123B1NVB23	Green text on white background	Electric/hybrid vehicles	Private electric and/or hybrid vehicles, not for commercial use. However, some public utility vehicles are seen using this plate design.
NBC 1234 123NBCN123BCNB123C1NBC23NB1234	Black text on yellow background	Public utility vehicles	Public utility vehicles and other for-hire vehicles (e.g. commercial trucks, public transport buses, taxis, tricycles andjeepneys.)
SNA 1234 123SNAS123NA	Red text on white background	Government vehicles	Vehicles for official government use (e.g.: government-owned cars,police cars,ambulances, andfire trucks).
001 1234	Blue text on white background	Diplomatic vehicles	Vehicles in diplomatic use 7 digit new diplomatic license plate with blue numbers on a white background. The first 3 digits of the plate will indicate the assigned number of the country, diplomatic missions, consular missions, and international organization.

The second letter on the number plate classifies special types of vehicles, such as trailers, electric, hybrid, and vintage vehicles.

Vehicles

Classification	Position of letter assignment	Example	Color	Image
Private Trailers	Second letter isU	NUA 1234	Black text on white background
Electric vehicle	Second letter may be fromA to M Third letter may be the following:V, W, X, Y, Z	NHV 1234 NIV 5678 NJV 9012	Green text on white background
Hybrid vehicle	Second letter may be fromN to Z Third letter may be the following:V, W, X, Y, Z	JNW 4321 CRW 8765 NNV 2109	Green text on white background
Vintage vehicle	Last two letters are the following:TX, TY, TZ	NTX 9876 BTY 5432GTZ 1098	Black text on white background with byline. (e.g. vintage vehicle 1960)

Motorcycle registration plates released since 2020 feature color-coded strips indicating the region of registration, in addition to the registration area prefix.^[7]

Strip color	Strip position	Region	Image
None	-	National Capital Region
Pink	Top	Cordillera Administrative Region Alternatively used by:Central Visayas
	Bottom	Caraga
Green	Top	Ilocos Region
	Bottom	Eastern Visayas Alternatively used by:Calabarzon Western Visayas
Gray	Top	Bicol Region
	Bottom	Northern Mindanao Alternatively used by:Central Luzon
Blue	Top	Central Luzon
	Bottom	Davao Region
Purple	Top	Calabarzon
	Bottom	Western Visayas
Orange	Top	Mimaropa Alternatively used by:Central Luzon Bicol Region
	Bottom	Central Visayas
Red	Top	Cagayan Valley
	Bottom	Zamboanga Peninsula Alternatively used by:Calabarzon Western Visayas
Brown	Bottom	Soccsksargen

Known officially aslow-numbered (protocol) license plates, these are reserved for the highest-ranking government officials of the Philippines and share the same paint scheme as plates issued to private vehicles.^[8]

Until 2024, plate 16 was assigned toRegional Trial Court justices, while plate 17 was issued to first-level courts, including Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, and theSharia Circuit Court, for use by assistant city prosecutors, district prosecutors, and chief city prosecutors.

Associate justices of theCourt of Appeals,Court of Tax Appeals, andSandiganbayan may also be authorized to use protocol plates upon the recommendation of the LTO and the approval of theDepartment of Transportation (DOTr).

The new diplomatic license plates consist of seven numeric characters in blue on a white background. These plates are issued to foreign diplomats, members of diplomatic missions, and international organizations based in thePhilippines. In October 2022, the LTO and DFA launched the new plates, replacing the older designs. The previous diplomatic plates andother exempted vehicle (OEV) plates remained valid until September 2023.^[9]

The first three digits of the plate indicate the country or organization code, assigned based on the establishment of diplomatic relations. For example,003 0045 is assigned to Australia. The remaining four digits are randomized registration numbers assigned by the LTO and theDepartment of Foreign Affairs (DFA), with1000 always reserved for ambassadors.

List of country codes for diplomatic plates
Number	Country	Number	Country	Number	Country	Number	Country
001	Vatican City/Holy See	021	Turkey	041	European Union	061	United Arab Emirates
002	Egypt	022	Thailand	042	Sovereign Military Order of Malta	062	Oman
003	Australia	023	Pakistan	043	Malaysia	063	Qatar
004	Belgium	024	Iran	044	New Zealand	064	Brunei
005	Brazil	025	Canada	045	Venezuela	065	Ireland
006	Chile	026	India	046	Singapore	066	Palestine
007	Switzerland	027	Greece	047	Saudi Arabia	067	Palau
008	United Kingdom	028	Netherlands	048	Bangladesh	068	Angola
009	United States	029	Mexico	049	Romania	069	Timor-Leste
010	Colombia	030	Germany	050	Panama	070	Bahrain
011	Denmark	031	Laos	051	Hungary
012	Austria	032	Finland	052	Czech Republic
013	Sweden	033	Japan	053	Iraq
014	Spain	034	Myanmar	054	China
015	France	035	Israel	055	Morocco
016	Italy	036	Cambodia	056	Papua New Guinea
017	Argentina	037	South Africa	057	Russia
018	Norway	038	Sri Lanka	058	Vietnam
019	Indonesia	039	Nigeria	059	Libya
020	South Korea	040	Poland	060	Kuwait

Vehicles of former presidents bear the number100 in blue characters.

Motorists may apply for personalized plates under the Optional Motor Vehicle Special Plate (OMVSP) program, subject to the following conditions:

1. The combination must be unique, i.e., no duplicate plate is registered anywhere in the Philippines.
2. The combination must not duplicate government protocol plates.
3. The motorist must pay a minimum fee of₱5,000, depending on the chosen combination.
4. OMVSP plates are only available for private cars, SUVs, AUVs, sports pick-ups, and commuter vans.^[10]

OMVSP plate formats and fees

Combination	Fee	Image
Three-letter, two-number plates (except00) (No longer issued as of 2024)[11]	₱25,000
Three-letter, three-number plates (except000) (No longer issued as of 2024)[11]	₱15,000
Three-letter, four-number plates (except0000)	₱35,000

^{[12][13][14][15]}

Conduction stickers are temporary identifiers issued to vehicles in lieu of license plates while the official plates are still in production. The system was implemented in 1983 and first used in 1984. Several formats with different letter–number arrangements have been produced over time.

Each vehicle is assigned a 15-digit motor vehicle (MV) file number that reflects the location where it was first registered (e.g.,1301-00000012345 for vehicles registered in Metro Manila). These numbers are sometimes used as temporary plate numbers, particularly for public utility vehicles (PUVs).

To address the extensive backlog in license plate production between 2016 and 2019, the LTO introduced a six-digit temporary plate number system. These numbers are based on the LTO agency code (indicating the region where the vehicle was registered) and the month of registration (e.g.130108 for Metro Manila,040103 for Calabarzon). This system became the most common form of temporary identification during this period.

Public utility vehicles (including buses, jeepneys, and UV Express vans) registered from July 1, 2016, onward have used white private plates, MV file numbers, or six-digit temporary plate numbers while waiting for the release of permanent yellow plates.

Government vehicles registered from 2020 onward were also initially issued white private plates. In November 2021, the LTO began releasing new red plates for government vehicles registered from 2016 to 2019. In 2024, a new series of red plates was introduced, with the second letter indicating the region of registration (e.g.SNA for Metro Manila,SDA for Calabarzon).

In 2023, the LTO released green plates for hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as white plates with identifying marks for vintage vehicles. Trailer plates were introduced in 2025 for trailers registered from 2016 onward.

The 2014 design, introduced in 2014, used the numbering formatABC 1234 for automobiles andAB 12345 for motorcycles. In this design, the region where the vehicle was registered was printed at the bottom of the plate, eliminating the need for registration area prefixes (except for motorcycles).

The new plate format series and design was originally scheduled for release in September or October 2013,^{[16][17][18][19]} but its release was delayed several times primarily due to concerns about funding for the license plate project and the increasing number of vehicles using temporary plates bearing the conduction sticker number.^[20] The first batch of plates was eventually issued in May 2014.^[21] By January 2015, vehicle owners using 1981 series plates were required to pay₱450 to replace them with the modern series plates.

In 2018, the LTO introduced an updated plate design that retained the same serial format but featured a new layout, the use of the FE-Schrift typeface, and the removal of the printed region code for automobiles.^[22] Production and issuance of plates with the 2018 design continues as of 2025, alongside efforts to clear the plate backlog. In 2025, the LTO also began replacing theAB 12345 (seven-character) motorcycle plates with a six-character format to comply with the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act.

Pattern	Color	Class	Description	Image
ABC 1234 AB 12345	Black text on white background	Private Vehicles	Private vehicles, not for commercial use
ABC 1234 AB 12345	Black text on yellow background	Public utility vehicles	Public utility vehicles and other for-hire vehicles (e.g. commercial trucks, public transport buses, taxis and jeepneys)
SBC 1234 SA 12345	Red text on white background	Government vehicles	Vehicles for official government use (e.g. police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks)
00000	Blue text on white background	Diplomatic vehicles	Vehicles in diplomatic use 4 digit diplomatic license plates with blue numbers on a white background are in embassy use 5 digit diplomatic license plates with black numbers on a blue background are in diplomat use

The font used in this series was never released electronically to the public. It was a modified version of the Charles Wright font with influences from the lettering ofNew South Wales vehicle registration plates. The 1981 series, along with its later variants, remained in production until it was discontinued and replaced by the 2014 series under the Plate Standardization Program.

The 1981 design became the most widely used plate number design, produced from 1981 to 2014. The LTO issued the numbering formatABC 123 for automobiles andAB 1234 and1234 AB for motorcycles. Color-coded year and classification stickers were introduced in 1982. The typeface featured a curved, bold design on the glyphs; early plates had thinner strokes and no curves. Motorcycle plates usedDIN 1451 or D-DIN font. The design was based on Charles Wright (with modifications), the 1951–1980 New South Wales plates, and older Philippine plates with color coding per vehicle, with all glyphs made blocky.

Early 1981 plates were borderless and semi-bold with a diamond separator. By 1988, plates have borders and a bolder typeface. In 1994, the "PILIPINAS" slogan was replaced by "PHILIPPINES 2000" in a derivative DIN 1451 font, though 1988 plates continued to be produced into the 2000s. The 2003 "Rizal Monument" series used smaller characters and returned to a semi-bold typeface. Production of this series ended in 2014, giving way to the 2014 series plates. The 2010 yellow plates were also discontinued, though some shops continued to sell reproductions that were not exact copies. However, the 1981 series are now in limited production for duplicate plates.

In 2025, the LTO began replacing the old, smallerAB 1234 and1234 AB motorcycle plates with a larger six-character format to comply with the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act.

Plates starting withW andZ that were originally issued for Metro Manila were later reassigned to Central Luzon (motorcycles with a blue strip) and Caraga (for both motorcycles and motor vehicles), respectively. The letterI was redesigned with serifs and used in the middle or end of the letter block. Plates starting withA, originally used nationwide, were later assigned to motorcycles registered in the Ilocos Region.

The first letter in the 1981 series denoted the region where the vehicle was registered. The letterS indicated a government-owned vehicle.

The lettersI andO were not used as the first letter of plates to avoid confusion with the numbers1 and0. By 2009, they were allowed as middle or last letters, exclusively for private vehicles. The letterQ was used in regular motorcycle plate circulation for public-use motorcycles. By 2009, it appeared as a middle or last letter on NCR plates and as a last letter on Central Visayas plates.

The second letter on the plate identified whether the vehicle was a trailer or an automobile and whether it was for private or public use. The letterU in the second position indicated a privately used trailer, whileZ indicated a publicly used trailer. The lettersV,W,X, andY were used to indicate public utility vehicles. On motorcycle plates,U andZ represented private use for three-wheeled motorcycles, whileV,W,X, andY represented public use for all motorcycle types.

• Green on white: The most common type of plate, for privately owned vehicles. The white background was replaced by theRizal Monument design in 2002 for automobiles.
• Black on yellow: Commercial or public utility vehicles.
• Red on white: Government-owned vehicles; the white background was replaced by the Rizal Monument design in 2003 for automobiles.
• Blue on white: Diplomatic and other exempt vehicles; the white background was replaced by the Rizal Monument design on the left side in 2002 for automobiles.

• PILIPINAS ("Philippines", used 1981–1995, 2001–2003 for private and government vehicles, and 2001–2014 for commercial and public utility vehicles)
• PHILIPPINES 2000 (1995–2000)
• ANGAT PINOY 2004 ("Rising Filipino 2004", used 2000–2001)
• PILIPINAS – PERLAS NG SILANGAN ("Pearl of the Orient", used 2002)
• MATATAG NA REPUBLIKA ("Strong Republic", used 2003 – April 12, 2014 for private, tourist, and government vehicles)
• MC (used for private motorcycles, placed in the top left)
• TC (used for motorcycles and tricycles for public use or for-hire, placed in the top left)

Pattern	Color	Class	Description	Image
ABC 123 AB 1234 (motorcycles) 1234 AB (motorcycles)	Green text on white background (1981–2002); White text on green background (rear only from 1988 to 1995); Green text on Rizal monument background (2002–2014)	Private vehicles	Private vehicles, not for commercial use
PVA 123 PV 1234 (motorcycles) 1234 PV (motorcycles)	Black text on yellow background (1981–1992; 1995–2014); Yellow text on black background (1992–1995) Black text on Rizal monument background with yellow hue (tourist vehicles)	Public utility vehicles	Public utility vehicles and other for hire vehicles (e.g. Commercial trucks, public transport buses, taxis and jeepneys)
SBC 123 SB 1234 (Motorcycles) 1234 SB (Motorcycles)	Red text on white background (1981–2003); White text on red background (rear only from 1989 to 1995); Red text on Rizal monument background (2002–2014)	Government vehicles	Vehicles for official government use (e.g. police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks)
1000 10000	Blue text on white background (1981–1989; 1995–2003); White text on blue background (1989–1995); Blue text on Rizal Monument background (2003–2014)	Diplomatic vehicles	Vehicles in diplomatic use 4 digit diplomatic license plates with blue numbers on a white background are in embassy use 5 digit diplomatic license plates with black numbers on a blue background are in diplomat use
GOB 123	Red text on yellow background (1981–2014); Yellow text on red background (rear only from 1989 to 1995)	Official bus	Buses for official government use

• Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, aroad space rationing program used inMetro Manila and other urban areas based on the last digit of the vehicle's license plate

• Vehicle registration plates by country
• Transportation in the Philippines
• Philippines transportation-related lists
• Vehicles of the Philippines

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