LTO: Comprehensive Driving Exam certificate has no expiration

LTO clarifies that the online CDE can be taken at an earlier time

We all know that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is now offering driver's licenses that are valid for 10 years. For the time being, only LTO branches in Metro Manila are offering the new 10-year DL but come December, the LTO will be ready to issue 10-year valid DLs nationwide according to President Duterte.

While this is all well and good, those that are eligible to get a 10-year valid DL will first need to take the LTO's Comprehensive Driving Exam (CDE). Once you pass the test, you can print a certificate that shows that you have indeed successfully taken the said exam. But some of you might be wondering when the certificate is valid.

To clear things up, the LTO recently announced that online CDE may be taken 60 days or earlier prior to the expiration of a driver's license. More importantly, they mentioned that the CDE Certificate of Completion has no expiration date. This is good news for those that wish to take the online exam at an earlier date without having to worry about the CDE certificate becoming void when they try to renew their DL.

However, this convenience might be taken advantage of by fixers or those that wish to bypass the test entirely. With no expiration date, some could just make up a certificate that supposedly “proves” they have indeed taken the CDE.

If you plan on renewing your DL soon, make sure to set up an account at the online-based Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) in order to take the exam. Not only does the site keep track of your driver's license status, but it can also monitor any traffic violations you might have committed, as well as see if you're eligible to actually get a 10-year driver's license.