LTO: Plate backlog could be solved in 2025 (or 2026)

Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, Atty. Vigor Mendoza, said yesterday during the budget hearing for the Transportation Department and its attached agencies that it will take over 2 years (2025 or 2026) for the license plate backlog to finish.

Responding to Senator JV Ejercito, Mendoza said that the agency looks to resolve the entire 13 million backlog on license plates and that they have the machines to deliver them to motorists.

“It will take over two years to finish the entire 13 million backlog but while we are doing that, we would be able to cater the current usage of plates by October this year. The goal is to release the license plate for all the newly bought motorcycles so that they would not be included in the backlog,” said Mendoza.

Mendoza also said that the agency has robotic machines that stamp around 42,000 license plates daily.

Earlier this month, the LTO, through the Department of Transportation (DOTr), ordered 15 million license plates that are ready for stamping, and full production will start next month. “We already have machines that will be used in the embossing of the license plates and we will start the full production this October (2023),” added Mendoza.

Mendoza has vowed to motor vehicle owners affected by the backlog that addressing the license plate issue is the main priority of LTO.

“We already had this problem when we took office and we assure motorists that the agency will do everything to resolve this as soon as possible. This is our main priority and we have been coordinating with Secretary Bautista on this matter,” said Mendoza.