How to get a driver's license in the Philippines

This guide is for first-time drivers and riders, and for anyone renewing. A lot changed recently: renewal moved online through the eGovPH app in July 2025, the LTO recognised the e-license in January 2026, and in 2026 the agency extended the validity of expiring licenses twice. Fees below are from the LTO National Capital Region citizen's charter as of November 2026.

LTO fee for a new driver's license (application plus license)

₱685

On-time renewal fee

₱585

Validity on renewal with no traffic violations

10 years

Theoretical Driving Course required for a student permit

15 hours

What are the types of driver's license in the Philippines?

There are three stages: the student permit, the non-professional license and the professional license. Each one lets you do more, and each has its own allowed DL codes.

The student permit age of 16 is from the LTO's license and permit services page. The ages of 17 and 18 are the long-standing LTO rules as compiled by LTO Portal PH, an unofficial guide; confirm them on the LTMS portal before you apply.

What is the initial license classification for a new applicant? The non-professional license. The LTO's Filipino Driver's Manual says first-time applicants may only apply for a non-pro license with codes A, A1, B, B1 and/or B2. This is a common exam question, and many people wrongly answer "student permit".

How do you get a student permit?

You need to finish a 15-hour Theoretical Driving Course (TDC), get a medical certificate, and apply through the LTO.

1. Create an LTMS account on the LTO's online portal. You need this for every license transaction.
2. Take the TDC at an LTO-accredited driving school or an LTO Driver's Education Center. The school sends your certificate to the LTO electronically.
3. Get a medical certificate from an LTO-accredited clinic. The driver's manual says it is valid for 60 days.
4. Apply online or at an LTO office with your ID or PSA birth certificate, and pay the fee.

The permit is valid for one year. You must be accompanied by a licensed driver whenever you drive. The fee is small, but the LTO-NCR schedule we read does not list it separately and third-party figures disagree, so check the amount shown in your LTMS account before paying.

How do you get a non-pro license?

Hold your student permit for at least one month, complete an 8-hour Practical Driving Course (PDC), then pass the LTO's written and practical exams.

1. 1

   Student permit, one month

   Your permit must be at least a month old and still valid when you apply.

2. 2

   Practical Driving Course

   At least 8 hours with an LTO-accredited driving school or LTO center, on the vehicle type you want on your license.

3. 3

   Medical certificate

   From an LTO-accredited clinic, uploaded to your LTMS record.

4. 4

   Written exam

   A computer-based exam on traffic rules, signs and road safety, taken at the LTO.

5. 5

   Practical driving test

   Drive or ride the vehicle type for the DL code you are applying for, with an LTO examiner.

6. 6

   Pay and get photographed

   Pay ₱685, have your photo and signature taken, and receive your license.

How much does a non-pro license cost?

The LTO's own charge is ₱685: ₱100 application fee and ₱585 license fee. Most of the real cost is in the courses and the medical.

So for a motorcycle non-pro license, budget roughly ₱3,500 for courses at a private school plus ₱685 to the LTO, the student permit fee and the medical. If you take the TDC free at an LTO office, the total drops by up to ₱1,000. We could not confirm whether the April 2023 caps have since been revised.

How do you get a professional license?

A professional license is for people who drive for hire or operate trucks and buses. You upgrade from a non-pro license, and the LTO lists this as a separate transaction: change of classification from non-pro to pro.

LTO Portal PH lists the prerequisites as being at least 18 and holding a non-pro license for at least six months, then passing exams suited to the vehicle and service you will drive. Republic Act 10930 requires the professional exams to match the vehicle type and the kind of service. Heavy-vehicle codes such as C and D are only available on a professional license.

What do the DL codes mean?

DL codes replaced the old numbered restriction codes. Each code covers a vehicle category, and the LTO-NCR charter maps each one back to the old restriction code.

Your license also records a clutch type, automatic (AT) or manual (MT), based on the vehicle you tested on. Changing it later is a separate LTO transaction, so take your practical test on the transmission you expect to drive.

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How long is a driver's license valid?

Five years, or 10 years on renewal if you had a clean record. Under Republic Act 10930 (2017), every license except a student permit is valid for five years from the holder's birthday. A non-pro or pro holder who commits no traffic violation during those five years may renew for 10 years.

How do you renew a driver's license?

You can renew online through the eGovPH app or at an LTO office. The LTO launched online renewal on 10 July 2025.

1. Do the medical exam. Book a telemedicine exam through the LTO's online driver's license portal, or visit an accredited clinic.
2. Complete the Driver's Enhancement Program. It is a five-hour online course, also on the LTO portal.
3. Open eGovPH, choose LTO, then the online driver's application, and select renewal.
4. Photograph your current card front and back, check the details, and take a new photo in the required format.
5. Pay through the payment channel you choose. Your e-license appears in the app, and the plastic card can be delivered or collected at an LTO district office.

How much is the renewal fee?

The LTO-NCR charter also requires the exams if you have 10 or more, but fewer than 40, demerit points.

Extensions in 2026

The LTO extended licenses twice in 2026. Memorandum Circular MVL-2026-5048 gave three extra months to licenses expiring from April 2026, then MVL-2026-5271, dated 30 July 2026, extended licenses, permits and registrations that expired from 1 July 2026 because of LTMS downtime. It runs "until further notice", with no late penalties while it applies. We could not confirm whether it had been lifted as of 15 November 2026. Check the LTO's advisories before you rely on it.

Since January 2026 the LTO has said the e-license in your LTMS account or the eGovPH app is valid at checkpoints, but a screenshot is not. Keep the plastic card with you too, in case you have no signal.

Once you are licensed, the next steps are registering a new vehicle and understanding number coding if you drive in Metro Manila.