2014 series (plate standardization project)[edit]

An example design of a 2014 series vehicle registration plate; plate for private and light vehicles (top) and for
Public Utility vehicles (bottom), As of 2018, regions are no longer listed, making them similar to Taiwanese
plates in style, format and evolution.

In January 2013, the Land Transportation Office ventured on the plate standardization project with
modern security features which include holograms and bar codes, and also planned to phase out the
old plate format which has been in use since 1981. In the new format, the LTO will issue LLL-
DDDD for four-wheel vehicles and LL-DDDDD for motorcycles. The Alphanumeric symbols for
private cars will be black on a white background, while those for public utility vehicles (PUVs) would
continue on black on yellow with the authorized route also to be indicated. Motorcycle plates would
also be black on white, as would those for tricycles used for personal purposes. Tricycles used as
PUVs would also continue with the black on yellow scheme. Government plates, meanwhile, would
have sport red symbols on a white background, with the name of the agency/office to be
indicated. Diplomatic plates would continue carry blue symbols on a white background, while Other
Exempt Vehicles (OEV) would have black symbols on a light blue background. The new plate format
series and design was originally scheduled for release on September or October
2013.[1][2][3][4] However, it has been delayed several times primarily due to concerns on the release of
funds for the license plate project, as well as the increase in purchase of new cars using temporary
license plates bearing the conduction sticker number.[5] Eventually, on May 2014, the first batch of
new license plates were finally released.[6] By January 2015, vehicle owners are now required to
change their old plates into a modern series plate, and pay PhP 450 for a replacement.
In 2016, the LTO issued "virtual plates" as a temporary measure to address the backlog in physical
license plates. New vehicles will be issued an identification consisting of alphanumeric combinations,
which will make it easier for the LTO to release the permanent license plates once they are
available.[7]
Finally, in January 2018, the Supreme Court ordered the release of the license plates long held due
to restraining orders saddling the plate modernization program. It is expected that the distribution will
commence at full swing by mid-February 2018.

Automobile vehicle[edit]
Pattern Class Notes
ABC-
Private
Private vehicle not for commercial uses (Light cars, SUV, Light truck)
1234 vehicles

PUV-
Public utility Public utility vehicle
1234 vehicles (AUV, Buses (PUB), Jeepneys (PUJ), Taxicabs and School Bus)

GOV-
Government Cars for government official uses (Police car, Ambulance, Patrol
1234 vehicles Cars and Fire truck).

Motorcycle[edit]
Pattern Class Notes

PT-12345
Private Private motorcycles

PV-12345
Public utility Public utility use for tricycles

GV-12345 Government
Motorcycles for government official uses (police motorcycles)
motorcycle

Special vehicle[edit]
Pattern Class Notes

00000 Diplomatic
vehicles

00000 Other exempted vehicles

ABC-1234
Electric Electric vehicles

1981 series[edit]
Automobile vehicle[edit]
Pattern Class Notes

ABC-123

Private Private cars or light trucks not for commercial

ABC-123 (rear only from 1989 vehicles uses.
to 1994)

PUV-123
Public utility Public utility cars (AUV, jeepneys, taxicabs and
vehicles school buses)
PUV-123 (from 1991 to 1995)

GOV-123

Government
GOV-123 (rear only from 1989 Cars for government official uses.
vehicles
to 1994)

Motorcycle[edit]
Pattern Class Notes

AB-1234
Private Private motorcycles
AB-1234 (from 1989 to

1994)

1234-AB

PV-1234

PV-1234 (from 1991 to

Public utility Public utility use for Tricycles
1995)

1234-PV

GV-1234

Government Motorcycles for government official uses (Police

GV-1234 (from 1989 to motorcycle motorcycles).

1994)

00000
Diplomatic
Other exempted vehicles
vehicles
00000 (from 1989 to 1994)

Special vehicle[edit]
Pattern Class Notes

00000
Diplomatic
Other exempted vehicles
vehicles
00000 (rear only from 1989 to 1994)
 ABC-123
Electric Electric vehicles

Current specifications[edit]

The first design of the 2010s plate modernization program. There had been a minor update over this due to
shift to a new plate maker - regional markers had been removed and a slightly different font has been used.

The current version of the license plate issued since 2016.

Dimensions and medium[edit]

The current series of Philippine registration plates measure 390 x 140 mm. The characters are
stamped on an aluminium plate which is then applied with reflectorized paint. Previously, numerous
watermarks of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) logo as well as a small logo of the plate
manufacturer were stamped on the plate. This was replaced in 2002 with a reflectorized printed color
sticker of the statue to José Rizal. As of 2008, all plates issued by the LTO are produced by a sole,
privately funded manufacturer in Manila.
There also was a slogan on the bottom of the license plate usually reflects the campaign goals of the
incumbent President. The practice began under President Fidel V. Ramos' "Philippines 2000"
campaign in 1995. Until 2003, plates also bore the word "Pilipinas" at the bottom; it was replaced
with the Arroyo government's slogan "Matatag Na Republika" ("Strong Republic") which was still
used instead of the "Daang Matuwid" ("Straight Path") slogan even when Benigno Aquino III became
President in 2010. The introduction of the 2014 design plate replaced the presidential slogan with
region names, and with the introduction of its 2016 revision, the slogan feature has been removed.

 PILIPINAS (the most common inscription; 1981–1995, 2001–2003; for private and government
vehicles, 2001–2014; for-hire and public utility vehicles)
 PHILIPPINES 2000 (1995–2000)
 ANGAT PINOY 2004 ("Raise Pinoy 2004"; 2000–2001)
 PERLAS NG SILANGAN ("Pearl of the Orient"; 2002–2003; starting 2003, it is concurrently
produced with the PILIPINAS license plates that have a Rizal Monument in the background that
was first introduced in 2002 and continued to use when the MATATAG NA REPUBLIKA slogan
was introduced)
 MATATAG NA REPUBLIKA (2003-April 12, 2014; for private, tourist and government vehicles;
alternating with the PILIPINAS license plates in 2003 for other Public Utility Vehicles.)
 REGIONAL DESIGNATIONS (April 13, 2014-June 30, 2016; it is concurrently produced with the
regional license plates that have with bar code security feature that was first introduced in 2014)
 None (July 1, 2016-onwards; it is currently produced with the geographical designations with
alphabetical letters based on the 1981 series, and has a QR code security feature on the side.
The region name on the bottom side has been removed.)
Typeface[edit]
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 until February 2018 when
all plates switched to FE-Schrift,[8] which has been used since at least 2010 for personalized plates.[9]

Protocol/high-ranking government plates[edit]

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

 1 – President
 2 – Vice President
 3 – President of the Senate
 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.
 11 – Chairman, Commission on Elections
 12 – Cabinet Undersecretary
 13 – Solicitor-General
 14 – Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Chief of the 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, assistant city prosecutors, district prosecutors and
chief city prosecutors with initials of 17*ACP (court branch number)
Regular government plates[edit]
Red characters on a white background (or with the Rizal monument starting 2003) and starts with
the letter "S" so it goes by the format SLL-DDD (1981 series) or SLL-DDDD (2014 series).
For 2018 series it uses white plate since red plate are not yet in production.

Government plate
Protocol plate 7 for Senators

Temporary diplomatic plate, perhaps unofficial[citation needed]

A Toyota Corolla Altis with diplomatic-OEV plates side-by-side a green-plated (private), Toyota Fortuner. Notice
the difference in the placement of the Rizal monument.

Diplomatic/other exempted vehicle plates[edit]

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 used to have the country they represent at the bottom of the plate (i.e.,
not present anymore). 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 – 99999: embassy vehicles – a small decal on the bottom left part displayed as "OEV" for
"other exempted vehicle"

Public utility vehicles[edit]

Public utility plate (1981–2014).

Yellow plates (black characters on a yellow background) are in the form LLL DDD (1981 series) and
usually begin with either the letter "N" or "P" or "T" or "U" in NCR that was used in 1981 series
plates. They always have either "V", "W", "X"(except U) 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 1981 NVA-101 to early 1995 NYZ-999).
For 2014 series, (LLL DDDD) beside the region of registration, the type of PUV is also indicated
(e.g. NCR TAXI, R4A JEEPNEY, R8 PROV BUS).
For 2018 series, (LLL DDDD) currently uses private plates since yellow plates aren't yet released
during production.

Private vehicles[edit]
For private vehicles, the plate contains green-colored symbols on a white background (or reverse –
white symbols on green background, used from 1989 to 1995) with the number format as "LLL-
DDD (1981 series). In 2009, it uses increment letters either I, O or Q in the middle, right or both
(except first letter) for NCR.
For 2014 series the number format as LLL-DDDD it also has a bar code and LTO hot stamp on the
7 digit character plate.