Good news for motor vehicle owners: The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has extended registration deadlines for all vehicles because of the newly imposed ECQ. The LTO recently closed most of its offices in areas under lockdown—Metro Manila, Laguna, Bulacan, and Rizal—because of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, as well as the observance of Holy Week. 

The extension of the ECQ into another week is also the likely reason why the LTO has extended the registration deadlines for vehicle owners. Manila and its surrounding provinces are struggling tro contain a rise of COVID-19 cases, and the gov’t agency is doing its part to keep the public and its workers safe by giving owners more time to register their vehicles.

There’s no need to hurry to go to an available LTO office in order to avoid penalties and expired registrations. The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is extending registration deadlines for cars with plate numbers ending in 3 and 4., and the good news is that the extension applies not only in NCR Plus, but nationwide as well.

According to LTO’s recent announcement on their website, cars with plate numbers ending in 3 can register until April 30, 2021; while cars with plate numbers ending in 4 can register until May 31, 2021. That’s a month-long extension for car owners. In addition, distribution of motorcycle plates scheduled on April 27 will push through but only in the LTO NCR West office. Also, provisions regarding Republic Act 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act are postponed until further notice.

This is not the first time the LTO has extended vehicle registration because of an ECQ, as the government agency announced a similar policy during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Nonetheless, it is still a huge help for car owners as this is not the best time to be out and hustling over car registrations. The country is experiencing a serious surge in Covid-19 cases, going out should be the last thing you want to do. Just bear in mind that an extension would lead to the buildup of registrations, resulting in long queues so plan your trip in advance.