You have been enjoying driving your new car but in its first year, you need to renew its registration. This is a mandatory procedure for all vehicle owners so your records are up to date. Read on and see the details of LTO’s registration cost.
How Much is Car Rehistro or Renewal?
The LTO registration renewal fee ranges from Php 2,000 to Php 8,000 depending on the class and weight of the vehicle. If you are renewing a simple sedan car type, you can expect to spend around Php 2,000 to Php 2,500 for the renewal fee.
Note that this is not the final cost because you also need to satisfy requirements before you can proceed to the LTO window for processing. For the many years I’ve been doing this renewal I can tell that there are only three (3) major expenses.
List of Expenses
Having your car’s registration renewed will involve more than one type of transaction and therefore payment. Before you can go to the LTO counter for processing, you first need to spend on car insurance (TPL) and smoke emission testing. Here is the list of expenses that I have been enduring for years:
- Smoke Emission Test – Price ranges from Php 500 to Php 650 depending on the facility. You may check out the list of accredited smoke emission test centers by LTO.
- TPL Insurance – Price for Car Renewal ranges from Php 700 to Php 1,200 depending on where you will get it.
- LTO renewal – Fee starts from Php 2,000 and above for four-wheel vehicles.\
Is It Necessary?
Yes and it’s the law. Every owner needs to register and renew their motor vehicles. There is no work around for it so you need to allot time, effort and cash for the process. It is a yearly requirement which comes as an obligation for all of us.
An ABSCBN report indicates that up to 14 million vehicles are not registered. A crackdown on these owners is ongoing and they may face legal consequences.
Violation Fees
We all hate to see this on record. But sometimes, car owners will be shocked to learn that they have a violation. Take for example what happened to my sister in law. When she tried to renew her car registration, a violation appeared in LTO’s computer with a corresponding fee.
It was a violation not to LTO itself but from the LGU of Valenzuela. You may ask, was she aware of it? Probably not because the file attached is a screenshot of a no-contact violation captured by a camera. The offense was beating the red light.
In this case, payment was required before she was able to proceed with the LTO renewal.
Steps and Procedures
You need to secure all the other documents that you have from the previous year including the OR (official receipt) and CR (certificate of registration). Choose an LTO branch nearest you for convenience.
- Request for an appointment for a smoke emission test from an accredited facility
- Apply and pay for a TPL insurance
- Have your engine number stenciled and inspected at the LTO branch (inspection may involve checking of the car lights, presence of EWD or early warning device, color of the car). Stencil service may or may not be included in a package but I usually just pay Php 20 to Php 50. Just ask anyone from the office and they will do it for you.
- Proceed to the LTO window (various steps) and pay
Ways to Pay
How can I pay for the LTO renewal fee? At the branch, you can only pay in cash. However, there may be available channels like credit card or e-wallets if you process using the online portal.
Discounted Price
Is there a discount on renewal fees like senior citizens or PWD? As of this writing, there is no available info whether seniors are eligible for a discount on LTO fees.
How Long is the Renewal Process?
In my experience, you will be done with the renewal after 3 hours, the shortest. This is possible if you go to an office with all the smoke emission and insurance companies present in the same area.
Can I finish the renewal on the same day? If there are no problems with your documents, you can renew your car and finish on the same day.