Topic 5

Registration of Motor
Vehicle
A. Classification of Registered Motor
Vehicles
Private (not for hire)
Public Utility Vehicles (PUV aka “For Hire”
Government
Diplomat
B. Plate Numbers

Private or Not for Hire MVs

- Green with white background
- The 1st letter usually indicates the region where the
vehicle is registered
- For new series (2014 to present) black symbols on
white background with holograms and bar codes
Public Utility Vehicles or For Hire MVs
- Black with Yellow background, usually begin with
letter “N” or “P” or “T” or “U” in NCR
- Since 1995, they always have either “V”, “W”, “X”, or
“Y” in the middle of the letter block

- For new series (2014 to present) black symbols on

yellow background with holograms and bar codes
Government MVs
- Red (maroon) with white background
- Usually starts with letter “S”
- For new series (2014 to present) red symbols on
white background with holograms and bar codes and
the Agency/Office Indicated
Diplomatic or other exempted MVs
- Blue Characters with white background
- Reserved for diplomats, embassy and other
consulate officials, country ambassadors and some
expatriates such as scientist and researchers at IRRI
- Composed of five or six digits
- For new series (2014 to present) blue symbols on
white background with holograms and bar codes
- Ambassadors’ plates are always “1000” and have country they
represent at the bottom of the plate

- 1001-9999: a small decal on the bottom left part displayed as “DC”

for diplomatic corps

- 10000-25999: embassy vehicles- a small decal on the bottom left

part displayed as “OEV” for other exempted vehicles
Trailers
- Have yellow or green plates that mostly have either
“U” (private) or “Z” (for hire) in the middle of the
letter block

Electric Vehicles
- Orange Plates are used (white symbols on orange
background)
- AO No. 2021-039 dated May 11, 2021
Motorcycles
- Private motorcylces (green characters on white
background with the letters “MC” stamped on the
upper left hand corner next to the registration sticker
- Usually in format “AA 1111”, but with the rise in the
number of motorcycles “1111 AA” format has come
into use
Tricycles
- Private (green characters on white background with
the letters “MC” stamped on the upper left hand
corner next to the registration sticker
- For public utility, it has black characters on a yellow
background with letters “TC” stamped on the upper
right hand corner next to the registration sticker
Department of Tourism accredited
Vehicles
- Plates that look similar to those of private vehicles,
but with yellow highlights mixed with green color
and share the first letter of current PUV Plates
- Special sticker indicating that they are DOT –
accredited is placed on the rear window
Optional Motor Vehicle Special Plates
(OMVSP)
- Plate in a form of 3-letter and 2 number
- e.g. RHY 88
Personalized (Vanity) Plates
a. Uniqueness
b. It should not have the same format as government
vehicles
c. Price
- Premium edition (ex. 111 ABC) – Php
15,000.00
- Select Edition (ex. JONEEEELL) – Php
10,000.00
Commemorative Plates
- Issued for specific purposes such as fund-raising for
government projects and programs
C. Geographical Designations of Plate
Numbers
“A” – Region 1
“B” – Region 2
“C” – Region 3 (superseded by “R” in 2003)
“D” – Regions 4-A and 4-B (superseded by “V” in 2000)
“E” – Region 5
“F” – Region 6
“G” – Region 7
“H” – Region 8
“J” – Region 9
“K” – Regions 10 & 13
“L” – Region 11
“M” – Region 12
“N” – NCR 1981-1982, 2009-2010 (with increments of I, O & Q)
“P” – NCR 1982-1991, 2010-2011 (with increments of I, O & Q)
“R” – Region 3 (overflow Series for private since 2003)
“S” – government-owned (Red Plate) Vehicles
“T” – NCR 1991-1995, 2011-2012 (with increments of I, O & Q)
“U” – NCR 1995-1997, 2021-present(with increments of I, O & Q)
“V” – Regions 4A & 4B (overflow series for private since 2000)
“W” – NCR 1997 – 2001
“X” – NCR 2001 – 2005
“Y” – Region 7 (overflow series for private since 2004)
“Z” – NCR 2005 – 2009
D. Approximate Year of Issuance
 E. Schedule of Registration
Last Digit of Plate Middle Digit of Weekly Deadline
Number Plate Number (working days of the
month only)
1 – Jan 6 – Jun 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2 – Feb 7 – Jul 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
3 – Mar 8 – Aug 7 8 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
4 – Apr 9 – Sep 9 0 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
5 – May 0 – Oct 29 30 31
TNG - 984
NAV - 2832
DD 2425
VD 72468
IAN 86
F. Letter Prefixes on Plate Numbers

1st – Place of initial Registration

2nd – year of initial registration

Vehicle 1 – PLT 255

Vehicle 2 – TNU 363
 G. Protocol Plate Numbers
1 – President
2 – Vice President
3 – President
4 – Speaker of the House of
Representatives
5 – Chief Justice of supreme Court 14 – AFP Chief of Staff/ PNP Chief
6 – Cabinet Secretaries
8 – Representatives (Congressman)
9 – Assoc. Justices
10 – Presiding Justice/ justice of Courts,
Sol. Gen
11 – Chairman, COMELEC
12 – Cabinet Usec.
15 – RTC Judges

7 - Senators 16 – First Level Court (MeTC, MTC,

MCTC & Shariah Court