Lost Driver's License Philippines 2026: LTO Replacement Requirements and Steps

Bring four items to the LTO branch, plus a police report if the card was stolen. Your ID must match the name and address on your LTO record.

Next: start with step 1 below. Our LTO online appointment guide shows the LTMS booking screens for step 2.

RA 4136 Section 11 (approved 20 June 1964) requires a fee for replacing a lost or spoiled driver's license. Its own figure of two pesos is long superseded by LTO's administrative fee schedule. Your LTMS assessment shows the current amount before you pay.

The notary's charge for your affidavit of loss is a private service fee, not an LTO charge.

You must apply for an LTO license replacement if your driver's license is lost, stolen, damaged beyond recognition, or mutilated. The LTO considers a license damaged if the photo, signature, or license number is no longer legible.

Seven steps from notary to card. Steps 2 and 3 can be done online; the rest happen at the notary and the LTO branch.

1. Secure a notarized affidavit of loss
   Visit any notary public with a valid ID and draft your affidavit stating when, where, and how you lost your license. Include your full name, license number if known, and contact details.

   Notary offices near LTO branches often handle this quickly. Call ahead to confirm rates and hours.

2. Book an LTMS appointment
   Go to portal.lto.gov.ph, log in with your Client ID, select 'Driver's License Replacement' as your transaction type, then choose your preferred LTO branch and date.
   Book at portal.lto.gov.ph
3. Pay the replacement fee
   Pay the amount shown on your LTMS assessment, either online or at the LTO cashier window on your appointment day. Keep the official receipt.
4. Submit documents at LTO
   Arrive ahead of your appointment time and hand the four documents listed above to the receiving window.

   Bring photocopies of all documents in case the branch asks for them.

5. Biometrics and photo capture
   Proceed to the biometrics station for fingerprint scanning and a new digital photo, which is used on your replacement card.
6. Receive your temporary permit
   The LTO issues a temporary operator's permit that serves as your legal driver's license while your replacement card is produced. Keep it with you and present it at checkpoints.
7. Claim your replacement license
   The LTO sends an SMS notification when your card is ready for pickup at your chosen branch. Bring your temporary permit and one valid ID to claim it.

   Check your LTMS account for card status updates before making a trip to the branch.

LTO branches accept both walk-in applicants and LTMS appointment holders for license replacement. Appointment holders generally move through a priority lane, while walk-ins join the regular queue.

Choose the LTMS appointment if you need the temporary permit on a set day, because a walk-in wait depends on that day's queue. Walk in only if no slot opens at any branch you can reach.

Only with the temporary permit. Without the card, driving is a ₱1,000 fine under JAO 2014-01 item I.i, because RA 4136 Section 19 requires you to carry your license whenever you drive. The fine depends on whether the license is valid. A lost card on a valid license is a failure-to-carry case; an expired license counts as no license at all.

The safe order: book the replacement, drive only after LTO hands you the temporary operator's permit, and show it with your OR/CR if stopped. The table below applies JAO 2014-01 items I.i and I.a to a lost card.

Check the expiry date on your LTMS profile at portal.lto.gov.ph if the card is gone. Replacement keeps that date; renewal starts a new validity period.

Choose replacement now if the license is still valid. If it has expired, replace first, then renew. RA 4136 Section 26 asks for your previous license, or a duplicate issued under Section 11, and lets LTO refuse a renewal without one.

Next: once the replacement is released, follow our license renewal steps when your expiry date comes.

Professional license holders use the same documents and LTMS booking, and pay the same fee. No exam is retaken, and the replacement keeps your restriction codes. Upgrading from non-pro instead? See the professional license guide.

Foreign nationals with valid overseas driver's licenses who lost their licenses while in the Philippines should contact their home country's licensing authority; the LTO cannot issue a replacement for a license it did not issue. If you converted a foreign license to a Philippine driver's license through the LTO exam, you follow the standard replacement process like any other Philippine license holder.

A tourist may drive on a valid foreign license for 90 days after arrival, under RA 4136 Section 21. Past day 90, JAO 2014-01 item I.a treats it as driving without a valid license: ₱3,000. A tourist who lost a foreign license can ask their embassy for help with the home authority.