Disregarding Traffic Signs Penalty Philippines 2026: ₱1,000 Under JAO 2014-01
Disregarding a traffic sign is ₱1,000 under Joint Administrative Order 2014-01, with no suspension and no repeat-offence ladder. It sits in the same ₱1,000 tier as illegal parking, illegal turns, obstruction and illegal overtaking. The charge covers any regulatory sign: no entry, no left turn, no U-turn, one way, stop, yield, lane restrictions and posted truck bans. Running a red light and overspeeding are charged separately. Cities and the MMDA may add their own ordinance fine on top; the table below lists the ones on our fines page.
Disregarding a traffic sign is ₱1,000 under Joint Administrative Order 2014-01, with no suspension and no repeat-offence ladder. It sits in the same ₱1,000 tier as illegal parking, illegal turns, obstruction and illegal overtaking.
The charge covers any regulatory sign: no entry, no left turn, no U-turn, one way, stop, yield, lane restrictions and posted truck bans. Running a red light and overspeeding are charged separately. Cities and the MMDA may add their own ordinance fine on top; the table below lists the ones on our fines page.
The fine: ₱1,000, flat
JAO 2014-01 puts disregarding traffic signs in the ₱1,000 tier. The amount does not rise on a second or third offence, and no suspension attaches. It is an LTO fine, recorded on the licence until settled.
The tier is the largest group on the schedule. The table shows what else sits in it, so you can tell whether an enforcer has charged the right line. The [red light violation](/violations/red-light-violation) and [illegal parking](/violations/illegal-parking-fine) pages cover the two neighbours drivers confuse with it.
| Violation | 1st Offense |
|---|---|
| Disregarding traffic signs | ₱1,000 |
| Illegal parking | ₱1,000 |
| Illegal turn (left turn, U-turn where prohibited) | ₱1,000 |
| Obstruction | ₱1,000 |
| Illegal overtaking | ₱1,000 |
| Cutting an overtaken vehicle or failing to give way | ₱1,000 |
What counts as a traffic sign
Regulatory signs carry the charge: the red-bordered circles and the red or blue rectangles that order or prohibit a movement. Warning signs (yellow diamonds) and guide signs (green or blue direction boards) do not; ignoring a warning sign is not an offence by itself.
A red light is a signal, not a sign, and is a separate ₱1,000 charge under the same order. Speed limit signs are enforced as reckless driving (₱2,000 and up), not on this line.
| Charged as disregarding a sign | No entry, one way, no left or right turn, no U-turn, stop, yield, no overtaking, truck ban, lane-use signs, no parking or no stopping |
| Charged separately | Red light (₱1,000, separate line), speed limit (reckless driving ladder), number coding (MMDA or city ordinance) |
| Not an offence | Warning signs and guide signs; they carry no penalty |
City and MMDA ordinances that add to the LTO fine
Local enforcers issue tickets under their own ordinances, and those fines are paid to the city, not the LTO. The amounts on our fines page for the most common cases are below; the LTO ₱1,000 still applies if an LTO or deputised enforcer issues the citation.
Truck bans and one-way schemes are the usual local charges. Check the city's ordinance number on the ticket before paying.
| MMDA (Metro Manila arterials) | Disregarding traffic signs ₱1,000; number coding ₱300 to ₱500 depending on the city |
| Makati | Number coding and sign violations under city ordinance, ₱1,000 first offence, rising on repeat |
| Other cities | Ordinance fine printed on the ticket; typically ₱500 to ₱1,000 |
What happens after the ticket, since 9 January 2026
The enforcer keeps your licence in your hands and records the violation as an alert on the LTO record. You have 15 working days to settle at an LTO office or through the LTMS portal, or five days to contest in writing.
Unpaid after 15 working days, the licence is suspended for 30 days under JAO 2014-01 and the alert stays until both the fine and the suspension are cleared.
- 1
Read the ticket
Confirm the line charged is 'disregarding traffic signs' and not a red-light or reckless-driving line, and whether the issuer is LTO, MMDA or a city.
- 2
Contest within 5 days if the sign was missing or obscured
Photograph the sign and its position; a sign hidden by a tree, a vendor or a parked truck is the usual ground.
- 3
Pay within 15 working days
LTO fines through the LTMS portal or an LTO office; ordinance fines at the city treasurer or the MMDA redemption office.
- 4
Keep the receipt
The alert on the licence lifts only after the LTO records payment; carry the receipt until it does.
Sources for every figure on this page
Fine and tier: JAO 2014-01 (DOTC-LTO, 2 June 2014), as recorded on our [LTO fines page](/violations/traffic-violation-fines), verified 13 September 2026. Procedure: DOTr MC 2026-001 and LTO MC MVL-2026-4846. Sign categories: DPWH Road Signs and Pavement Markings Manual, summarised on our [road signs guide](/road-rules/road-signs-philippines). City and MMDA figures: the ordinance table on the fines and number coding pages.
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