Number Coding Today Philippines 2026: Schedule, Exemptions & Fines

Metro Manila’s Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program bans vehicles based on plate-ending digits during weekday rush hours. The scheme applies to all Metro Manila cities except Las Piñas, Parañaque, Valenzuela, and Navotas as of 2026. Coding hours are 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding national holidays. Expressways within Metro Manila — EDSA, C-5, Roxas Boulevard, and major thoroughfares — follow this schedule, but toll expressways like NLEX, SLEX, Skyway, and CALAX have no number coding restrictions once you enter the toll plazas.

The banned plate-ending digit rotates daily from Monday (1 and 2) to Friday (9 and 0). Wednesday bans plates ending in 5 and 6, which affects the highest number of vehicles statistically. Saturday and Sunday have no coding restrictions Metro Manila-wide. To check if your vehicle is coded today, look at the last digit of your plate number and match it against the day of the week. Private vehicles, motorcycles, public utility vehicles without special exemptions, and delivery vans all follow the same schedule unless they hold valid exemption permits from the MMDA.

1. 1

   Monday

   Plates ending in 1 and 2 are banned from 7:00-10:00 AM and 5:00-8:00 PM

2. 2

   Tuesday

   Plates ending in 3 and 4 are banned from 7:00-10:00 AM and 5:00-8:00 PM

3. 3

   Wednesday

   Plates ending in 5 and 6 are banned from 7:00-10:00 AM and 5:00-8:00 PM

4. 4

   Thursday

   Plates ending in 7 and 8 are banned from 7:00-10:00 AM and 5:00-8:00 PM

5. 5

   Friday

   Plates ending in 9 and 0 are banned from 7:00-10:00 AM and 5:00-8:00 PM

Makati implements stricter number coding with extended hours from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekdays, covering the entire business day. The city’s ordinance applies to all roads within Makati’s jurisdiction, including Ayala Avenue, EDSA (Makati segment), Buendia Avenue, and Gil Puyat Avenue. Makati follows the same plate-digit schedule as Metro Manila but enforces it for 12 continuous hours instead of split rush-hour windows. Fines for Makati coding violations start at ₱1,000 for first offense, ₱2,000 for second, and ₱5,000 for third within a year. The Skyway elevated sections above Makati are not subject to city coding since they are national toll roads, but entry and exit ramps fall under Makati jurisdiction during enforcement hours.

Pasig City enforces number coding from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on weekdays, mirroring Metro Manila’s schedule. Mandaluyong follows the same UVVRP hours. Quezon City, Manila, and other NCR cities under MMDA jurisdiction apply the standard 7-10 AM and 5-8 PM window. Las Piñas, Parañaque, Valenzuela, and Navotas have suspended number coding enforcement as of 2026, making them coding-free zones for through traffic. Caloocan enforces coding on major roads but exempts some barangay roads. San Juan applies coding citywide during MMDA hours. Each LGU issues its own traffic violation receipts and processes payments through their respective treasurer’s offices.

Government vehicles on official business, police and military vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, and emergency response vehicles are permanently exempt from number coding. Vehicles with persons with disability (PWD) displaying valid PWD ID and vehicle stickers are exempt. Diplomatic plates (red plates) are exempt. Hybrid and electric vehicles registered before December 31, 2025 enjoy coding exemptions under the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act, but this requires an MMDA-issued exemption sticker displayed on the windshield. Public utility buses, jeepneys, UV Express vans, and taxis with valid franchises are exempt. Delivery vehicles with MMDA-issued exemption permits for essential goods are exempt. Medical transport vehicles carrying patients with medical certificates are exempt during the emergency. Funeral vehicles in active convoy are exempt.

1. 1

   Apply for Exemption Permit

   Visit MMDA Traffic Discipline Office at MMDA Main Office, EDSA corner Orense Street, Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City

2. 2

   Submit Requirements

   Bring vehicle OR/CR, valid driver’s license, proof of exemption eligibility (PWD ID, medical certificate, business permit for delivery), and 2 valid IDs

3. 3

   Pay Processing Fee

   ₱500 processing fee for exemption sticker, valid for 1 year from issuance date

4. 4

   Display Exemption Sticker

   Affix MMDA exemption sticker on lower right corner of windshield, visible from outside

Toll expressways — NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX, SLEX, Skyway Stages 1-3, CALAX, CAVITEX, MCX, STAR Tollway, and NAIAX — do not enforce number coding on their mainline sections. Once you pass through a toll plaza with valid RFID, your plate-ending digit is irrelevant for travel on the expressway itself. However, entry and exit points located within Metro Manila or LGU jurisdictions fall under local coding rules. The NLEX Balintawak entry at 7:30 AM on a Monday will apprehend vehicles with plates ending in 1 or 2 because Balintawak is within Quezon City. The SLEX Magallanes exit at 5:15 PM on a Wednesday will catch plates ending in 5 or 6 exiting into Makati. Skyway Stage 3 elevated sections are coding-free, but the Balintawak and NLEX Connector exits drop you into coded areas during rush hours. Plan your expressway entry and exit times around your plate’s coding day to avoid violations at the first and last kilometer of your trip.

Number coding violations are settled through the LTO Licensing Regulation and Enforcement Service or the issuing LGU’s traffic division. MMDA-issued tickets are paid at MMDA satellite offices or authorized Bayad Centers, SM Business Centers, and online via the MMDA payment portal. First offense carries a ₱1,000 fine, second offense within 12 months is ₱2,000, and third and subsequent offenses reach ₱5,000. Payment must be made within 15 days to avoid license suspension and vehicle impoundment on subsequent violations. Unpaid coding violations block LTO registration renewal — your vehicle cannot be registered until all outstanding traffic violations are settled. The LTO Law Enforcement Service maintains a centralized violation database that flags unpaid tickets during renewal processing.

1. 1

   Receive Traffic Violation Receipt (TVR)

   Enforcer issues TVR on-site with violation details, date, time, location, plate number, and fine amount

2. 2

   Verify Fine Amount

   Check TVR for correct offense code, fine amount, and issuing agency (MMDA, LGU, or LTO)

3. 3

   Pay Within 15 Days

   Pay at MMDA offices, LGU treasurer’s office, or authorized payment centers. Keep official receipt as proof of payment

4. 4

   Settle Before Registration Renewal

   Unpaid violations appear in LTO database and block vehicle registration renewal until cleared

Baguio City enforces number coding year-round from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily, covering Session Road, Harrison Road, and major tourist areas. Baguio follows the standard Monday (1,2) to Friday (9,0) schedule with no weekend exemptions during peak tourist seasons like Holy Week and Christmas. Cebu City suspended its number coding scheme in 2024 and remains coding-free as of 2026. Davao City has no number coding policy. Provincial expressways like TPLEX, SCTEX, and STAR Tollway connecting to Baguio are coding-free until you exit into city limits. Motorists driving from Manila to Baguio via NLEX-SCTEX-TPLEX can travel unrestricted on toll roads but must observe Baguio’s extended coding hours upon entering the city. The ₱980 toll from Manila to Baguio does not include exemption from Baguio’s local traffic ordinances.

Set phone calendar reminders for your plate’s coding day with alerts at 6:30 AM and 4:30 PM. Use Waze or Google Maps during coding hours — both apps flag number-coded roads and suggest alternative routes. If your vehicle is coded, plan expressway trips to enter after 10:00 AM or exit after 8:00 PM. For unavoidable trips during coding hours, use grab or taxi services, carpool with a non-coded vehicle, or work from home on your coding day. Install an RFID tag for quick expressway access, allowing you to bypass coded surface roads by staying on toll expressways until you reach a non-coded exit point. Keep your PWD, medical, or business exemption sticker valid and visible. If apprehended, cooperate with enforcers, verify the TVR details, and pay within 15 days to avoid compounding penalties. Check the MMDA website or Facebook page for coding suspension announcements during holidays, calamities, or special events.

Number coding is automatically suspended on declared national holidays, including New Year’s Day, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Araw ng Kagitingan, Labor Day, Independence Day, Ninoy Aquino Day, National Heroes Day, Bonifacio Day, Christmas Day, and Rizal Day. Special non-working holidays declared by Malacañang also suspend coding, but MMDA issues confirmation announcements 24 hours before. Election days suspend coding nationwide. During APEC summits, state visits, or major events, MMDA may implement road closures that override coding rules on affected routes. The 2026 SONA (State of the Nation Address) in July will suspend coding in Quezon City but maintain it in other Metro Manila cities. Holy Week typically sees coding suspension from Maundy Thursday through Black Saturday. Christmas season (December 24-26) and New Year (December 31-January 1) are coding-free. Check MMDA’s official channels for real-time updates during long weekends and special events.

1. 1

   Check MMDA Announcements

   Visit MMDA Facebook page or website 24 hours before a potential holiday suspension

2. 2

   Verify Holiday Status

   Confirm if the day is a declared national holiday or special non-working day via Official Gazette

3. 3

   Plan Accordingly

   Even with coding suspension, expect heavier traffic during holidays as more vehicles are on the road

MMDA traffic enforcers, LGU traffic aides, and deputized personnel conduct number coding enforcement through stationary checkpoints and mobile patrols. Enforcers flag violators, request driver’s license and vehicle registration, and issue a Traffic Violation Receipt (TVR) on the spot. The TVR contains the violation code, fine amount, date, time, location, enforcer’s name and ID number, and payment instructions. Drivers must sign the TVR acknowledging receipt, but signing does not admit guilt — it confirms you received the notice. Enforcers may confiscate driver’s license for certain violations, requiring you to settle the fine and retrieve your license at the issuing office within 72 hours. Refusal to accept the TVR or provide identification can escalate to vehicle impoundment. Dashboard cameras and mobile phone videos are admissible evidence if you wish to contest the violation. If you believe the apprehension was unjust, note the enforcer’s details, take photos of your vehicle’s location and the time stamp, and file a complaint with MMDA’s Public Assistance and Complaints Division within 15 days.

To contest a number coding violation, file a written complaint at the MMDA Public Assistance and Complaints Division or the issuing LGU’s traffic adjudication office within 15 days of the TVR issuance. Submit the original TVR, supporting evidence (photos, dashcam footage, GPS logs, RFID transaction records), a written explanation, and copies of your driver’s license and vehicle registration. If your vehicle has a valid exemption sticker that was not recognized, attach photos of the displayed sticker and the exemption certificate. Hearings are scheduled within 30 days, and decisions are issued within 15 days after the hearing. If the violation is dismissed, no payment is required and the TVR is voided in the LTO database. If upheld, you must pay the fine within 7 days of the decision. Appeals to the LTO Adjudication Office are allowed within 15 days of an adverse decision. Legal representation is not required for traffic adjudication hearings, but you may bring a lawyer if you choose.

1. 1

   File Written Complaint

   Submit complaint letter with TVR and evidence to MMDA or LGU adjudication office within 15 days

2. 2

   Attend Hearing

   Present your case, evidence, and witnesses at the scheduled hearing date

3. 3

   Receive Decision

   Decision is issued within 15 days after hearing. If dismissed, TVR is voided. If upheld, pay fine within 7 days

4. 4

   Appeal if Necessary

   File appeal to LTO Adjudication Office within 15 days of adverse decision