LTO License Renewal Requirements & Fees (2026)

Renewing your LTO driver's license costs ₱585 for a non-professional license (₱757.50 for professional), requires a medical examination from an LTO-accredited clinic, and can now be done mostly online through the LTMS portal. You visit an LTO office once, for biometrics and the card itself. Licenses are valid for five years, or ten years if you kept a clean driving record. Here is everything you need, in order.

How long is your license valid?

Under Republic Act 10930, the standard validity of a Philippine driver's license is five years. If you complete that five-year period with no traffic violations, your next renewal is issued with a ten-year validity. Committing violations resets you back to the five-year track, so the ten-year card is effectively a reward for clean driving.

Your license expires on your birthday in its expiry year. The date is printed on the card. You can renew up to 60 days ahead of expiry, and because validity is anchored to your birthday under RA 10930, renewing early does not shave time off your next cycle. There is no reason to let it lapse.

What you need before renewing

Your current driver's license — the physical card, even if expired.
Medical certificate — from an LTO-accredited medical clinic. The clinic examines you (vision, hearing, physical fitness to drive) and transmits the certificate electronically to the LTO's system; you enter the certificate number during your application. Fees are set by the clinic, commonly around ₱300 to ₱500.
CDE certificate — the Comprehensive Driver's Education validation exam, required for renewals. You can take it free on the LTMS portal (portal.lto.gov.ph): a 25-item multiple-choice exam, 80% to pass, and you can retake it. Passing records a CDE certificate against your LTMS account, and it does not expire. One pass covers future renewals too. Accredited driving schools offer the same validation for a fee if you prefer it in person.
A valid government ID and, if your personal details changed (name, civil status, address), the supporting documents for the change.

No drug test is required for a routine renewal of a non-professional license — the medical examination covers fitness to drive. Your clinic will tell you if your specific case requires more.

The online path (LTMS portal)

The fastest route for most drivers:

Create or log in to your LTMS account at portal.lto.gov.ph. Registration needs your license number and personal details.
Pass the CDE exam under the portal's education section, if you have not yet. It is free on the portal.
Get your medical exam at an accredited clinic and keep the certificate number. The clinic transmits it electronically.
Apply for renewal under the Licensing menu: verify your details, enter the medical certificate number, select Driver's License → Renewal.
Choose your LTO branch and pay online — GCash, Maya, or card are accepted.
Visit the branch once for photo, biometrics, and card printing. Bring your old license and a valid ID.

The walk-in path

Prefer doing it in person? Get the medical exam first (many clinics cluster around LTO offices), then head to any LTO licensing office with your old license and ID. You will complete the CDE requirement, pay, and do biometrics there. Expect it to take longer than the online route, especially at busy district offices.

Fees

Non-professional renewal: ₱585 (some LTO fee breakdowns itemize a ₱100 application fee on top)
Professional renewal: ₱757.50
Medical examination: set by the clinic, commonly ₱300–₱500
CDE validation exam: free on the LTMS portal

So a typical on-time, non-professional renewal lands around ₱885 to ₱1,085 all-in, with the spread coming from your clinic's medical fee.

What if your license is already expired?

Renewing late costs more, and the price climbs in tiers. On top of the regular fees, the LTO charges a late fee based on how long your license has been expired:

Expired up to one year: additional ₱75.
Expired more than one year, up to two years: additional ₱150.
Expired more than two years: additional ₱225 — and you must retake and pass both the written examination and the practical driving test before your license is reissued. Plan for extra visits.

With the late tiers, an expired renewal can run up to around ₱910 in LTO fees alone, before the medical exam.

Temporary relief, as of this writing: under Memorandum Circular MVL-2026-5048 (April 2026), the LTO granted a three-month validity extension and waived late-renewal penalties for licenses expiring April 2026 or later, citing the national energy emergency — in effect "until further notice." If your license expired recently, you may fall under the waiver; confirm the current status at your LTO office or on lto.gov.ph before assuming either way.

And the fees are the small part:

Caught driving on an expired license: that is a traffic violation with a ₱3,000 fine, and it puts a violation on the record that would otherwise have earned you the ten-year card.
A lapsed license breaks your clean streak in the worst way — the cheapest ten-year card is the one you earn by never letting the five-year one expire.

The rational move is to renew before expiry: you keep an unbroken record, avoid the exam-retake trap, and stay insurable.

Before you go: the two-minute checklist

Renewals go sideways over small things. The night before your branch visit, confirm:

Old license card in your wallet — bring it even if expired.
Medical certificate number saved in your phone, plus the paper copy the clinic gave you, in case the electronic transmittal is delayed.
CDE certificate showing as passed in your LTMS account — screenshot it.
Payment proof if you paid online — screenshot the confirmation.
A pen and an hour of patience. Even a smooth biometrics visit involves queues; going early in the day and early in the week shortens them.

If any electronic record has not synced (medical or CDE), the branch can usually look it up — but the screenshots turn a possible second visit into a two-minute counter check.

FAQ

Who gets the 10-year license?

Drivers who complete their current five-year validity with no recorded traffic violations. The upgrade applies at renewal; you cannot request it mid-validity.

My license expired three years ago. Do I start from zero?

No— you renew, not reapply, but it is the expensive version: the ₱225 late-fee tier applies, and because it is beyond two years you must pass the written exam and the practical driving test again before the license is released.

What exactly is the CDE exam?

The Comprehensive Driver's Education validation exam is a multiple-choice test on road rules and safe driving required for license renewal. Take it free on the LTMS portal; accredited driving schools also offer it as a paid option.

Can I renew at any LTO office?

Yes, licensing transactions, including renewal, are processed at LTO licensing centers and district offices nationwide, plus licensing counters in select malls.

Keep your license and your car's dates in one place

A license expiry is easy to remember exactly once every ten years— which is to say, easy to forget. Garaje keeps your driving life in one garage profile: your car's registration schedule, service history, insurance, and the dates that sneak up on you. Set up your garage free at garaje.ph.

LTO Driver's License Renewal: Requirements, Fees, and Steps (2026)