IT’S true that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has continuously extended the validity of the driver’s licenses throughout this pandemic. However, there are still a lot of motorists who have yet to renew their licenses, especially teenagers and senior citizens.
In case you missed it, the LTO has announced that it will entertain persons aged 17 to 21 and 60 to 65 at its offices once again. This means that license holders belonging to these age brackets may finally be able to carry out their transactions with the agency.
Now, in addition to this, the LTO also announced that all student permits, non-professional and professional driver’s licenses, and conductor’s licenses that expired during the restriction period will remain valid until Dec. 31, 2020. Take note, however, that this validity extension only applies to licenses of the aforementioned restricted individuals.
If you’re an existing license holder, then be informed. But if you’re still only applying for a student permit yourself, here are the things you should take note:
Requirements for LTO student-driver permit application
1) Accomplished Application for Driver’s License (ADL) form
The ADL can simply be requested at the LTO office upon arrival and should be accomplished by the applicant.
2) Birth certificate (with marriage contract for married women)
Applicants will have to submit both original and photocopies of their duly authenticated National Statistics Office (NSO) or Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) birth certificates. Married women should take note that they also need to submit original and photocopies of their marriage contracts.
3) Parent’s/guardian’s consent and valid government-issued ID (for minors)
The minimum age requirement for student-permit applicants is 16 years old, so some applicants may still be minors at the time of their applications. In this case, they should submit an original copy of a duly notarized authorization letter from a parent or a legal guardian. The letter must explicitly state that the applicant will be allowed to secure a student permit. Likewise, minors must also submit an original and photocopy of one valid government-issued ID of the parent or guardian.
4) Any issued ID with photo and signature
Minor or not, the applicant must submit an original and photocopy of any ID (school- or employee-issued) with photo and signature.
5) Medical certificate from LTO-accredited clinic
For this requirement, the accredited clinic will electronically transmit the medical certificate to the LTO, but the applicant must also present a hardcopy of the certificate during the application.
6) Theoretical Driving Course certificate of completion
Student-permit applications now require the prior completion of a 15-hour Theoretical Driving Course (TDC), certificates of which will only be issued by LTO Driver’s Education Centers or LTO-accredited driving schools.
7) Tax identification number (TIN) ID (only if employed)
If the applicant is already employed, he must also present his TIN ID along with the other requirements.
As a final note, foreigners who intend to secure a student permit with the LTO must also bring their actual passports and photocopies of the relevant pages. The entry date in the passport should be at least one month before the date of application. The foreigner’s visa must also be valid for at least one year from application.(with reports from Topgear/PN)
