A Cebuano’s guide to getting a driver’s license

I have been to the LTO – Cebu branch several times. I was already on my third student permit and have only recently been handed a freshly minted non-professional driver’s license. A lot of those trips to the LTO were unnecessary for me and I thought I’d save everyone’s time by giving everybody some tips on how to get the through the process as efficiently as possible.

First, the commute: It’s quite easy to get to the LTO. Just take a 13c jeep from Ayala and you’ll reach the gate, easy. Take the 13c back to bring you to the mall and figure your way back from there. It’s best to work on getting a license first thing in the morning, for you to get your NPL within a day. 

Have your requirements ready. For a non-professional driver’s license, you need to be at least 17 years old, a valid student permit at least a month + a day old, a medical certificate with official receipt (and this MUST be LTO accredited or a government physician) or, a valid AFP/PNP organic personnel ID, a negative drug test result (again, from a DOH accredited drug testing center & government hospital), your TIN number, and passing marks for the written and practical examinations.

Here’s the thing about the drug test and medical results, you submit the original copy. If you’re working on your medical results from an outside clinic, the drug testing center at best needs to have a biometric processing equipment. To make sure there’s no problem and to avoid ending up taking a drug test/physical exam twice, just get a drug test/physical exam right across the LTO, and do that before you start lining up for a driver’s license. 

People over 18 who are applying for a student permit already need to have a TIN number, and you will be asked to submit a copy of the form along with a copy of your birth certificate. Get the TIN number first. 

LTO – Cebu is ISO certified so they’re quite strict with the requirements. Nothing wrong with that, they’ve made the process as smooth as possible and this helps to keep the really bad drivers off the road, unless they get smart and decide to head out of town for a more lenient LTO branch. My advice is to show up first thing in the morning because the lecture only occurs twice in a day: 9:30 am & 1:30 pm. The written examinations occur one hour after the lecture. Do the written exam in the morning and proceed straight to the practical examination area to do some practice runs and eventually, the actual exam at 1:30 in the afternoon (they also have a morning session at 9:30). Last I checked the practical exam takes place in the North Reclamation area near Cebu Doctor’s Hospital. It’s best to bring your own car. If you bring an automatic transmission car, you will be restricted to driving automatic transmission cars in your license. After passing both written and practical exams, go back to the LTO to claim your license. 

Total application & license fees cost around 600Php. If you fail the written exam (passing mark is 30/40), you won’t be able to apply again until one month and a day has passed. If you decide to delay the practical exam, you have a span of one month after your written exam to do so, or else the application expires and you have to start the process all over again.

The NPL expires on your second birthday, or third, depending on which hits the three years mark first after your application.