Downtown Checkpoints and No Helmet Fine Info

Hi Expats,

Got caught at a checkpoint with no helmet. (Yes, I know it is foolish not to wear a helmet.) They are starting to give tickets for no helmet in Dumaguete City. The fine is 1,500 1st offence. 3,000 2nd. 5,000 third. They take your drivers license. You have to go to the main LTO office and it takes about 3+ hours to pay the fine and get your license back. The office opens at 8 and there is a line of about 30 people at 7:30 am.

An Australian guy was given a fine 0f 5,000 because he was driving on his Australian drivers license and had been in the country for more than 3 months. So they gave him 3,000 for driving unlicensed, 1,500 no helmet and 460 I think for impound fee even though his bike had not been impounded. He was arguing but there is no sense getting angry. The law is the law and the LTO guy is just doing his job.

Moral of the story: Wear your helmet and keep your papers in order or take a tricycle. If you have been in the country less than three months, have a copy of your passport stamp. If you have been here longer than 3 months, go to the main LTO office and get your Philippine drivers license. It cost me about 850. Your foreign license should a have motorcycle permission. The default is just car permission. If you convert your existing license, make sure your Philippine license has a 1,2 under Restrictions in the bottom left corner. 1 is for motorcycle, and 2 is for car.

 

Dumaguete has a different approach to foreigners than Siquijor at checkpoints. In Dumaguete they will be happy to ticket foreigners for violations. In Siquijor, when they see a foreigner they just wave them through without stopping them (in my experience. This is not a published policy). I think it makes a difference in a tourist economy. But there, most foreign tourists are really tourists lol.


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A couple years back I tried to get my Phil drivers license and the LTO Captain told me that since I was renewing my tourist visa every 2 months that my 3 months in country resets every time I do so he said no Phils DL is needed...has something changed or will I need to get a license after three months?

 

I believe you are correct. I would just keep a copy of my passport with page showing latest visa stamp.


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Did you get your Philippine DL recently?

When I went to the LTO they would not issue me a drivers license because I did not have a long term visa that showed I could stay in the country for longer than a year. Tourist visa extension is only valid for 6 months.

The wording of the LTO regulations is as follows:

In addition, for foreigners, the applicant must have been in the Philippines for at least one (1) month with proof that he/she will stay in the country for at least one (1) year from date of application.

http://www.lto.gov.ph/license-permit-issuance/284-non-professional-driver-s-license.html

I believe this went into effect recently and has only been enforced at the Dumaguete LTO within the last few months.

 

What I do understand from the information that the check point is a typical LTO check point and not the PNP who never stopped me while passing by on a motorbike without helmet..!!??

 

I have the SRRV long term visa. I guess you have to have the SRRV or marriage visa to get a drivers license.

 

We have been having LTO checkpoints on Valencia road (Romero road) at the Dumaguete Valencia green boundary sign. It is for motorcycles I believe because they just waved us off driving a car. Not sure how many people here can afford a $30 fine for no helmet. I suppose if they can afford a bike they can afford P1500.


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I passed my Philippines driving licence a few month ago, they just aked me my passport (last entry stamp more than 1 year old and ACR-I card tourist (validity 1 year).

First you have a temporary student licence then after 1 month you can pass the exam. You need also to pass a drug test. They asked me also the LTO registration of the vehicule I use. As I only have a motorbike I could only have a driving licence for motorbike, even I told them I can sometimes rent a car when I'm travelling on other islands but they refused to give me the licence for cars.

I could have convert my french driving licence instead of passing the Philippines driving licences but as it is in french, I had to go to Manila to the french embassy and have a certified translation by a certified translater then stamped by the consulate. Too complicate and expensive!