Best Posts in Thread: Are plastic Driving Licences back in LTO?

Glad you got your plastic licence on time when you returned....good news.

Just to mention again the other options of going to Bais or Bayawan LTO...
I did my theoretical test and medical here in Dumaguete near the LTO and then this Monday drove to Bais LTO to renew my driving licence. 1hr 15min drive and an just over an hour in the LTO there (not the madhouse Duma LTO is) got my 10year plastic licence straight away.
I was the only expat there.

 

I can confirm that many people were picking up their plastic license when I was at LTO on 18Oct2022 to complete a change of address for a 10 year license that I renewed in May. I am to return to LTO on November 8th to pickup the plastic license.
Please note: Someone I know went to LTO on November 3th to renew their license. They were told that renewals are on Fridays.

 

I got told to come back 2nd week of December, this was 2 weeks ago. I first applied in March told to come back in September. complete cluster F'uckup.

 

I received my 10-year plastic driver's license at the LTO on November 8th, as scheduled.

 

I now realize I was extremely fortunate to pick up my license on the day Dumaguete LTO said it would be ready. Had I not followed a friend's advice to go in the side door and give my receipt to one of the clerks at window 4, the guard at the front door would have not let me inside!
I now know that Dumaguete LTO issues plastic licenses to only the first 80 people each day. A friend tried to get the license at 11AM. The guard said come back early the next day, but by 8AM (when LTO opens) all 80 slots were alreay filled. YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE THIS: the guard now said you have to come to LTO between midnight and 4AM, to drop off your receipt, to get one of the 80 slots!
Some additional information that did not make sense when I picked up my license, but does now: The foreigner that picked up his license a few minutes ahead of me said he got inside about 45 minutes before me and the LTO guard was not going to let him in the door. Because he was a senior citizen, an LTO clerk told the guard to let him in. After handing my receipt to the female clerk at Window 4, I waited about an hour and 20 minutes to get my license, so he waited over 2 hours (I do not know how long he waited to come in the front door). While I was waiting, I kept thinking maybe that was bad advice to go in the side door, but I now realize the guard at the front door would not have let me in. Going to Bias or Bayawan and getting a license in one trip is definitely quicker and much less hassle!