drivers license renewal

Renewed my license today. One hour in and out, mainly bcs I did not expect a drug test and was dry. Drunk the for free water / cup 5 peso and there it came.
Drug test P 300. Medical examination P 100 ( you should wear your glasses Sir. Sorry, forgot them. Never mind Sir. (Not) available license P 417. Keep your expired license Sir bcs we don't know when the new ones arrive. Polite, helpful, clean and very few costumers. For those interested: Licenses applied for in January/Febr this year can be collected now.

 

I renew mine on Cebu this year and the costs are the same and also 3 month waiting time :-)

 

Drug test? Must be part of Dutertes crazy war on drugs, afair they ditched those a few years ago. Didn't need that when I renewed in January in QC. Got the new card on the spot back then.

 

Dumaguete never dropped the requirement for the drug test. Several other places haven't dropped it either. Maybe the law states that a drug test is not required but doesn't say that a locality can't impose one if they choose to do so.

 

Just took gf to get her " learners license " . Drug test required . 150p . When I renewed mine at Robs Mall a month ago , I paid much more !

 

Your other option is to get an international permit (USA) thru AAA auto club. Good for several years and several countries cost $20, no drug test must have valid state license. Search in AAA.COM
You don't have have membership,in AAA.

 

I think they just didn't get the memo:
LTO to stop mandatory drug testing starting tomorrow (June 28)

Looks like plans are under way to simplify renewal, possibly turning it into an online application, and extending validity to 5 years: 5-year driver's license available nationwide before 2017

“If you have no violation, citation, and you have done nothing illegal, your renewal would be technology-dictated. Physical presence in LTO or LTFRB would no longer be required,”

We will see.

 

As far as I know such an international license is still just valid for 90 days maximum stay in the Philippines.

 

Actually, they have a limited supply of licences, or they had. If you tell them that you are going abroad, they will issue you one, which they did for me. I was going to Thailand. If stopped by the police in Thailand I would probably be ok, any ASEAN licence is supposed to be accepted in any other ASEAN country, but not all police know that, but an expired licence and a piece of paper - I don't think so!

 

As has been stated many times before, the international driving license is useless unless your drivers license is from a non english speaking country. All the international license does is translate your drivers license. Since the Philippines uses english for their driving license, you don't need a translation for your foreign english speaking license. Even with the international license, you can only legally drive for 90 days. You might as well show your foreign license if it is in english and never show your acri card or passport unless someone asks as those are all that will give you away unless you blab.