LTO Lost License and Plate Replacement 2026: Requirements, Affidavit, and Fees

This LTO lost license replacement guide covers what to do when the card in your wallet or the plate on your vehicle goes missing or gets damaged: the documents to prepare, the affidavit of loss, the step-by-step process at the LTO, the fees to expect, and what to do while you wait for the replacement. It also covers lost plate replacement in the same guide, because the two problems share the same first steps — a sworn statement, a report where theft is involved, and a visit to the right LTO office — even though the offices and the final documents differ.

Start with the most important rule. A replacement is not a renewal and it is not a new license. A replacement duplicate keeps the expiry date of the license you lost, and a replacement plate carries the plate number of the vehicle you already own. If your license had already expired before you lost it, you cannot get a duplicate: you go through renewal instead, with the renewal requirements and fees applying. Knowing which of those two tracks you are on saves a wasted trip, because the counters, forms, and fees are different.

LTO Lost License Replacement: What You Need Before You Go

For a lost driver’s license, the core document set is short. Prepare these before you travel to the LTO:

• A notarized affidavit of loss, stating when, where, and how the license was lost. Notarization typically costs ₱100 to ₱250 at a notary public, law office, or notary service, and you should get at least two copies: one for the LTO and one for your own records.
• At least one valid government-issued ID with your photo and signature, original plus photocopy. A passport, PhilSys national ID, SSS or UMID card, or postal ID all serve, provided the photo and signature are clear.
• The LTO Application for Driver’s License (ADL) form, fully filled out. The form is available free at the LTO customer service counter and through the LTMS portal.
• If the license was stolen rather than simply misplaced: a police blotter entry from the nearest police station. A blotter is not always strictly mandatory for a simple misplacement, but it is strongly recommended for theft, because it creates an official record that protects you if the lost card is misused.
• If the license was damaged rather than lost: the mutilated card itself, plus an affidavit of mutilation instead of an affidavit of loss. You surrender the damaged card to the LTO officer as part of the transaction.

Two conditional items catch people out. First, a medical certificate is not normally required for a straightforward duplicate of a still-valid license, but it may be requested if your record shows an issue or if your case is being processed as a renewal rather than a duplicate. Second, outstanding violations on your record should be settled first, because an unsettled violation can hold up the transaction. Check your record in the LTMS portal before you go, and read our LTMS portal guide if you need help checking it.

LTO Lost License Replacement: Step by Step

The process is handled at LTO district offices and extension offices. Note one office exception that matters: LTO Driver’s License Renewal Centers (DLRCs) inside malls are generally not the offices that process license replacements, even though they handle renewals. Go to a district or extension office for a replacement, or confirm with your chosen office first that it accepts replacement transactions.

1. Prepare the affidavit of loss. Draft the affidavit with the facts: your full name, the license details you remember, and when, where, and how the license was lost. Sign it before the notary, who affixes a seal and signature. Keep a photocopy for yourself, because the original goes to the LTO.
2. File a police blotter if theft is involved. Go to the nearest police station, report the loss or theft, and secure a certified copy or reference for the blotter entry. This step is quick and it is the record you will want if anyone misuses the lost card.
3. Fill out the ADL form. Complete the Application for Driver’s License form with your personal details and the transaction type (duplicate or replacement). Double-check the spelling of your name against your valid ID, because a mismatch between the form and your ID is a common reason for delay.
4. Submit at the LTO office. Present the affidavit, your valid ID with photocopy, the filled-out form, and the police blotter or damaged card where applicable, at the public assistance desk. The desk checks completeness, then forwards your papers to the evaluator for validation against your LTO record.
5. Pay at the cashier. Pay the assessed fees at the official cashier only, and keep the official receipt. The fee total for a lost-license replacement is commonly reported around ₱400 to ₱600, with one detailed third-party breakdown placing it at about ₱472.63 across replacement, duplicate, certification, clearance, and computer charges. Published fee listings also show a duplicate license fee line of around ₱225, but that line alone is not the total. Your official receipt is the exact figure for your case.
6. Wait for release. Some offices release the replacement card the same day; others take a few days, depending on card stock and record verification. If same-day release is not possible, the office issues an interim document or receipt that serves as your proof of transaction while you wait. Ask what document you will carry in the meantime and until when it is valid, and do not drive without valid authorization in the gap.
7. Check the replacement before you leave. When you receive the card, check that your name, license number, and expiry date match your original license. A replacement duplicate keeps your original expiry date, so an expiry date that looks different from your original is worth questioning at the counter before you leave, not days later.

If Your Lost License Had Already Expired

This is the fork in the road that decides your whole transaction. A duplicate is only available for a license that was still valid when it was lost. If the license had already expired, the LTO treats your case as a renewal, not a duplication, and the renewal track applies:

• You need a medical certificate from an LTO-accredited clinic.
• You need the CDE Online Validation Exam certificate if you are renewing, which is free through the LTMS portal.
• You pay the renewal fee (₱585 for a non-professional license, commonly reported at ₱757.50 for a professional license) plus the applicable late-renewal penalty for how long the license has been expired.
• If the license expired more than two years ago, re-examination applies, including the written and practical steps of the renewal track.

If you are unsure whether your lost license was still valid, check your LTMS record or ask the evaluator at the office before you pay anything. Paying a duplicate fee for a case that turns out to be a renewal wastes the visit, because the two assessments are different. The full renewal procedure, including the expired-license tiers and penalties, is explained in our guide to driver’s license renewal requirements.

Damaged License: A Shorter Variation

A damaged license follows the same office visit but with a different affidavit and one extra physical step. Instead of an affidavit of loss, you prepare an affidavit of mutilation describing how the card was damaged. You bring the damaged card itself and surrender it to the officer, who records the surrender as part of the transaction. The fee pattern is the same as for a lost license, and the replacement keeps your original expiry date.

Do not keep using a damaged card that is unreadable at checkpoints, and do not laminate or tape over a damaged card in a way that hides its security features. If the card is cracked, peeling, or unreadable, treat it as damaged and replace it: a card that cannot be verified is not a reliable proof of license, even if you still physically hold it.

Lost Plate Replacement: Documents and the Mother Office

A lost plate is a vehicle transaction, not a driver transaction, and it goes to a different desk: the LTO district or extension office where the vehicle is registered, often called the mother office. Going to a random branch with a plate problem can mean being redirected to the mother office, so confirm the registering office from your Certificate of Registration (CR) before you travel.

Prepare these documents for a lost plate:

• A notarized affidavit of loss for the plate, stating the plate number, the vehicle details, and when, where, and how the plate was lost. Notarization typically costs ₱100 to ₱250, and some guides report up to ₱500 depending on the notary.
• A police blotter entry or report, especially if theft is suspected. The blotter protects you if the lost plate is misused on another vehicle.
• The original Certificate of Registration (CR) and the latest Official Receipt (OR) of registration, plus photocopies. If the CR or OR is also lost, apply for duplicate copies first (duplicate CR and duplicate OR are each listed at ₱30 in published fee listings) before the plate transaction can proceed cleanly.
• A valid government-issued ID of the registered owner, original plus photocopy. If the vehicle is financed, an encumbrance clearance or lender document may also be requested.
• In some regions or cases, a clearance from the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) to confirm the vehicle is not on a wanted or alarm list, plus a vehicle inspection report (MVIR) with stencil verification of the engine and chassis numbers.

The inspection step surprises many owners. The LTO needs to confirm that the vehicle in front of them is the vehicle on the record, and that the plate is genuinely missing rather than simply removed. Bring the vehicle to the inspection, and bring the remaining plate if only one of the pair is lost, so the inspector can verify the pair.

Lost Plate Replacement: Step by Step

1. Report and notarize. File the police blotter where theft is involved, then have the affidavit of loss notarized with the full plate and vehicle details. Keep copies of both documents.
2. Go to the mother office. Visit the LTO district or extension office where the vehicle is registered, with the vehicle itself, your CR and OR, your ID, and the affidavit and blotter.
3. Submit for evaluation. Present the documents to the registration section. The evaluator checks the record, any alarm or encumbrance, and the inspection result, and prepares the assessment.
4. Pay at the cashier. Pay only at the official cashier and keep the official receipt and claim stub. Published fee listings show a motor vehicle plate line item of ₱450, with smaller handling and clearance lines, and current guides place a typical lost-plate replacement total roughly between ₱450 and ₱1,000. That range is a third-party estimate, not an official total: your assessment controls, and it can be higher if inspection, clearance, or an overdue registration is added to the same visit.
5. Secure the temporary plate authority. While the replacement plate is being produced, the LTO may issue an Authority to Use an Improvised or Temporary Plate. Follow the current specifications for that temporary plate exactly — size, font, and layout — because an improvised plate that does not follow the specification can still draw an apprehension for improper plate display.
6. Wait for production and claim the plate. Third-party guides commonly report 7 to 15 working days for straightforward plate replacement, longer when alarm clearance or an old record check is involved. Return on the date on your claim stub, inspect both plates before leaving the office — plate number, security features, and physical condition — and install them promptly.

Lost OR or CR: The Document You Need First

Losing the plate is often tangled with losing the papers, because the plate transaction needs the CR and OR. If you have lost the CR or OR, or both, the fix is a duplicate document application at the registering office: a notarized affidavit of loss for the document, your valid ID, and the duplicate fee for each document (each listed at ₱30 in published fee listings, plus computer and legal research lines on the assessment).

Get the duplicate documents first, then proceed with the plate transaction, rather than trying to run both in a single confused visit. The same principle applies in reverse: if you lose your license card but keep your LTMS record, the record check at the office is straightforward, because the LTO can verify you from its own system. If your registration is also due, see our guide to car registration renewal.

Driving and Traveling While You Wait

The gap between losing a license or plate and receiving the replacement is where most people make mistakes. For a lost license, do not drive on the strength of the affidavit alone unless the LTO office has given you a document that authorizes you to drive in the meantime. An affidavit of loss proves you reported the loss; it is not, by itself, a license. Ask the office exactly what you may carry and drive with during the wait, and follow that answer rather than a guess from a social media post.

For a lost plate, do not drive with a hand-painted plate that has no authority behind it. The Authority to Use an Improvised Plate is the document that makes a temporary plate lawful, and it must follow the current specification. If you have no such authority yet, keep the vehicle off the road until you do, because a vehicle without a lawful plate display can be apprehended even when the loss itself was promptly reported.

In both cases, keep copies of everything: the affidavit, the blotter, the assessment, the official receipt, the claim stub, and the temporary authority. Photograph them and store the photos separately from the originals, so that a second loss does not leave you starting from zero. And monitor your records while you wait: a lost license or plate that is misused can generate a violation or alarm against your name, and catching that early through the LTO tracker page or your LTMS account is far easier than disputing it months later.

Preventing the Next Loss

A few habits make a repeat replacement unlikely. Photograph both sides of your license card and both plates, and store the photos in a place you can reach even if your wallet or phone is the thing that is lost. Keep the original CR and OR in a safe place at home, and carry photocopies for ordinary travel unless an office or officer specifically requires the originals. Note your plate number, MV file number, engine number, and chassis number in the same safe place, because those are the numbers every replacement form asks for, and hunting for them after a loss is what turns a one-visit fix into a multi-visit one.

For plates specifically, check the plate screws and frame periodically. Plates most often go missing not through theft but through vibration, a loose frame, or a car wash, and a plate that is loose today is a plate that is gone after the next long drive. A few minutes with a screwdriver is cheaper than an affidavit, a blotter, and a replacement fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to replace a lost driver’s license at the LTO?
A notarized affidavit of loss, a valid government-issued ID with photo and signature, and the filled-out Application for Driver’s License form. Add a police blotter entry if the license was stolen, and the damaged card plus an affidavit of mutilation if it was damaged rather than lost.

How much does a lost license replacement cost?
The total actually paid is commonly reported around ₱400 to ₱600, with one detailed breakdown placing it at about ₱472.63 across replacement, duplicate, certification, clearance, and computer charges. Add the notarization fee of typically ₱100 to ₱250. Your official receipt at the branch is the exact figure.

Can I get a duplicate if my license already expired?
No. A duplicate is only for a license that was still valid when lost. If it had already expired, you go through renewal instead, with a medical certificate, the CDE exam, the renewal fee, and any late-renewal penalty that applies.

Does a replacement license keep the same expiry date?
Yes. A replacement duplicate keeps the expiry date of the license you lost. It does not extend your validity, which is why an expired license cannot be duplicated.

Where do I replace a lost plate?
At the LTO district or extension office where the vehicle is registered (the mother office), with the vehicle itself for inspection. Bring the affidavit of loss, police blotter where theft is involved, CR and OR, and your valid ID.

How much does a lost plate replacement cost?
Published fee listings show a motor vehicle plate line item of ₱450 plus smaller handling and clearance lines. Current guides place a typical total roughly between ₱450 and ₱1,000, but that is a third-party estimate; your branch assessment controls, and inspection, clearance, or overdue registration can add to it.

How long does plate replacement take?
Third-party guides commonly report 7 to 15 working days for straightforward cases, longer when alarm clearance or an old record check is needed. While waiting, use only an Authority to Use an Improvised Plate issued by the LTO, following its current specifications.

Can I drive with just an affidavit of loss?
An affidavit proves you reported the loss; it is not by itself a license or a plate authority. Ask the LTO office what interim document authorizes you during the wait, and drive only with that document.

What if I lost my CR or OR as well?
Apply for duplicate CR or OR first at the registering office, with an affidavit of loss for the document and your valid ID. Each duplicate is listed at ₱30 in published fee listings, plus smaller assessment lines, and the duplicate papers are needed before the plate transaction proceeds cleanly.

This LTO lost license replacement guide compiles procedures and fees reported by current third-party guides and published LTO fee listings as of October 2026. Procedures, offices, and fees vary by branch and case, so confirm the exact requirements and assessment at your LTO office before transacting. This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Land Transportation Office.