LTO: Report sale of motorcycle, transfer of ownership ASAP

LTO: No plates yet, but transfer of ownership provision now enforced

Using a motorcycle that's not under your name? Time to transfer ownership.

While the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will not yet require front number plates, other provisions of the Doble Plaka Law will be enforced. According to LTO Executive Director, Romeo Vera Cruz, riders should sort out their registration issues.

One of the provisions of the said law only gives 3 calendar days for the seller to report the sale of the motorcycle, while the new owner has only 5 calendar days to complete transfer of ownership.

“Meron mga ibang provisions na nakasaad sa batas na ini-implement na natin (There are some provisions of the law that we are implementing),” said Vera Cruz during the interview with Edwin Go of the motorcycle radio talk shaw, Motorsiklo Xklusibo. The LTO executive director made it clear that sellers only have 3 days to report the sale of their motorcycle to the LTO, while the new owner has 5 days to transfer the registration of the motorcycle to his or her name.

“Meron din mga individual na nagbebenta ng motorsiklo. Ganun din. They have to submit the complete documents sa sale within 5 days from the sale. (There are also individual sellers of motorcycles. The same applies. They have to submit the complete documents within 5 days of the sale).”

“Ngayon, nandoon din sa batas, na yung vendor, or previous owner, nasa batas na irereport nya yung sale within 3 days. (It's also in the law that the seller or previous owner must report the sale within 3 days).”

Under Section 4 of the Republic Act 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, authored by Senator Richard Gordon and co-authored by Senator Tito Sotto (signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte), a new owner of a motorcycle is required to register his or her motorcycle within 5 days of acquisition, while the seller or previous owner, has only 3 days to report such sale by presenting an original copy and furnishing a machine copy (photocopy or scanned copy) of a notarized Deed of Sale to the LTO office where the latest Certificate of Registration (CR) was issued.

The penalty for non-compliance is outlined under Section 7. If the new owner has failed to transfer the ownership of the newly-acquired motorcycle under his or her name within 5 calendar days from acquisition of ownership, the owner is subject to a penalty of imprisonment of up to 6 months (arresto mayor) or up to 6 years (prisión correccional); or a fine that is no less than PhP20,000 but not more than PhP50,000.

These penalties also apply to the seller, should he or she fail to report the sale of a motorcycle with the LTO. In more extreme cases, failure to comply with Section 4 could also result in both imprisonment and paying the fine.

If the motorcycle was acquired through a dealer, it is that motorcycle dealer's task to register the motorcycle with the LTO within 5 days.

“Dapat gawin yan within 5 days. Yung pag-submit ng mga dealers, sa mga sales report nila, that will be considered.( Dealers should submit their sales reports within 5 days. That will be considered).”

In light of the new provision, Edwin Go, president of the Motorcycle Dealer's Association of the Philippines (MDAP), advises new motorcycle owners to be patient. He recommends they wait until the registration documents are released before getting the motorcycle from the showroom.

“Ang [bagong] owner meron din responsibilidad yan. Huwag kunin ang motorsiklo sa dealer hanggat hindi registered.”