Renewing My Driver's License

[MikeB]

My license is expiring next month on my birthday so I thought I would share my experience renewing it. I also needed to change my address on the license since it was incorrect.

 

I arrived at the Carcar LTO about 9:20am yesterday. Parking is in a dirt field across from the office, cost p20 (as you leave). 1st stop is at the medical office for drug test. They are still doing the drug test, at least in Carcar. Also, B/P and eye test (if required). The medical office is small and cramped; in other words, typical. But it does have a/c. They take a urine sample to test for methamphetamine and/or tetrahydrocannabinol. The B/P test consists of asking "What is your blood pressure?" If you don't know I assume they take it but while I was there everyone already knew (hint, 110/80). The eye test consists of them asking if you wear glasses, if you say no - no test. If you say yes (I did) - you take a test. You pay the fees (below) and they give you paperwork to take outside. That part of it took about an hour and a half.

 

Outside are rows of plastic seats facing about a dozen windows. You see a man at a desk and he gives you a form to fill out, then return to him. He signs it and you take it to one of the windows, then wait for your name to be called. I checked the Renewal and Change of Address boxes and filled in all data. I was called to one of the windows and had my picture taken and did my signature. Waited some more then was called to the cashier's window to pay. I asked her if my address had been changed and she said no. She took the forms over to the "Examiner" and he called me over and explained that he had overlooked my Change of Address and he was sorry. I asked him to please correct it and he said it wasn't possible because it had already been processed and I would have to come back another day to do the change of address. I paid for the renewal and went back to my seat. A few more minutes and I was called and handed my new license. When I checked the address it had my current, correct address. I took it back to the Examiner and he looked at it, shrugged, and smiled. This part of it took about an hour. I left about 11:40am.

 

Urine Screening - p300

Rest of tests, processing - p100

Plastic license holder (optional) - p40

Renewal fee - p417.63

Parking - p20

 

Altogether a little under p900 and about 2 1/2 hours. I did not notice any fixers and the employees were friendly. Even though the "medical office" was small and cramped I would take it over Mandaue any day. There was a uniformed, provincial police officer w/gun going through the driver's license renewal just in back of me. He waited in the same lines and went through the same exact procedure as everyone else. He was still there waiting when I left. I thought that was unusual.

[jon1]

 I paid similar costs at the LTO in Olongapo last year. The same in Mindanao the time before that. Both places only took me about 20 minutes to flow thru the same process without an issue. I find that doing business around 1-3pm seems to be faster. I think the locals are taking siestas then.

[Thomas]

How many years is a drivers licence valid there (I mean if not needed to change because of changed adress)?

[MikeB]

How many years is a drivers licence valid there (I mean if not needed to change because of changed adress)?

Expires the 3rd year on your birthday.

[Thomas]

 

How many years is a drivers licence valid there (I mean if not needed to change because of changed adress)?

Expires the 3rd year on your birthday.

Oh that short!  In Sweden it's 10 years. Perhaps Phils officials don't want to get fees that seldom...   :)

[MikeB]

Update:

From the article I can't understand who wanted and who didn't want the drug test (sounds like neither) but it is officially terminated.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2014/02/05/no-more-drug-tests-says-lto-7-326747?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SunStarCebu+%28Sun.Star+-+Cebu%29

[jpbago]

Update:

From the article I can't understand who wanted and who didn't want the drug test (sounds like neither) but it is officially terminated.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2014/02/05/no-more-drug-tests-says-lto-7-326747?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SunStarCebu+%28Sun.Star+-+Cebu%29

Journalism here is often confusing. I will read an article 2 or 3 times and still don't know if the good guy shot the bad guy or was it vice versa. The news, Patrol, is part English so I watch but then they change the language leaving me hanging as to what happened. If I can find the same article in 2 or 3 papers, then I get it.

[Mike S]

Update:

From the article I can't understand who wanted and who didn't want the drug test (sounds like neither) but it is officially terminated.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2014/02/05/no-more-drug-tests-says-lto-7-326747?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SunStarCebu+%28Sun.Star+-+Cebu%29

 

Guess region 7 is gonna join the rest of the Philippines ..... :hystery: :hystery: :hystery:

:cheersty: