# Driver license question



## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

When getting a Philippine driver license, do you have to surrender your foreign one or can you keep it as well?


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Manitoba said:


> When getting a Philippine driver license, do you have to surrender your foreign one or can you keep it as well?


You keep your foriegn license.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Gary D said:


> You keep your foriegn license.


You can do it 2 ways. You can surrender old license and trade it or supply birth cert,,brngy clearance and take written test and just keep old license. I have both usa and philippines license


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## HondaGuy (Aug 6, 2012)

You probably already know this, but do NOT use a fixer; there is an excellent chance that the license they will give you is fake. Just go to the LTO office and do it yourself and make sure to get the little computerized receipt. That is your proof that your license is real.


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## overmyer (Aug 15, 2013)

lefties43332 said:


> You can do it 2 ways. You can surrender old license and trade it or supply birth cert,,brngy clearance and take written test and just keep old license. I have both usa and philippines license


Bacolod City LTO did not make me surrender my US license! But maybe it's because I was here on a Balikbayan visa status at the time.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

overmyer said:


> Bacolod City LTO did not make me surrender my US license! But maybe it's because I was here on a Balikbayan visa status at the time.


I was also,,just read lto website for what its worth.


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

You should not have to surrender your foreign driver's license. If they asked me too I would refuse. There is no grounds for this to get a Philippine Driver's license issued. You are not allowed to use your home country Driver's license after 90 days anyway. I would keep it current if at all possible (for trips home).


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

When I got my Philippines license I showed them my USA (California) license and was not required to take any test. They never ask to keep it and I do not know anyone that was asked.


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## George6020 (Apr 18, 2014)

When I got my Phil driver's license, they give you a quick eye exam, you give urine sample, dictate to an official your personal info while they fill out the form, pay the fee............then wait in line. You will receive a Non-Professional DL, request endorsements of 1,2,3...........for driving motorcycles, cars, and trucks. Its best to get these endorsements NOW, even if you don't have any intention other than your own car.


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

George6020 said:


> When I got my Phil driver's license, they give you a quick eye exam, you give urine sample, dictate to an official your personal info while they fill out the form, pay the fee............then wait in line. You will receive a Non-Professional DL, request endorsements of 1,2,3...........for driving motorcycles, cars, and trucks. Its best to get these endorsements NOW, even if you don't have any intention other than your own car.


I stand corrected! a urine test is required and also person information.


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

So the short answer, like everything else here is, it depends.

Depends on the person serving you and what they had for supper last night
Depends on time of day
Depends on phase of the moon, the tide how the stars align in the sky, the weather and most importantly it depends on if the date is an odd number or an even number.

I'll go apply and if asked refuse to surrender it and will say I need it for driving in other countries that do not recognize Phil licence, I have to turn it in myself or pay a fine at home, want to keep it as a spare ID card just in case etc...

I will give them my International Driving license if necessary since that expires in a month or so and is only a piece of paper issued by the Auto Club that translates my Canadian license anyway

If an issue I'll simply walk away and return in a month or go somewhere else until I get a Phil license and can keep my Canadian license.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

Manitoba said:


> So the short answer, like everything else here is, it depends.
> 
> Depends on the person serving you and what they had for supper last night
> Depends on time of day
> ...


Yup,,,anyone who lives in pinas knows that so well...


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## HondaGuy (Aug 6, 2012)

Mcalleyboy,

Yes, sorry, I meant the fixers outside the LTO compound. I remember my first trip to get my license a few years ago and my taxi was swarmed by 8-9 of those guys all wanting to "help" me. They even tried to help me cross the street to show me where to go for the urinalysis and "health check".

I havent gotten a traffic ticket there yet (knock on wood). How much of a pain in the *<Snip>* is that getting it taken care of?


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## overmyer (Aug 15, 2013)

George6020 said:


> When I got my Phil driver's license, they give you a quick eye exam, you give urine sample, dictate to an official your personal info while they fill out the form, pay the fee............then wait in line. You will receive a Non-Professional DL, request endorsements of 1,2,3...........for driving motorcycles, cars, and trucks. Its best to get these endorsements NOW, even if you don't have any intention other than your own car.


Urine sample is no longer required.


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

overmyer said:


> Urine sample is no longer required.


Reads like maybe so at the LTO office you go to, who knows if you go to another!


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## George6020 (Apr 18, 2014)

Manitoba said:


> So the short answer, like everything else here is, it depends.
> 
> Depends on the person serving you and what they had for supper last night
> Depends on time of day
> ...


The short answer is............NO, do not surrender your DL.......only show for ID purposes.


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

HondaGuy said:


> I havent gotten a traffic ticket there yet (knock on wood). How much of a pain in the *<Snip>* is that getting it taken care of?


Admittedly it's been 30 yrs since I've been pulled over by a PI cop, but each time they eventually referred to some policeman's fund I could contribute to and avoid the ticket. Cost me $3 in AC and $5 in Manila.

The AC incident happened after a mid shift and my wife wanted to go to the market. I jumped in the car with only shorts and flip flops on to run her down there, and the cop was ticketing me for no shirt and no shoes as 100s of jeep and trike drivers drove by dressed the same as me LOL


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

cvgtpc1 said:


> Admittedly it's been 30 yrs since I've been pulled over by a PI cop, but each time they eventually referred to some policeman's fund I could contribute to and avoid the ticket. Cost me $3 in AC and $5 in Manila.
> 
> The AC incident happened after a mid shift and my wife wanted to go to the market. I jumped in the car with only shorts and flip flops on to run her down there, and the cop was ticketing me for no shirt and no shoes as 100s of jeep and trike drivers drove by dressed the same as me LOL


Much easier to get license now.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

cvgtpc1 said:


> Admittedly it's been 30 yrs since I've been pulled over by a PI cop, but each time they eventually referred to some policeman's fund I could contribute to and avoid the ticket. Cost me $3 in AC and $5 in Manila.
> 
> The AC incident happened after a mid shift and my wife wanted to go to the market. I jumped in the car with only shorts and flip flops on to run her down there, and the cop was ticketing me for no shirt and no shoes as 100s of jeep and trike drivers drove by dressed the same as me LOL


Same will happen today except the *fine* will be about P1,000. Don't ya just love how freedom and democracy works here? Hahaha..


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## SublationUSAF (May 29, 2014)

cvgtpc1 said:


> overmyer said:
> 
> 
> > Urine sample is no longer required.
> ...


According to the LTO website it says a urinalysis is required. However, if you look at the date on that documentation it is 2012. In June of 2013 a law was passed removing the drug test.

http://m.sunstar.com.ph/?url=http:/.../05/no-more-drug-tests-says-lto-7-326747#2805


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## cream (Jul 2, 2014)

I spend 120 days in the Philippines each year and ride a motorcycle there daily. 

legally I am supposed to have a Filipino drivers license after 90 of those days have passed. 

but I have never bothered going to any LTO office to get one. Because out of all the many times, I have been asked for my license at Filipino cop road blocks, I have never been asked to produce my passport once. In fact I have never been asked to produce my passport at any time, in the Philippines ever, except at the Bureau of Immigation. As far as driving is concerned, just my Euro driving license, is enough, although yes I do pay the UK pounds sterling equivalent of about 9 dollars to get an International Driving Permit on top, as well to make it look better. If it was like $30 to get an International Driving Permit for a year, instead of less than $10, I would not bother wiith that, either.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

cream said:


> I spend 120 days in the Philippines each year and ride a motorcycle there daily.
> 
> legally I am supposed to have a Filipino drivers license after 90 of those days have passed.
> 
> but I have never bothered going to any LTO office to get one. Because out of all the many times, I have been asked for my license at Filipino cop road blocks, I have never been asked to produce my passport once. In fact I have never been asked to produce my passport at any time, in the Philippines ever, except at the Bureau of Immigation. As far as driving is concerned, just my Euro driving license, is enough, although yes I do pay the UK pounds sterling equivalent of about 9 dollars to get an International Driving Permit on top, as well to make it look better. If it was like $30 to get an International Driving Permit for a year, instead of less than $10, I would not bother wiith that, either.


You might be able to get by without a local license as long as nothing happens. However, in most places in country if you have any type of accident you will find yourself over your head in red tape and *costly* legal issues. This is to say nothing of any injuries if they should occur and the problems it will cause you.
It is ill advised to avoid or circumvent the law when visiting any foreign country. The result can be more than unpleasant especially in a 3rd world country such as the Philippines..


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Philippine License easy to obtain*



cream said:


> I spend 120 days in the Philippines each year and ride a motorcycle there daily.
> 
> legally I am supposed to have a Filipino drivers license after 90 of those days have passed.
> 
> but I have never bothered going to any LTO office to get one. Because out of all the many times, I have been asked for my license at Filipino cop road blocks, I have never been asked to produce my passport once. In fact I have never been asked to produce my passport at any time, in the Philippines ever, except at the Bureau of Immigation. As far as driving is concerned, just my Euro driving license, is enough, although yes I do pay the UK pounds sterling equivalent of about 9 dollars to get an International Driving Permit on top, as well to make it look better. If it was like $30 to get an International Driving Permit for a year, instead of less than $10, I would not bother wiith that, either.


You can have a Philippine license in one day, once you've filled out and completed all the requirements if you don't want to make it a full day process...ask one of the clerks there for a trusted fixer to get it for you and come back at closing time to pick it up, tip him 200 peso's. 

I was stopped once for not wearing a helmet but luckily I was still on active duty and leaving in a couple days (President Bush was here at the time)so I didn't have to go to court "Oh boy" you don't want to get stuck dealing with a court here. Nothing better than being legal when things take a turn for the worst or you need to get out the Philippines in a hurry, courts work very slowly here, some cases take years.


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

Jet Lag said:


> You might be able to get by without a local license as long as nothing happens. ,,,,,, This is to say nothing of any injuries if they should occur and the problems it will cause you.
> .......


I have heard of medical in surance carriers refusing coverage because you were engaged in an illegal act of sdriving without a license.

Get the license and it is good for 3 years and would be easy to renew after that to stay legal.


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## esv1226 (Mar 13, 2014)

Manitoba,
The salesman who sold us our car accompanied us to get insurance and our local drivers' license. He said he wanted to make sure nobody would rip us off. Lunch was on us.


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## cream (Jul 2, 2014)

Jet Lag said:


> You might be able to get by without a local license as long as nothing happens.


if I lived in the Philippines full time instead of a third of the time yes I would get a license especially if I was living in one place the whole time, instead of perpetually moving around, which is what I do when I am there. There is never any chance of a cop spotting me and thinking to himself, hey that kano has been here longer than 90 days, I know that, because it is December now and I saw him in June. That won't happen, when the cop who spots me in December is in Ozamis city, when I was not in Ozamis city in June, but Bacolod. 

I just don't think that when I do not need a Filipino license anyway, for stays less of than 90 days that not bothering to get one for the last 30 days I am there, is a substantial risk They just never ask to see your passport at road blocks, and I have been stopped at at least 15-20 over the years. They take your word for it, when you tell them that you have only been there a month or two. 

though I have never bothered with a Filipino license, I have noticed talking to Filipinos that the cost of driving licenses varies quite a bit in different LTO's. For example it costs about 800 pesos less to get a license in CDO, than it does in Iligan. So people who live in a municipality roughly equidistant between the two cities, will go to the CDO one to get their license. 

_I have heard of medical insurance carriers refusing coverage because you were engaged in an illegal act of sdriving without a license._

last December I came off a 125 and fractured my shoulder, went to Chong Hua Hospital and had an operation running up a 60,000 peso bill. The insurance company paid up a few months later, however the accident happened well within the 90 day period after arrival, when a foreigner does not need, a Filipino driving license. As to whether they would have paid out had I been past the 90 days, I think they probably would have paid out anyway. They were not interested, in any Filipino driving license. All they were bothered about when I was making a claim, was that my UK license covered me to drive a motorcycle.


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## cvgtpc1 (Jul 28, 2012)

cream said:


> last December I came off a 125 and fractured my shoulder, went to Chong Hua Hospital and had an operation running up a 60,000 peso bill. The insurance company paid up a few months later, however the accident happened well within the 90 day period after arrival, when a foreigner does not need, a Filipino driving license. As to whether they would have paid out had I been past the 90 days, I think they probably would have paid out anyway. They were not interested, in any Filipino driving license. All they were bothered about when I was making a claim, was that my UK license covered me to drive a motorcycle.


Sorry if you've already mentioned this in a previous thread, what insurance company is this?


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

cream said:


> .......
> 
> last December I came off a 125 and fractured my shoulder, went to Chong Hua Hospital and had an operation running up a 60,000 peso bill. The insurance company paid up a few months later, however the accident happened well within the 90 day period after arrival, when a foreigner does not need, a Filipino driving license. As to whether they would have paid out had I been past the 90 days, I think they probably would have paid out anyway. They were not interested, in any Filipino driving license. All they were bothered about when I was making a claim, was that my UK license covered me to drive a motorcycle.


They might not really care for a 60 000 p bill, Simply not cost effective to look into it very closely. However since you were legal on your UK license, they may have checked on the time in the Philippines using the date that you started your coverage. Had you been covered for more than 90 days they they might have asked for your Philippine license or denied coverage.

Get a medical bill near the policy limits and it would be cost effective to look into it.

For the small sum, not worth the risk, even if the risk is small, IMHO.

I want to live here and be legal here.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

cream said:


> if I lived in the Philippines full time instead of a third of the time yes I would get a license especially if I was living in one place the whole time, instead of perpetually moving around, which is what I do when I am there. There is never any chance of a cop spotting me and thinking to himself, hey that kano has been here longer than 90 days, I know that, because it is December now and I saw him in June. That won't happen, when the cop who spots me in December is in Ozamis city, when I was not in Ozamis city in June, but Bacolod.
> 
> I just don't think that when I do not need a Filipino license anyway, for stays less of than 90 days that not bothering to get one for the last 30 days I am there, is a substantial risk They just never ask to see your passport at road blocks, and I have been stopped at at least 15-20 over the years. They take your word for it, when you tell them that you have only been there a month or two.
> 
> ...


One very good reason (if no other) for having a Philippine license is this:

If ever involved in ANY traffic accident, even a minor fender bender, the PNP have the legal right to and will pull and hold your license (foreign or domestic) until the case has been resolved completely. If say, you are days or weeks from flying out of the country you will need your license from you home country when you get home. Better by far to surrender your Philippine license.

Case in point:

Having served many years here on the Brgy Police one case stand clear in my mind. An American foreigner and personal friend of mine had a motorcycle accident here in town. Clearly and by any reasonable thinking he was not at fault in the accident. However, the Philippines being what it is; he was found at fault and his California license was pulled. 
As fate would have it, he was two weeks away from returning to the sates and HAD to have his licence. So, he had to pay through the nose to make the problem go away and have his license returned.
If he had possession of a Philippine license he would have likely (knowing him) given them a one finger salute and walked.

At any rate, we all do things for our own personal reasons. But to me, just being (and living) here is enough of a risk in and of itself without adding possible serious and costly problems to it...


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## cream (Jul 2, 2014)

Jet Lag said:


> One very good reason (if no other) for having a Philippine license is this:
> 
> An American foreigner and personal friend of mine had a motorcycle accident here in town. Clearly and by any reasonable thinking he was not at fault in the accident. However, the Philippines being what it is; he was found at fault and his California license was pulled.
> As fate would have it, he was two weeks away from returning to the sates and *HAD to have his licence.*[


HAD to have his license? 

just why, exactly, did your friend need his driving license as if it was a vital organ? Like as if it were like pair of lungs, that he needs to breathe with? He doesn't need it to get on any plane, or to get past an immigration control. Neither is it compulsory for somebody to have to drive a motor vehicle, just because they are in the United States. Some people manage to do without having a driving license at all in the USA, their whole lives long, without coming down with some crippliing deadly disease.

what was to stop your friend from just going back to the states and applying for a replacement driving license when he got there, by saying that he lost it?

who would care, in that situation, if some Filipino barangay police department 8,000 miles away had their US driving license?

I am not American but in the UK you do not really need a physical driving license to carry around on your person at all times anyway. There is no law obliging you to do so. If you have ID like a passport and you get stopped by the UK police they can check your license details on the computers they have in every squad car. They can tell if you are qualified to drive, how many 'points' you have on your license and so on without examining the document itself. 

if some Filipino cop took my UK driving license for some reason and I had to be on a plane back home in 2 weeks, I would not be concerned at all.

I'd just think so what. I'll just have to at some point shell out about $30 or whatever it is on a replacement UK license when I get back.

as it happens I have two UK photo driving licenses both of which would pass muster at a normal Filipino road block. I have a 'spare' photo license, just in case I lose one. Because I need a physical driving license in the Philippines in a way in which I don't in the UK. If you get stopped in the UK by the police and you don't have your driving license on you, that is not a problem. But if you are stopped in the Philippines by the police and you don't have a driving license on you, then that it IS a problem.

if the Philippines was like Thailand and when you as a foreigner are stopped by the police, they ALWAYS look at your passport, then I definitely would get a Filipino license to cover me for the last 30 days I am there after the 90. 

but the Philippines is not like Thailand in this respect and the Filipino police NEVER ask to see your passport at road blocks. The only place I have ever been asked to produce my passport in the Philippines, anywhere, is at Bureau of Immigration offices.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Remembering that this forum is NOT a place for protracted debates, but rather for information, assistance, and camaraderie; it would seem that the answers to all or most of your questions are or would be self evident.
All that can be done here is to inform of what is needed and why. If you choose to not follow the law in this or any other foreign country you will only have yourself to blame in the event of any accidents or issues.

With that I wish you the best of luck. You'll need it. And this thread is :closed_2:...


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