Staring Monday, August 18 (or two months from its June 18, 2025 issuance date), all law enforcement officers and LTO deputized agents can apprehend vehicles which look unfit or unsafe to operate.

Per the guidelines, the LTO will be looking for “clearly defective parts” in vehicles plying the roads. These include:

• Broken windshields
• Exposed or hanging parts
• Bald tires
• Excessive emissions
• Major visible structural damage

Once the vehicle is found in violation, these vehicles cannot be operated on any public road and will have its registration suspended until the violating accessory or equipment is properly installed, corrected, or removed, and the required fine is fully paid.

In addition, these vehicles must pass the road worthiness inspection test through the LTO or any of its accredited Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers or MVICs. Only MVIC-certified inspection results shall be accepted. Manual or visual inspection will not suffice for compliance after apprehension.

Meanwhile, for vehicles with no plate numbers, it shall be physically impounded. A special permit, valid only for 72 hours, may be issued for the purpose of MVIC inspection.

Along with the compliance to the roadworthiness test, if the vehicle apprehended has no license plate, the owner must present the actual license plate issued. In case the license plate has not yet been claimed from the LTO, the owner must personally claim the license plate in the appropriate district office or provide proof that it has already processed the claiming of the license plate through the LTO tracker. Otherwise, the vehicle shall not be released, and the suspension shall not be lifted.

Check the memorandum below.