Driver’s licenses expiring from January to March gets extended validity

The start of the year has been tough as local COVID-19 cases began increasing dramatically once again. As of this writing, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 17,220 new COVID-19 cases, which is one of the highest ever recorded since the disease first broke out in the country last March 2020.

LTO grants driver's license validity extension

That said, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) made consideration when it comes to expiring driver’s licenses. The government agency announced that driver’s licenses expiring in January get extended validity until March 31, 2022. Expiring licenses in February have been extended until April 30, 2022. Lastly, those that are due in March have been granted an extension until May 31, 2022.

Included in the validity extension are Student Permit, Driver’s License, and Conductor’s License. LTO also decided to extend Medical Certificates which are a requirement for renewing licenses. This way, motorists won’t have to revisit their preferred LTO-accredited medical clinic and get retested which can be time-consuming.

In related news, plate numbers ending in “1” get extended validity until February 28, 2022, for their motor vehicle registration. They are advised to renew their car registrations in January 2022 to avoid last-minute transactions in February.

Be advised

Some LTO offices will remain open to accommodate motorists, while some will be closed for COVID-19 related concerns such as swab testing of employees and disinfection. Everyone who plans to visit any LTO office is advised to follow the minimum health and safety protocols including the wearing of face masks and observing social distancing.

Health experts predict that the number of COVID-19 cases is still expected to rise especially now that there are reported cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant in the country. As such, the motoring public should always standby for the latest announcement from LTO to avoid inconvenience on the road.

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