LTO sets maximum medical exam fee at P300 

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has set a cost cap for the medical examination fee that’s required for student permits, conductor’s licenses, new driver’s licenses, and driver’s license renewals. The most one will have to pay for the service is now limited to Php 300 per transaction.  

The announcement regarding the medical exam fee price cap from LTO's official FB page

According to Jayart Tugade, who recently resigned as LTO Chief, the old medical examination fee which ranges from Php 500 to Php 700 is just too expensive for ordinary citizens. There were also numerous reports and complaints about how pricey it was.  

Tugade also added that the Php 300 maximum prescribed rate for the medical examination fee was recommended after a study and several consultations with concerned parties. It was likewise determined that accredited clinics and health facilities found in violation of the directive would be slapped with penalties.  

For the first offense, an erring medical facility will have its accreditation suspended for 90 days. It will also have to pay a penalty of Php 10,000. Second offenders will then face a 180-day suspension and a Php 15,000 penalty, while third offenders will be stripped of their accreditation indefinitely.  

The new medical exam fee price cap makes the process of getting or renewing a driver's license a whole lot cheaper

This directive from the LTO will be effective 55 days after the related memorandum circular will be published in the national newspapers, or when a certified copy is filed at the Office of the National Registry at the University of the Philippines Law Center Diliman, Quezon City.  

Reducing the medical fee follows the LTO’s mission of making its services more affordable. The agency previously implemented standard rates for driver school fees. It even held a free theoretical driving course this month (May 2023).  

The agency likewise announced that it is studying ways to shorten the driver’s license test to stave away fixers.  

As previously reported, Tugade will be stepping down as LTO chief. That said, the implementation of a Php 300 price cap for the required medical examination is one of his last projects as the agency’s head.  

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