If you’re planning to secure a driver’s license in 2021, you need to obtain a student’s driving permit first; It’s the first step towards your goal of driving legally on the roads of the Philippines. While you can always ask your nearest LTO office for guidelines in applying for a student’s driving permit, most of the time, the offices are busy and full of never-ending queues. You definitely don’t want to spend half of your day asking how the application or registration process works. That said, here’s a short guide you need to know if you’re a first-timer.
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1. Undergo a medical exam at an LTO-accredited clinic
There’s no going around it; a medical exam is required before you can even apply for a student’s driving permit. Having a medical certificate means you are fit to drive. The catch is — your medical certificate needs to come from an LTO-accredited clinic. However, the good thing is that these clinics are usually found near an LTO office, and they’ll tell you where to go and guide you on what to do.
2. Prepare to pay fees; bring extra cash
Aside from the student’s driving permit fee, you also need to pay for your medical fee. We can’t say for sure how much it’ll cost you, but you may want to prepare extra cash on you just to be sure. LTO cashiers usually accept cash only unless stated otherwise. However, you shall not spend over Php2000 during this process.
3. Student’s driving permit expires after a year
Once you pass the tests and pay for the fees, you only have to wait for the student’s driving permit to be issued on the same day. The permit will expire after a year. However, you can apply for a non-professional license between one month up to a year after the issuance date of the student permit. For a professional license, you can apply between six months up to a year after the issuance date of the student permit.
4. Don’t get fined for driving with a student permit
It goes without saying — never drive WITHOUT a professional driver with you if you only have a student permit. Unless you want to get fined for violating this rule, we suggest driving once you passed the driving test and successfully claimed your non-professional driver’s license.
Make the road safe for you and others; apply for a student’s driving license and driver’s license from LTO offices only.
