President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has enacted a new law modifying the “Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act,” officially known as Republic Act (RA) 11235, bringing several significant changes, including reduced penalties and streamlined registration processes for motorcycle owners.
Signed on May 9, RA 12209 introduces multiple amendments, including a stricter timeline for motorcycle registration. Owners must now register their motorcycles with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) within five days of acquisition. Additionally, any subsequent sale or transfer of ownership must be reported to the LTO—either in person or online—within five working days of the transaction.
The updated law also mandates that the new owner must complete the transfer of ownership within 20 working days. The LTO, upon clearance from the Highway Patrol Group, is required to issue the Certificate of Registration within two working days.
Penalties for non-compliance with registration requirements have been significantly lowered. The previous fine, ranging from P20,000 to P50,000 or imprisonment, has been reduced to a maximum of P5,000. The new law also prohibits seizure of a motorcycle solely due to the buyer’s failure to meet these registration requirements.
Motorcycle dealers now have an obligation to report repossessed units to the LTO and provide an annual status report on these units.
Changes to Section 5 of the law also require motorcycles to have larger, color-coded, and readable number plates. The fine for drivers without proper number plates has been reduced to a maximum of P5,000, a significant drop from the previous range of P50,000 to P100,000 or jail time. No seizure will be made if the owner can present proof of registration and is not at fault for the missing or unreadable plate.
Further adjustments include a reduced penalty for failing to report lost number plates—now set at a flat fine of P5,000 instead of up to P50,000. Tampering with plates, misusing them, or trading tampered plates will result in imprisonment ranging from six months to two years or a fine of up to P10,000, or both.
