The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has issued new implementing guidelines. These include clarifying the 15-working-day settlement period for traffic violation fines and changing the protocol when apprehending traffic violators.
The guidelines, issued under Memorandum Circular No. MVL-2026-4846, implements the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Transportation Memorandum Circular No. 2026-001, which it released on January 9, 2026. The memorandums are intended to better define how the settlement period for traffic violation fines is counted under Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01 (JAO 2014-01) in a bid to address long-standing differences in interpretation and enforcement among traffic authorities.
Under the new rules, the 15-day settlement period is explicitly defined as working days, beginning from the date of apprehension. Saturdays, Sundays, declared non-working holidays, and days when government work is suspended are excluded from the count. The LTO said the clarification is intended to give motorists sufficient and reasonable time to settle fines without facing unnecessary penalties.
Another key change in the circular is the removal of on-the-spot license confiscation upon apprehension. Instead, drivers with unsettled violations will have their licenses placed under alert within LTO systems. Motorists who settle their fines within the 15-working-day period will be considered fully compliant and will not face license suspension.
Failure to pay fines within the 15-working-day period will result in the automatic suspension or revocation of the driver’s license within 30 days, as stated under JAO 2014-01. This comes on top of the driver’s obligation to still pay all corresponding fines and penalties.
The LTO has allotted a 15-working-day transition period for the issuance of the new circular to allow for system configuration and operational adjustments. The agency made it clear that the new rules will apply only to apprehensions made on or after the effectivity date. Meanwhile, cases applied before the effectivity date will follow the rules in place at the time of apprehension.
The memorandum was signed by LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Markus V. Lacanilao, with strict implementation ordered across all LTO offices and law enforcement units nationwide.
