Driver's License Restriction Codes and DL Codes
Land Transportation Office · licences
Quick answer
LTO now issues DL Codes instead of Restriction Codes. RC 1 becomes A and A1, RC 2 or 4 becomes B, B1 and B2, RC 3 or 5 becomes C and D, RC 6 or 7 becomes BE, and RC 8 becomes CE.
Every figure on this page is from official published documents: Land Transportation Office and LawPhil Project.
Last verified 3 sources, listed below
Land Transportation Office | Citizen's Charter 2026 (1st Edition), driver's licence services1 · Land Transportation Office | Citizen's Charter2 · LawPhil Project | Republic Act No. 10930, driver's licence validity3. PHGuides is independent and not affiliated with LTO.
LTO has moved from Restriction Codes, the old numbers 1 to 8, to DL Codes, the letter system used on licences issued through LTMS. Both are still in circulation, which is why the charter prints them paired.
Everything below is from the LTO Citizen’s Charter 2026.
The mapping
| Old Restriction Code | New DL Code |
|---|---|
| RC 1 | A, A1 |
| RC 2 or RC 4 | B, B1, B2 |
| RC 3 or RC 5 | C, D |
| RC 6 or RC 7 | BE |
| RC 8 | CE |
Two old codes map to one new group in three of those rows. That is why a conversion is a service rather than a lookup: LTO decides which letter codes your old numbers become.
What you must already hold
Adding a DL code is not open to anyone. The charter sets a prerequisite for each, and for the heavier codes it is measured in years.
| DL Code | You must already hold | For at least |
|---|---|---|
| A or A1 | A driver’s licence | - |
| B, B1 or B2 | A driver’s licence | - |
| C | Professional DL Code B2 (RC 2) | 4 years |
| D | Professional DL Code B1 (RC 2) | 4 years |
| BE | B, B1 or B2 (RC 2) | 3 years |
| CE | C or D (RC 3) | 6 months |
For a change of classification from non-professional to professional, the charter sets different holding periods: a valid NPDL for at least 6 months for RC 1 / Codes A and A1, and a valid NPDL for at least 1 year for RC 2 or 4 / Codes B, B1 and B2. An expired NPDL means retaking the Automated Theoretical Examination and the Practical Driving Test.
Non-professional covers five codes
The charter defines a New Driver’s License (Non-Professional) as the privilege granted by LTO to operate motor vehicles under DL Codes A, A1, B, B1 and B2. Its qualifications:
- At least 17 years old, or 18 for foreigners.
- Able to read and write in Filipino and/or English.
- Holder of a Student-Driver’s Permit for at least 1 month from issuance.
- Passed the Practical Driving Course at an LTO Driver’s Education Center, an LTO accredited driving school, or an LTO accredited TESDA training center.
- Physically and mentally fit.
- No unsettled traffic violation.
- Passed the Automated Theoretical Examination and the Practical Driving Test.
The student permit guide covers the permit that 1-month clock runs from, and the new driver’s licence guide the application itself.
Demerit points hold you back
Even after you settle your fines, demerit points impose a waiting period before you can add a code or change classification. The clock runs from the date of settlement, not from the date of the offence.
| Demerit points | Period of prohibition |
|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | 3 months |
| 3 to 4 | 6 months |
| 5 or more | 1 year |
How long the licence itself lasts
Codes sit on a licence whose validity is set by RA 10930. Except for student permits, all drivers’ licences are valid for 5 years reckoned from the birthdate of the licensee, unless sooner revoked or suspended. A holder of a professional or non-professional licence who has committed no violation of RA 4136 or other traffic laws during that 5-year period is entitled to renewal for 10 years, subject to the restrictions LTO may impose.
So a clean record is worth 5 extra years on the card, and a single settled violation inside the period costs you that.
Converting an old licence
Services 24 and 25 in the charter are Enhancement of Driver’s License, walk-in and portal. LTO describes the service as updating a driver’s licence in the old format, using Restriction Codes, to the new layout in LTMS, transitioning the Restriction Codes to their equivalent DL Codes.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Who may avail | Any holder of a valid Philippine driver’s licence |
| Classification | Simple |
| Type | G2C, government to citizen |
| Hours | 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Statute | RA 4136 |
Services 22 and 23 handle the reverse and the adjustments around it: change of classification from professional to non-professional, change of clutch type, dropping of DL codes, and updating driving conditions.
Special purpose vehicles
Some vehicles need a professional licence matching the DL Code plus training certified at every renewal of the licence.
| Vehicle type | Certificate of training from |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | TESDA or accredited TESDA training centers |
| Firetruck | National Fire Training Institute |
| Armored car | Armored Services Association of the Philippines, or other related association |
| School service | Land Transportation Office, or LTFRB |
| Carrier of hazardous cargo | TESDA or accredited TESDA training centers |
The training is not a one-off. The charter requires compliance every renewal of the driver’s licence.
Driving outside your code
This is not a technicality with no penalty attached. LTO’s schedule of fines folds it into item 1a, driving without a valid driver’s licence.
Driving with an inappropriate driver’s license restriction code or an inappropriate driver’s license classification carries ₱3,000.00 and disqualification from the granting of a licence and from driving a motor vehicle for a period of 1 year.
The same item covers an expired, revoked or suspended licence and a fake one, so the wrong code is treated exactly as seriously as no licence at all. The violations and penalties guide carries the full schedule.
What this page does not cover
The charter maps the codes and sets the prerequisites but, in the pages read for this guide, does not print a plain-language table of which vehicle each letter code permits, the weight or seating thresholds behind them, or the fee for adding a code or for enhancement. None of those is stated here. The driver’s licence renewal guide carries the licence fees this site has verified.
Related
The new driver’s licence guide covers a first licence, the renewal guide the 5-year and 10-year validity, and the violations and penalties guide what an inappropriate code costs.
Frequently asked questions
- What replaced the old restriction codes?
- DL Codes. LTO's charter maps them directly: RC 1 becomes DL Codes A and A1, RC 2 or 4 becomes B, B1 and B2, RC 3 or 5 becomes C and D, RC 6 or 7 becomes BE, and RC 8 becomes CE.
- How do I convert my old licence?
- Through the Enhancement of Driver's License service, available walk-in or through the portal. LTO describes it as updating a licence in the old format, using Restriction Codes, to the new LTMS layout, transitioning the Restriction Codes to their equivalent DL Codes. You must hold a valid Philippine driver's licence.
- What does a non-professional licence let me drive?
- DL Codes A, A1, B, B1 and B2. The charter defines a non-professional licence as the privilege to operate motor vehicles under exactly those five codes.
- How long must I hold a licence before adding code C?
- You must be a holder of a Professional DL Code B2, the old RC 2, for at least 4 years. Code D has the same 4-year requirement but from Code B1. Code BE needs B, B1 or B2 for 3 years, and Code CE needs C or D for 6 months.
- Do unpaid violations stop me adding a code?
- Yes, twice over. You must not have an unsettled traffic violation at all, and demerit points impose a waiting period from the date you settle the fines: 3 months for 1 to 2 points, 6 months for 3 to 4 points, and 1 year for 5 or more.
- What happens if I drive outside my code?
- LTO treats an inappropriate restriction code or an inappropriate licence classification as driving without a valid licence, item 1a of its fines schedule. That is ₱3,000.00 plus disqualification from a licence and from driving for 1 year.
- Do I need extra training for an ambulance or school service?
- Yes. Special purpose vehicles need a professional licence matching the DL Code plus training certified at every renewal: TESDA for ambulances and hazardous cargo, the National Fire Training Institute for firetrucks, the Armored Services Association of the Philippines for armored cars, and LTO or LTFRB for school service.
- What age can I get a licence?
- At least 17 years old for a non-professional licence, or 18 for foreigners. Adding DL codes or changing classification to professional requires 18.