Transfer of Vehicle Ownership at LTO: Deed of Sale
Land Transportation Office · vehicles
Quick answer
LTO's transfer of ownership is a miscellaneous registration transaction. Its published total processing fee is ₱60, with an inspection fee of ₱50.00 below 4,500 kgs GVW or ₱75.00 above. Total processing time is 4 hours and 5 minutes. A deed of sale older than one month adds ₱150.
Every figure on this page is from Land Transportation Office's own published documents.
Last verified 2 sources, listed below
Motor Vehicle Citizen's Charter 20251 · Motor Vehicle services2. PHGuides is independent and not affiliated with LTO.
LTO treats a change of owner as a miscellaneous registration transaction, not as a new registration. Its statute is Republic Act No. 4136, it is classified as a Simple transaction, and it is available at all Authorized District and Extension Offices between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Everything below is from LTO’s Motor Vehicle Citizen’s Charter 2025, the document its own Motor Vehicle services page publishes.
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total processing fee for the transaction | PHP 60 |
| Inspection fee, vehicle below 4,500 kgs GVW | ₱50.00 |
| Inspection fee, vehicle above 4,500 kgs GVW | ₱75.00 |
| Late application, deed of sale exceeds one month | ₱150.00 |
A transfer done promptly on a light vehicle therefore runs ₱110.00 in charter fees, and the same transfer on a deed more than a month old runs ₱260.00. Both totals are addition on the charter’s figures rather than amounts LTO prints as totals.
Total processing time is 4 hours and 5 minutes.
The standard checklist
Five items apply to every transfer.
- PNP-HPG Motor Vehicle Clearance certificate, one original copy, from the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group Motor Vehicle Clearance Division.
- Duly accomplished Motor Vehicle Inspection Report, one original copy, from an LTO District or Extension Office.
- Proof of electronically transmitted insurance Certificate of Cover for Third Party Liability, one original copy, from an accredited insurance company.
- A valid government ID of both vendor and vendee, original presented and photocopy submitted.
- Confirmation of the Certificate of Registration, one photocopy with the original presented, if the CR was issued by an office outside the transacting District or Extension Office.
The original Deed of Sale is listed as the situational requirement that establishes the transfer itself.
Which IDs LTO accepts
The charter names these, for either party.
| Accepted government ID |
|---|
| Philippine Identification (PhilID) Card, Philippine passport |
| SSS Card, UMID Card, PhilHealth ID, TIN Card |
| Postal ID, Voter’s ID, Voter’s Certification, Barangay ID |
| PRC ID, Senior Citizen ID, Solo Parent ID, NCDA ID |
| OFW ID, OWWA ID, Seaman’s Book |
| GSIS e-Card, HDMF ID, GOCC ID |
| DSWD Certification, Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID |
The valid IDs guide covers how these are issued and which are hardest to replace.
When the seller is not a person
If the vehicle is registered to a partnership, sole proprietorship, corporation or organisation, the charter adds a Board Resolution and Secretary’s Certificate naming the signatory authorised to sell or dispose of the vehicle. For a vehicle still under bond it also requires an electronically transmitted Certificate of Payment from the Bureau of Customs.
Vehicles bought at a foreclosure or execution sale
Four situations get their own checklist, and they overlap heavily.
| Route | What the charter requires |
|---|---|
| Extra-judicial foreclosure | Sheriff’s Certificate of Sale; Cancellation of Chattel Mortgage stamped and signed by the Registry of Deeds; Certificate of Registration - Encumbered |
| Judicial foreclosure | The same three documents |
| Extra-judicial foreclosure before a notary public | Certificate of Sale from the notary public, plus the same cancellation and CRE |
| Sheriff’s sale on a final money judgment | Sheriff’s Certificate of Sale plus the CRE |
In every one of them, if the original CRE is missing, the charter accepts a certification that the original copy was not turned over at the time of sale, issued by the Sheriff.
The neighbouring transactions
The same Other Miscellaneous Fees table prices the changes people often make at the same visit, split by gross vehicle weight.
| Transaction | Below 4,500 kgs | Above 4,500 kgs |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer of ownership | ₱50.00 | ₱75.00 |
| Dropping purpose | ₱80.00 | ₱105.00 |
| Duplicate of CR or plate | ₱50.00 | ₱75.00 |
| Annotation or cancellation of mortgage | ₱50.00 | ₱75.00 |
| Change engine, colour or route | ₱50.00 | ₱75.00 |
| Change chassis or rebuilt | ₱90.00 | ₱115.00 |
| Change body design | ₱50.00 | ₱75.00 |
| Change denomination or classification | ₱90.00 | ₱115.00 |
| Substitution, for LTFRB use | ₱90.00 | ₱115.00 |
| Re-test if failed, or voluntary test | ₱40.00 | ₱40.00 |
What this page does not cover
The charter does not price the deed of sale itself, its notarisation, the insurance premium, or the PNP-HPG clearance, all of which are charged by someone other than LTO, so none is stated here. Capital gains tax does not arise on a vehicle sale the way it does on land, and this page makes no claim about the income tax treatment of a gain. The deed of absolute sale guide covers the notarisation rule for land, which is a different requirement under a different article of the Civil Code.
Related
The vehicle registration guide carries the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge and the plate-ending renewal schedule, the LTMS portal guide covers the online route, and the police clearance guide covers PNP clearances generally.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to transfer vehicle ownership?
- LTO's charter gives a total processing fee of ₱60 for the transfer transaction itself, plus an inspection fee of ₱50.00 for vehicles below 4,500 kgs GVW or ₱75.00 above that weight. If the deed of sale is more than one month old, a late application fee of ₱150 is added.
- How long does the transfer take?
- The charter's own total is 4 hours and 5 minutes, and offices run 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. That is counter time for the transaction, not the time to gather the PNP-HPG clearance and insurance beforehand.
- What is the penalty for a late transfer?
- The charter lists it under Possible Fees as Late Application, where the deed of sale exceeds one month, at 150. So the clock starts from the date on the deed of sale, not from when you get around to going to LTO.
- Do I need a PNP-HPG clearance?
- Yes. A Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group Motor Vehicle Clearance certificate, one original copy, is the first item on the standard checklist. It is also required for a change of engine, chassis, colour or body configuration, together with the corresponding affidavit.
- Is a deed of sale for a motorcycle different?
- The requirement is the same document. LTO asks for the original deed of sale as the situational requirement that establishes the transfer, whatever the vehicle. The inspection fee splits on weight, not on vehicle type, so a motorcycle falls in the ₱50.00 band.
- What if the vehicle was bought at a foreclosure sale?
- The charter has separate checklists for extra-judicial and judicial foreclosure, and for a sale under a final money judgment. Each needs the Sheriff's Certificate of Sale, the Cancellation of Chattel Mortgage stamped and signed by the Registry of Deeds, and the Certificate of Registration - Encumbered, or a certification that the original CRE was never turned over.
- Does transfer of ownership renew the registration?
- No. It is a miscellaneous registration transaction, separate from renewal. Renewal still runs on the plate-ending schedule and carries its own Motor Vehicle User's Charge.