09/01/2026
𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝟏𝟓-𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆-𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐍𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄 𝐏𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐎𝐓𝐑 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐌 𝐂𝐈𝐑𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐑 𝐍𝐎. 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔-𝟎𝟎𝟏
In line with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Transportation Memorandum Circular No. 2026-001 dated 9 January 2026, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has issued implementing guidelines under Memorandum Circular No. MVL-2026-4846 to standardize the interpretation and reckoning of the settlement period for traffic violation fines under Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 2014-01. A key provision included in these guidelines is that driver’s licenses will not be confiscated at the time of apprehension.
The circular establishes the fifteen (15)-day settlement period as working days, reckoned from the date of apprehension and excluding Saturdays, Sundays, declared non-working holidays, and days when government work is suspended. This adjustment provides motorists with clear and reasonable timelines to process payments without unnecessary penalties.
Timely settlement within the prescribed 15 working days will be considered full compliance with JAO 2014-01 and will not result in license suspension. Instead of confiscation, licenses of motorists with unsettled violations will be placed under alert in LTO systems. Failure to settle fines within the period will trigger automatic suspension or revocation of the driver’s license for thirty (30) days, as provided under JAO 2014-01, without prejudice to the payment of corresponding fines and penalties.
A transition period of fifteen (15) working days from issuance has been allotted for system configuration and operational adjustments. The circular shall apply prospectively, governing only apprehensions made on or after its effectivity date; cases filed prior will follow rules in place at the time of apprehension. All inconsistent issuances, memoranda, or guidelines are hereby repealed or superseded accordingly.
The issuance is signed by LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Markus V. Lacanilao, with strict implementation directed to all LTO regional directors, assistant regional directors, district office heads, heads of Traffic Adjudication Service (TAS), and all law enforcement units and concerned personnel.