The Land Transportation Office (LTO) told lawmakers on Monday that it has fully cleared its long-standing backlog in motorcycle and motor vehicle license plates, marking a major turnaround in one of the agency’s most persistent supply issues.
LTO Executive Director Martin Ontog reported before the House Committee on Transportation that as of May 20, 2026, the agency no longer has any remaining backlog for motorcycle plates, replacement plates, and new motor vehicle plates.
Ontog said the situation marks a dramatic shift from 2022, when the agency was dealing with millions of delayed plates.
“For the information of this honorable committee, the updates on motor vehicle and motorcycle plates as of June 30, 2022, are the following: in 2022, there was a backlog of 11,410,046 motorcycle plates; for replacement motor vehicle plates, 2,391,598 pairs; and a backlog of 245,975 pairs of motor vehicle plates,” Ontog said.
He told lawmakers that the backlog has now been reduced to zero, partly due to the reclassification of over 1.7 million previously identified “inactive” or “junk” plates.
“According to the status of these backlogs, as of May 20, 2026, as we can see in the presentation, Mr. Chair, there are no more remaining backlogs,” he added.
Ontog also reported that the LTO’s current plate supply is now supported by deliveries from its winning supplier, ensuring continued production and distribution.
“For motorcycle blank plates, they have already delivered 568,770 pieces, and we have 425,100 pieces on hand,” he said, adding that additional motor vehicle plates are still being completed and delivered.
He further said that the agency is also no longer experiencing shortages in driver’s license cards, with sufficient inventory projected to meet demand for the rest of 2026.
The announcement comes after years of public frustration over delayed plate releases, a problem that had been flagged in Commission on Audit reports and congressional inquiries since the mid-2010s.
COA had previously noted that millions of replacement plates paid for by motorists in 2015 were still undelivered years later, contributing to long-standing congestion in the system.
The LTO said its current status reflects improvements in production capacity and inventory management, including expanded operations at its plate-making facility.
Lawmakers have yet to issue further recommendations following the agency’s latest report.
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