DISCLAIMER : i have no intent for harming norclaiming any of this topic , future ideas only.
I just wanna share this very informative topic of Mr. Edrian Madriaga of Valiant solutions on how to get a Non- Professional Driver's license as I'm planning to get drivers license in the future .
So, you’re ready to get a Non-professional driver’s license, but don’t know how to get started? Or you’ve read several guides, but still uncertain on what you need to prepare?
Fear not, for I’m here to save you from your misery.
Forget the fixers, and do it yourself. Prove to the world that you’re worthy to be a licensed driver…and besides, you can get your license pretty fast these days.
To give you an idea, I managed to get my non-professional driver’s license after 5 hours. Actually, it should have taken me less than 3 hours had I arrived a little earlier (that lunch break slowed things down for me!). Well then, let’s get started with the difference between a professional driver’s license vs a non-professional driver’s license.
The Difference Between Professional Driver’s License vs. Non-Professional Driver’s License
A professional driver’s license entitles you to drive a vehicle for a living (pampasada). It gives you the privilege to drive public utility vehicles (PUV) such as jeepneys, tricycles, taxi, etc. (which depend on your restriction codes — more on this later) and/or be a hired driver for somebody.
A non-professional driver’s license is perfect for you if you will only drive private vehicles (the ones with green plates), and have no plan of using your driving skills for a living.
In this guide, we’ll only be dealing with people who want to opt for a non-professional driver’s license.
Things You Should Have Before Applying for a Non-Professional Driver’s License:
1. You should already have a student permit from LTO, which is at least one month old.
So you’re saying you don’t have a student permit yet? Proceed to your nearest LTO Regional Office. It should only cost you Php 318 and 2 -3 hours for the whole process. Computation are as follows:
APPLICATION FOR NEW STUDENT PERMIT
2. You should already know how to drive.
“Duh! That’s so obvious Edrian! Why bother reminding us that?” Well…hold your horses right there, and let me explain. Ever heard of people who are licensed without driving? With the help of stubborn fixers, and careless driver wanna-be’s, it’s a sad fact that a lot of people get licensed without actually knowing how to drive. NEVER attempt to be one of them.
You can brag all day about being licensed even without the skills to drive, but you may only get caught in an accident…and even worse…get yourself killed. A very foolish risk. You’re not worthy to be on the road without any driving knowledge.
What to do if you do not know how to drive yet
If you’ll be driving a car, I encourage you to enroll yourself on a driving school.
It’s a great investment for a lifetime skill, believe me. Oh, & by the way, you don’t need to spend that much on a driving school. If you’re a fast learner like me (pardon the bragging right there
) I only enrolled for a 3 hour driving course (worth Php 1,500) and learned everything I need to know. Things like: How to park, how to use the stick shift, when & how to use the clutch, how to do a maneuver, how to drive on an uphill, how to drive on crowded streets, troubleshooting, etc.
If you’re really on a tight budget, just ask a professional driver, or any of your friends/relatives/family members with a professional driver’s license to teach you how to drive. For best results, provide them with a
merienda.
3. Make Yourself Familiar with the Road Signs, Traffic Rules, and Best Practices for Driving
Get ready for an exam! This step is necessary in order for us to do well on the road. Every applicant for a Non-Professional driver’s license needs to undergo an exam to make sure you avoid trouble to yourself, and others, on the road.
IMPORTANT: Don’t take chances! If you fail the exam, you’ll have to wait for
6 months
30 days before you may apply for a non-professional driver’s license again (yikes!). You’ve got to get at least 30 out of 40 items right. This reviewer should help you get started:
4. Have Your
Drug Test
& Medical Examination Results On Hand
IMPORTANT:**You should do this at the same day when you plan to file your license application**
Before you may proceed on filling-up a driver’s license application form, you’ll be required to get a
drug test
& medical examination. Prepare at least Php 500 for this process, and make sure you deal only LTO accredited clinics. The whole process might take you about 20 minutes to 1 hour max.
The cost of the
drug test
& medical examination may vary for each establishment.
It cost me a total of Php 300 for the drug test
, Php 100 for the medical examination.
If you don’t know where to get your drug test and medical examination, head to your nearest LTO Regional Office and you should find one near the area. Or just ask somebody…it won’t hurt to ask.
Side note: The drug test made me a little uncomfortable. It hasn’t occurred to me that I’ll be asked to pee on a little container, fill it up while the doors are opened, in plain view of the nurse. Well…you get the idea (Glad they let me turn my back on them while doing this thing!).
5. Have a Driver’s License Application Form Filled-Up Beforehand (Optional)
Would you like to expedite the process of getting your driver’s license? Great. Then fill-up a
“Driver’s License Application Form” (click the link, then scroll to the bottom & find the “Driver’s License Application Form” to download the form).
Having a filled-up form before heading to your nearest LTO Regional Office will save you some time than filling-up on the LTO Regional office itself…and you get to study the form and be more accurate in filling-up the details.
How to Fill-Up the Non-Professional Driver’s License Application Form
Most of the details are self-explanatory, but for now, let’s focus on the things that seems complicated for some.
You only need to check “A” as this would be a new application.
“Type of License Applied For”
Make sure you check Non-Professional, or you’ll start messing up your form with erasures.
“Driving Skilled Acquired”
You can check one, or both of them if you’ve been taught thru a driving school and by a licensed private person. No big deal here.
Restriction codes tell about which kind of vehicles you may drive. So make sure you know which category your vehicle belongs to.
For Non-professional driver’s license, you may choose restriction code 1, 2, or 4 or both 1 and 2.them. In short, you’re only restricted to drive light vehicles like motorcycle, sedans, SUV’s, etc. (up to 4,500 kgs. only)
To make it simpler for you, just check restriction codes 1 and 2, and you’re good to go. Period.
If you need to drive a vehicle above 4500 kgs. (mini trucks, trailer trucks, bus, etc.), you’d need a professional driver’s license, and a lot of driving skills for these heavy vehicles
.
The LTO Driver’s License Application Process
With the
drug test
and medical exam results on hand, you’re now ready to begin the actual Non-Professional Driver’s License application process.
1st Step – Present your filled-up application form, drug test, and medical exam results to the initial LTO Evaluator.
The evaluator will make sure you have filled-up your application form right and validate your
drug test
& medical exam results. You will then be provided to sign an oath to be a good and responsible driver (and I think we all should really be!). You’ll then be provided with a color-coded number. Just hold on to it.
2nd Step – Wait for your number to be called, and submit your documents to the corresponding person
3rd Step – Get ready for a photograph (say cheese!)
After submitting your documents, and some minutes waiting in line, a photographer will call you by your name, and you’d be asked to seat on the photo booth. Time to smile in front of the cam. If you know how to project your way on the cam, you’d be looking really well on your non-professional driver’s license. If not, you’ll be stucked with your wonky shot for a couple of years
.
4th Step – Pay for the application & computer fee at the Cashier
After the photo session (and I hope you look well on that shot), you’ll be called by the cashier. Pay for your the application fee and computer fee (P167.63, which is then rounded off to 168).
5th Step – Go on and take the written exam
Assuming that you reviewed well before the exam, this should take you less than 15 minutes.
If you really didn’t have the time to review before the exam, you may request for a reviewer inside the examination room before taking the exam.
6th Step – Take the Driving Test
Head on to the driving test examiner, and show them the skill you’ve got! A few, excellent laps on the track should be enough to show your skills. After that, pay for the driving test fees (I paid Php400 — I have no idea if that is the standard rate for driving tests). After passing the driving test, you’re finally ready to get your non-professional driver’s license!
7th Step – Bring all the documents back to the evaluator, and wait for your name to be called
8th Step – Pay the license fee & computer fee at the cashier
This is the last payment that you’ll need to pay. The combined license fee plus computer fee (Php 350 + Php 67.63) would cost you Php 418, which is your payment for the license card itself. Then sit for a while, while waiting for your license to be printed out.
9th Step – Claim your license, and off you go
Finally! Congratulations, my fellow driver. Just keep in mind that you should bring your driver’s license every time you drive…and bring along the official receipt too ALL THE TIME.
So, let’s see the total cost you may expect:
TRANSACTIONS COST
Drug Test Php 300.00
Medical Exam Php 100.00
Application fee + Computer Fee Php167.73
Driving Test Fee Php 400.00
License Fee + Computer Fee Php 417.63
Total cost : 1,385.26
Revised cost : 1,085.26
UPDATE: According to Republic Act # 10586, there will
be no more drug test required for all driver’s applications & renewals. That’s more savings for you.
Hmm..not a bad investment at all for a privilege to drive your own vehicle. All in all, getting a driver’s license in the Philippines is fairly easy. Just put on a little patience for the whole process, a budget of Php1,500 to ensure you won’t run short, and a pledge to be a responsible driver.
I hope you found this post valuable.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
My student license is expired. Can I renew it so I can apply for a non-pro license?
When your student license/permit has expired already, you only have one option left: Get a new student permit, because student permits are NON-RENEWABLE. After you acquired your new student permit, wait for it to mature for 30 days, then you can proceed with the steps outlined in this blog post.
Can I apply for a non-professional license even if I don’t know how to drive?
Thank you for your question. First of all, you should be kicked really hard by somebody so you’d come to your senses. What on earth is your purpose for getting a non-professional driver’s license in the first place, if you don’t even know how to drive!?
Secondly, it’s either you cause an accident on the road, get yourself killed, or be one of those stupid idiots who don’t know the road rules. There are so many morons out there already…PLEAAASEE, I beg you to refrain from joining them. You’d do the whole world a favor. :c
Learn how to drive, and learn the road rules. Passing the actual driving test should be pretty easy. And what’s more? That knowledge is something you’d make use of in your lifetime.
Does the examiner provide the vehicle I’ll be using for the drive test?
Yes. There should be a vehicle provided. If none, then check your examiner. He must have taken it home! lol.
What are the qualifications before I can apply for a non-pro license?
For those who ask about their eligibility to apply for a non-pro license, these are the qualifications you ought to know…
1. Must be at least seventeen (17) years old.
2. Must be physically and mentally fit to operate a motor vehicle.
3. Must not be a drug user or alcoholic.
4. Must be able to read and write in Filipino or English.
5. Must be clean, neat and presentable (wearing of sando, playing shorts and slippers during photo-taking and examinations will not be allowed).
P.S. If you want to clarify some things, or add some more info in the discussion, or if you just want to say your thanks & praises (Thanks in advance!), then please use the comment box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
>>>>ALL COMMENTS ARE SUBJECT FOR APPROVAL. For those with questions, please see to it that you have read the whole post. I will be expanding this FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS as time goes on.
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