There is a lot of confusion about who can actually take your driver’s license during a traffic stop. The DILG has been very clear: local traffic enforcers are strictly prohibited from confiscating your license. Even if you’ve committed a violation, an LGU enforcer in Makati—or anywhere else in the Philippines—cannot legally take your physical card. That authority belongs only to the LTO and their officially deputized agents. Knowing this simple rule is your best defense on the road.
Why One Rule for Everyone is Better
The DILG has been very clear: the power to take a driver’s license is a serious matter that needs to stay centralized. As Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. pointed out, if every town and city in the country had the power to seize licenses, the result would be total chaos on the road.
Think about it—if every municipality operated under its own rules, you’d never know if your license was safe. One city might take it for a minor slip-up, while another doesn’t. This would lead to huge inconsistencies, potential abuse, and a massive headache for drivers who would have to travel all over the place just to get their IDs back from different local offices.
By keeping this power strictly with the LTO and its authorized agents, the system stays fair and consistent for everyone. This "one-rule" approach makes traveling between different cities much easier, as you won't have to worry about a new set of rules every time you cross a boundary. Since your driver’s license is a national ID, it only makes sense that it’s managed by a national agency.
Imagine mo papanhik ka ng Baguio. Nahuli ka bandang Mandaluyong, nakuha lisensya mo. So from Mandaluyong papuntang Baguio wala kang lisensya. Dala mo ‘yung ticket ng Mandaluyong. What if ‘yung ticket na ‘yun hindi irecognize ng Tarlac, Pampanga, lahat ng dadadaanan mo, Pangasinan or ng ibang LGU? (Imagine if you are going to Baguio and your license got confiscated in the area of Mandaluyong. So from Mandaluyong to Baguio you do not have a license. You only have the ticket issued in Mandaluyong. What if your ticket is not recognized in Tarlac, Pampanga, all of the provinces that you will pass through, in Pangasinan or other LGU?),’ —Abalos said.
I fully agree with the DILG on this. Keeping the authority to take licenses with the LTO isn't about looking down on local enforcers; it’s about making sure the law is applied the same way everywhere. When the rules are clear and uniform, drivers in Makati or anywhere else in the Philippines don’t have to play a guessing game.
Knowing exactly what to expect during a traffic stop makes the roads a lot less stressful. It cuts out the confusion and helps prevent those heated arguments between drivers and enforcers, which eventually makes the roads safer for everyone.
Letting every local city make its own rules about your license would just lead to a mess of confusing regulations. Instead, following one unified national law ensures that everyone is treated fairly. It’s the best way to keep things transparent and make traffic management work effectively for all of us on the road.
- AutoDeal. (2022, September 21). [Scanned copy of DILG memorandum on the "RREITERATION OF PERTINENT PROVISIONS ON ROAD SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION"]. Retrieved from https://d1hv7ee95zft1i.cloudfront.net/custom/blog-post-photo/gallery/dilg-memo-license-confiscation-632ad62e1cffc.jpg
- Santos, J. (2022, September 23). LTO lauds DILG memo on confiscation of erring motorists' license [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/23/lto-lauds-dilg-memo-on-confiscation-of-drivers-license-of-erring-motorists/
- AutoIndustriya.com. (2022, September 21). DILG to LGUs: Only LTO can confiscate driver's licenses [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.autoindustriya.com/auto-industry-news/dilg-to-lgus-only-lto-can-confiscate-driver-s-licenses.html
