'Doble plaka' law revised: Single motorcycle plate, no RFID needed

‘Doble plaka’ law revised: Single motorcycle plate, no RFID needed

/ 02:59 PM January 14, 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Conferees of the bicameral conference committee tasked with amending the “Doble Plaka” law have agreed to recommend that motorcycles use single plates instead of two.

A bill amending the Doble Plaka law proposes that motorcycles have not only front and back license plates but also Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) stickers.

But after Tuesday’s bicameral meeting, the conferees decided to revise these provisions.

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Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sen. JV Ejercito outlined the key points of the reconciled Senate Bill No. 2555 and House Bill No. 11113 amending Republic Act No. 11235, also known as the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act.

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“Actually, the main provision is that the ‘doble plaka’ will now be reduced to just one plate because we currently have a backlog of about 9 million plates. It’s better for all motorcycles to at least have one plate rather than requiring two and failing to provide them.

“In terms of crime prevention, what’s more important is ensuring that all motor vehicles, especially motorcycles, have their plate numbers,” said Ejercito in a mix of Filipino and English.

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“But we retained the essence, right? The intention to deter the use of motorcycles for crime is still there, with imprisonment and fines remaining in place,” he emphasized.

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READ: Senate OKs bill amending ‘doble plaka’ law 

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Ejercito also explained that the panel agreed to remove the provision requiring motorcycles to have RFID stickers in front, along with other related provisions referencing the RFID requirement.

“According to the LTO, they are encountering problems, which are causing further delays. Our intention is to address the backlog,” Ejercito explained when he was asked why the provision on RFID was deleted.

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“The LTO itself said it is encountering problems with the RFID, and at the same time, they mentioned that the plate number alone is enough for enforcers to verify its authenticity and identification. That’s why, according to the LTO, we agreed to delete the RFID provision,” he emphasized.

Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, also present at the press conference, said the LTO is expected to realistically finish its plate backlogs by June 2026, considering that double plates will no longer be issued.

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“The initial commitment was June 2025, but the more realistic timeline for the LTO is June 2026. Their problem lies in distribution; they can produce the plates, but they struggle with delivering them to individuals,” Tolentino explained.

TAGS: motorcycle plates, RFID

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