REPUBLIC ACT NO.

11235

AN ACT PREVENTING AND PENALIZING THE USE OF MOTORCYCLES IN

THE COMMISSION OF CRIMES BY REQUIRING BIGGER, READABLE AND
COLOR-CODED NUMBER PLATES AND IDENTIFICATION MARKS, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Question: What is the purpose of the implementation of RA 11235?

Answer: The rampant increase of assassinations and other crimes using

motorcycle vehicles is the root cause for the enactment of Republic Act No.
11235 (RA 11235) otherwise known as the Motorcycle Crime Prevention
Act. With this in mind and in furtherance of security and safety of the
public and crime prevention (Sec. 2 of RA 11235), additional and stricter
rules and regulations will now be applied to all motorcycle owners and
riders and other concerned government agencies such as the Land
Transportation Office (LTO) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), with
regard to registration of the acquisition of motorcycle vehicles, reportorial
requirements as to the sale and transfer of motorcycle, issuance of bigger,
readable and color-coded number plates, and the use or display of number
plates in both the front and back sides of a motorcycle.

Question: Is this the first law enacted under the preventing crimes
using motorcycle vehicles?

Answer: This is not the first instance where a law or regulation was
enacted under the pretext of preventing crimes using motorcycle vehicles.
Last August 2014, in the City of Mandaluyong, an ordinance was passed
banning “riding-in-tandem”. It only allowed motorcycle riding-in-tandem
where the backrider is a female, spouse, relative within the first degree of
consanguinity, and a child between seven (7) to ten (10) years of age.

Question: When did the RA 11235 take effect?

Answer: Republic Act No. 11235, signed into law on March 08, 2019.
However, a new memo from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is
suspending the implementation of RA 11235 until further notice. Provisions
of RA11235, or simply called Doble Plaka Law, will be suspended according
to the memo dated July 1, 2020. And to ease riders' worries, the LTO is
extending the the report of sale / transfer of ownership of motorcycles to
60 days.

Question: Who are covered by RA 11235?

Answer: Motorcycle owners with number plates not in conformity with the
provisions of the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, shall renew their
registration and apply for the required readable number plate not later
than June 30, 2019.

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Question: Does the RA 11235 also apply to cars (4 wheels)?

Answer: According to the old law, when you buy a new vehicle, it should
be transferred under your (new owner) name. But for RA 11235, only
motorcycles are subjected to penalties of 20 to 50 thousand pesos or jail
time or both.

Question: I bought my motorcycle before RA 11235 was signed into

law by President Duterte. Am I covered by this law?

Answer: Yes. All motorcycles are covered by this law.

Question: What are the Registration and Reportorial Requirements

mandated by RA 11235?

Answer: Motorcycle owners shall register his or her motorcycle with

the LTO within five (5) days from acquisition of ownership ( Sec.4 of RA
11235). The owner of a motorcycle shall also immediately report any sale
or disposition of his or her motorcycle to the LTO. In view thereof,
the LTO shall maintain a registry of motorcycle in a database to facilitate
information retrieval for official investigation and law enforcement
purposes. The registry shall contain relevant information of the owner, this
includes, but not limited to, name of the owner, motorcycle owner’s
driver’s license number, motorcycle owner’s address and contact details,
motorcycle identification number, motorcycle plate number, motorcycle
body color, or motorcycle brand/make ( Sec.6 of RA 11235).

Question: What are the new plate number requirements?

Answer: The new plates will bear a unique combination of alphanumeric

characters. The metal plate will measure 235mm in width, and 135mm in
height, made of suitable and durable aluminum substrate material with
reflectorized background and security features. The font size for all
alphanumeric characters is 60mm tall. [Section 5] The decal plate will
measure 135mm in width and 85mm in height, and made of suitable and
durable sticker material with reflectorized alphanumeric characters and
security features. The font of the alphanumeric characters is 40mm tall.
(May be subject to change) [Section 5] The contents of the number plates
shall be readable from both the front and back from a distance of at least
fifteen meters. All motorcycles shall have a rear plate light.

Question: What are the new plate number schemes?

Answer:
 Private Motorcycle – white background with color stripe (dependent on the
region) and black alphanumeric characters
 Public Utility Motorcycle – yellow background and black alphanumeric
characters

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  Government Motorcycle – white background and red alphanumeric
characters
 Diplomatic Motorcycle – white background and blue alphanumeric
characters

Question: When do we apply for the new plate?

Answer: Just follow your registration schedule. That's the time you will be
issued a new plate. For now, the temporary plate you are using should be
fine. Also, there is no need to install a temporary plate in the front of one’s
motorcycle awaiting for the new RA 11235-compliant plates.

Question: What will be the motorcycle owners’ action in case the plate
of the motorcycle is lost, damaged, or stolen?

Answer: In case the number plate or readable number plate of a

motorcycle is lost, damaged, or stolen, the owner of such motorcycle shall
immediately report the same to the LTO and the PNP through the
Joint PNP and LTO Operations and Control Center, and request a
replacement number plate (Sec. 11 of RA 11235).

Question: Can I use the motorcycle's Deed of Sale (DOS) as proof of

ownership at checkpoints?

Answer: No. The Deed of Sale is just an attachment for the motorcycle's
documents. It is just proof that a motorcycle's ownership has been
transferred to you.

Question: My motorcycle is registered under my relative (parent,

sibling, son/ daughter, family member, friend, etc.). Do I need to
update the registration under my name?

Answer: RA 11235 does not specify that you are prohibited from using a
motorcycle that is not registered under your name, but, you should be
able to prove that you are related to the registered owner. This is not a
problem if you are related to the owner, however, if the motorcycle is still
registered under the previous owner, you are subject to the law and its
provisions.

Question: The motorcycle I'm using is registered under the company I

work for. Do I need to register it under my name?

Answer: No. But you need to secure an Authorization Letter or Motorpool

Pass that certifies that the motorcycle you are using was loaned to you
and you must bring it all the time.

Question: My motorcycle is a “repo” (repossessed) unit and is still

registered under the previous owner. What do I do?

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 Answer: Talk to your motorcycle dealer. According to RA 11235, your
motorcycle's registration cannot remain under the previous owner's name.
The motorcycle dealer cannot keep the motorcycle under the previous
owner's name so that you will continue paying the loan. A new loan
agreement must be drafted and your name registered as the
(encumbered) owner of the motorcycle. If the dealer doesn't want to
cooperate, go to the nearest LTO office to file a complaint.

Question: What are the punishable acts under RA 11235?

Answer: