Can a color change affect my car's registration?

What will happen to your vehicle registration if you change your car’s color? It could be that you just want your car in another color, or have grown tired of your worn-out paint and want a different hue. 

However, don’t be so quick with that spray can or wrap. Changing your car’s color isn’t just a matter of getting a rattle can or going to the paint shop with a bit of money. Don’t forget that your registration also indicates your car’s color, so you need to make sure that that bit of information is accurate, lest you be stopped or questioned by authorities on why your Certificate of Registration says black when your car is actually white.  

This is probably the simpler step. Just go to your preferred paint shop, put in your job order, and leave your car for a while.

Either that or you can go to a wrap shop and have decals installed. While you’re technically applying a sticker, you’re still changing the outward appearance and color of your car, in fact, one of us has already experienced this on the road, and the authorities might make you fix the disparity on the spot. 

That being said, however, if you're only changing one part of your car like its hood, then you don't need to worry about getting your car's color changed on its documentation. Modifications like a carbon fiber hood are all well and good as long as the majority of your car is still the color that is indicated on its papers. Once a majority of its old color is painted over though, you will need to indicate that. 

Now, the LTO won’t let you change anything on your car’s registration for free. As is always the case anyway. So there is this thing called an MVUC, or Motor Vehicle User’s charge, which will set you back a huge sum of P30—kidding. 

If you want to change your car’s color, you will need to pay a P30 processing fee. The fee can also cover other things like a change of classification, change of chassis, change of engine, change of weight, among other things. 

Note that you probably won’t only be paying for the MVUC, but it will be included in your receipt. You need to indicate the new color of your vehicle as soon as possible to avoid issues with getting your vehicle registered or inspected. 

It’s a bit of a process to indicate the change in your car’s color. Here’s a list of the documents and requirements that you will need: 

• Original and photocopy of your Certificate of Registration 
• Original Official Receipt of MVUC plus other fees 
• Joint affidavit of change color (Owner + Painter) 
• Original PNP-TMG clearance for change color 
• Motor Vehicle Inspection Report 
• Tax Payer’s Identification Number (TIN) 

For some of these documents, like the PNP clearance, it will cost you about P300 to get what you need. Once you’ve completed the list of documents, head to the LTO to get your changes squared away.