What to do when you lose your car’s certificate of registration

There are times when you feel like your luck seems to run out, and one of those times is when you realize that your car’s certificate of registration (CR) is missing. You try to dig your memory what happened, where did you last see it, and how come it's not inside your very important documents secret stash. But no matter how you try, it seems like it's really gone. It might have been a simple case of misplaced item, yet it brings potential problems.

Without a copy of your vehicle’s CR, it would be illegal to drive your car or renew its registration. It also makes selling it questionable as its buyers will not be able to legally claim ownership unless that’s for scrap.

So what do you do when you lose it?

After digging through the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) official website, we learned how you can get a legal duplicate of your car’s CR. And here's what we found to be the actual process.

First, you have to obtain the following requirements listed below. You’re welcome.

• Notarized affidavit of Loss/Mutilation from the registered owner
• Latest official receipt of payment of registration
• Duly accomplished and approved Motor Vehicle Inspection Report (MVIR)
• Two valid identification cards of the registrant

Once you’ve gathered the documents and other items on the list, it’s time to make your way to the Originating LTO District Office as early as you can to avoid long queues. This is where you'd present your affidavit of loss and this is the only office that shall issue you your duplicate CR/OR. That's because this office has all the mandatory docuents from where you first “registered/transacted.”

When you arrive, proceed to the transaction counters then submit the documents. An evaluator will then verify your documents and compute the fees you’ll be paying. A motor vehicle inspector will then do an actual check of the car to verify the details in the MVIR.

After that, you will have to wait for your name to be called from the cashier wherein you’ll pay the necessary fees. It is also there where you will obtain the Official Receipt (OR). It is then off to the Releasing Counter or at least somewhere close to it until your name is called to receive the new CR, plates, stickers, and other requested documents.

And, there you go. We suggest making a few photocopies of the CR and OR along with your driver’s license as soon as you can. Put it in a secure folder or envelop and leave it in the glove box or a sealed container in the trunk.

As for the original OR and other documents, it would be best to keep it in a sealed container such as a fire and waterproof safe to protect it from the elements or keep you from losing it.