Quezon City honors DILG memo regarding the confiscation of licenses

After a week out in the open, the DILG’s memo regarding the confiscation of drivers’ licenses by local government units (LGUs) has caused quite a stir along with an uproar of praise from motorists. 

In case you missed it, the memo stated that only deputized Land Transportation Office (LTO) enforcers are only allowed to confiscate driver’s licenses. This, of course, necessitates that the offense committed warrants the confiscation of a license. Up until the clarification issued by the DILG, LGU traffic enforcers could confiscate licenses in order to regulate their traffic. 

However, Quezon City has sent out a statement regarding the memo. The LGU will adhere to the DILG’s memorandum circular No. 01-2008 effective September 24, 2022. Quezon City enforcers will no longer confiscate driver’s licenses should there be a traffic violation. Of course, the traffic enforcers can still issue Ordinance Violation Receipts (OVRs) and tickets. 

In short, if you are stopped by a QC traffic enforcer, then you don’t have to worry about your license getting confiscated, that is unless a deputized LTO officer is the one apprehending you and if you’ve committed an offense that warrants license confiscation. 

Now, all motorists need to do is make sure that they follow the rules in order to avoid apprehension, failing that, you don’t need to get your license from the city hall anymore to get your license back. 

QC is one of the first cities to publicly announce their compliance with the DILG’s memo, and it might only be a matter of time before other LGUs follow suit with their announcements. Whether or not the LGUs will comply with the DILG’s memo also remains to be seen, but for residents in Quezon City, at least the record has been set straight.