Can you drive your brand new car without an OR/CR?

The Official Receipt (OR) and Certificate of Registration (CR) are two of the most important documents you need to have for your vehicle. These documents show that you not only own the car but its registration is up to date. However, what happens when you buy a brand new vehicle and your OR/CR isn’t ready yet? Don’t worry as we have prepared a quick guide to help you understand how the process works and if you can drive your brand new vehicle without these required documents.

The answer to this question is yes you can, but only for a week and with a specific document. The document that actually lets you drive your brand new vehicle without the OR/CR is the Sales Invoice. It is important to note that this must match the conduction sticker of your vehicle in order to be valid. This document also lets you drive your vehicle on public roads for up to  7 days prior to your Certificate of Registration and Official Receipt being issued to you. However, take this with a grain of salt because if the dealership does not give you your CR within 7-days you will not legally be allowed to drive your vehicle. This will still let your drive your brand new car despite the "No Registration No Travel policy" provided that you have a temporary plate on the vehicle that reflects your conduction sticker. It will serve as a temporary form of identification for your vehicle during the 7-day period. 

In the event that the dealership does not give you the Certificate of Registration and Official Receipt within 7-days, there may be a violation of the terms of the sale, and the seller/dealer may be violating the Consumer Protection Act for employing unfair or unconscionable sales acts or practices. You may then file a proper complaint with the Department of Trade and Industry to further investigate the matter. Through this process, it will also resolve the dispute between you and the car dealership that sold you the vehicle. 

In order to avoid situations in which OR/CR is delayed, it is best to always keep in touch with your car dealership. Through this, you can easily keep tabs on the status of your vehicle's registration and how the procurement of the needed documents are going. The dealership can also inform you immediately if there are any delays in the process and what actions you or they need to take in order to expedite the process. 

The "No Registration No Travel Policy" of the Land Transporation Office states that all motor vehicles used or operated on any public road or highway in the Philippines must be registered with the office. It is important to note that every vehicle sold is legally required to come with a conduction sticker, during your 7-day grace period this will act as your temporary form of identification for the vehicle as it is tied to the documents of the purchase of your vehicle until your OR/CR is given to you by the dealership. Another thing to take note of is that the LTO has also stopped apprehending new vehicles traveling without a license plate due to a shortage of supply. This means that as long as your car reflects your conduction sticker as its temporary plate then you can use it on the road within the 7-day time frame. What the LTO is after with the No Registration No Travel policy is to catch those who do not have the proper form of identification for their vehicles. As you have a sales invoice that clearly indicates your Conduction Sticker of your vehicle in it then you should be fine as it serves as a temporary form of identification. However, if you want to err on the side of caution, then we suggest mitigating the use of the vehicle until your OR/CR has been given to you.