The Vintage Vehicle Law will take effect in April 2023

Republic Act No. 11698, otherwise known as the Vintage Vehicles Act, will take effect this year in April. Under this act, importation, exportation, registration, and other activities involving these types of vehicles will be covered by the law. In other words, historic, classic, collector, or other similarly categorized vehicles will be regulated by the law. 

With that, vintage vehicles will now have a separate classification from the “normal” daily drivers that we commonly see out on the road. A report was published indicating that the implementing rules and regulations, or IRR for short, will take effect this April. 

RA 11698 will cover vehicles that are 40 years old or over from the original date of manufacture. The minimum age for a car to be considered “vintage,” at least in the eyes of the law, used to be 30 years old which was the case when the law was still a house bill last year. The consideration was made by the LTO’s chief to push the minimum age to 40 since there are still 30-year-old cars on the road that are still being used and in roadworthy condition. 

By April 2023, that means that cars that are over the age of 40 will no longer be required to meet the clean air, anti-pollution, safety, road-use, and other roadworthiness standards that the LTO has set for the country. 

In addition to that, vintage vehicle owners can avail of special vehicle plates to cement the registration under such category. The registration of vintage vehicles will be valid for three years. 

Furthermore, vehicles over the age of 40 may be imported into the country by any person, entity, or business, under the new law. Even items like spare parts, accessories, and systems can be imported, making things easier for vintage enthusiasts. Even right-hand-drive vehicles will be allowed to enter the country provided that they were manufactured on or before December 31, 1970, or are meant for motorsport. 

However, not all is better and great with this law, as the caveat of having a vintage vehicle is that it can only be used during weekends and holidays which could be a limiting factor for some owners that would like to use their vintage vehicles on weekdays. 

Still, the law protects and even encourages owners and businesses to engage in the ownership and restoration of these pieces of automotive history. Whether as a show car or as a weekend driver, it’s good to see that we’re finally going to see this law come in and help protect and preserve old cars.