LTO Plate Tracker vs NBI Clearance: Key Differences

Seathiele Darké

October 19, 2026 6:53 am

If you are checking number coding today, the quickest way to know whether your vehicle is restricted is to look at the last digit of your license plate number and match it with the day of the week.

Under the standard MMDA Expanded UVVRP, coding applies during 7:00 AM–10:00 AM and 5:00 PM–8:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Weekends and Philippine holidays are generally coding-free.

The restriction is based on the last digit of the plate, not the physical color of your vehicle. This is why searches such as “coding today,” “number coding today,” “color coding today,” “MMDA coding today,” and “coding scheme today” all refer to the same general traffic-control system.

Coding Hours: When You Can’t Drive (and When You Can)

The standard Metro Manila number coding schedule focuses on the two busiest parts of the day. For covered vehicles, the restricted periods are:

• 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM: morning rush
• 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM: evening rush
• Monday to Friday: regular coding days
• Weekends and Philippine holidays: normally suspended

The periods outside coding hours are commonly called window hours:

For example, if your plate ends in 3, Tuesday is your coding day. Driving on a coded road at 9:00 AM Tuesday falls inside the restriction. At 11:00 AM, you are within the standard midday window. At 6:00 PM, the evening restriction applies again.

Major routes associated with Metro Manila traffic restrictions include EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue), C5 (Carlos P. Garcia Avenue), and Commonwealth Avenue.

⚠️ Makati Is Different (No Window Hours)

Makati City is an important exception because its stated coding schedule runs continuously from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on the vehicle’s coded day.

There is therefore no standard midday workaround between 10:01 AM and 4:59 PM under this Makati schedule.

For example, if your plate ends in 5, your coding day is Wednesday. In Makati, the stated restriction applies throughout the period:

7:00 AM → 7:00 PM

This matters for routes around:

• Ayala Avenue
• Salcedo Village
• Legaspi Village
• Buendia
• Makati–Mandaluyong corridor
• Makati side streets

Bonifacio Global City (BGC) is technically located in Taguig, so drivers should distinguish Taguig roads from Makati roads when planning a route.

A route that provides a midday window in another Metro Manila city should not automatically be assumed to provide the same relief once it enters Makati.

Cities Where Coding Is Enforced (and Where It Isn’t)

The Metro Manila coding framework involves multiple local government areas. The published 2026 schedule identifies coding enforcement in:

• Manila
• Quezon City
• Makati
• Pasig
• Mandaluyong
• Taguig
• Pasay
• San Juan
• Marikina
• Caloocan, particularly major roads
• Malabon
• Pateros
• Muntinlupa

The same information identifies Las Piñas, Parañaque, Valenzuela, and Navotas as areas where UVVRP is suspended on local roads as of 2026.

Major roads commonly associated with the MMDA UVVRP include:

The listed toll expressways include:

• NLEX
• SLEX
• Skyway Stages 1–3
• SCTEX
• TPLEX
• CALAX
• CAVITEX
• MCX
• STAR
• NAIAX
• NLEX Connector Road
• Harbor Link

Some service roads and barangay-internal roads can also have different treatment.

An expressway exemption should not be confused with every road connected to it. Once you exit onto a city street covered by UVVRP, the applicable coding restriction can return.

Who’s Exempt From Number Coding

The standard UVVRP restriction does not apply in the same way to every vehicle category. Common exemptions listed in the published schedule include:

• Motorcycles
• Public utility vehicles (PUVs) under LTFRB jurisdiction
• Jeepneys
• Buses
• Taxis
• TNVS vehicles such as Grab
• Tricycles
• UV Express
• Government vehicles on official business
• Emergency vehicles
• Philippine National Police (PNP) vehicles
• Military vehicles
• Fire trucks
• Ambulances
• MMDA Road Emergency Group units
• Diplomatic vehicles with proper diplomatic plates
• Qualifying media vehicles with valid press IDs or stickers
• Cargo trucks carrying essential goods and fuel under applicable exemptions
• Vehicles transporting persons with disability (PWD)
• Vehicles transporting medical patients with appropriate documentation
• Certain vehicles involved in official LTO transactions

For an exemption to be useful during enforcement, the driver may need appropriate proof. Depending on the exemption, this can include:

• LTO registration
• PWD ID
• Approved sticker
• Diplomatic plate
• Press identification
• Conduction sticker
• Medical documentation
• Official transaction documentation

A verbal claim alone should not be relied upon at an MMDA checkpoint.

What Happens If You Get Caught

A vehicle operating during an active coding period can receive a traffic violation. The published 2026 information identifies a ₱500 fine under the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023 and Single Ticketing System.

Older online information may still show a different penalty structure, including:

An MMDA traffic enforcer may issue a Traffic Violation Receipt (TVR). Keep the receipt and verify the violation through the appropriate official channels.

If you believe a coding ticket was issued incorrectly, useful evidence can include:

• Dashcam footage
• Timestamped photographs
• RFID gantry logs
• NLEX or SLEX RFID timestamps
• Proof of a coding suspension
• Documentation supporting an exemption
• Evidence that you were traveling during legitimate window hours

The published information states that a complaint may be filed within 15 days through the relevant issuing LGU treasurer’s office or the MMDA adjudication office at Metrobase, Pasig.

When Coding Doesn’t Apply (Suspensions)

A normal weekday does not always mean coding will remain active. The scheme can be suspended because of holidays, weather, transport disruptions, or a specific MMDA announcement.

Possible suspension situations include:

• Saturdays and Sundays
• Regular holidays
• Special non-working holidays
• Applicable Office of the President memorandum circulars
• Typhoon-related conditions
• Transport strike days when MMDA lifts coding
• Specific MMDA suspension advisories

The published schedule references PAGASA Signal No. 1 or higher for certain typhoon-related suspensions.

Before driving on a day when conditions are unusual, check the latest MMDA announcement, including:

• @MMDA on X
• Metrobase Hotline 136
• Official MMDA advisories

This is particularly useful during holidays, severe weather, transport strikes, and other situations where the normal coding schedule may be temporarily changed.

How to Plan Around Your Coding Day

Planning your route before leaving can prevent an avoidable coding violation. Some practical options are:

1. Use window hours for errands.
   Standard coding periods leave a midday window from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM.
2. Consider exempt expressways.
   NLEX, SLEX, and Skyway can provide alternative routes where the applicable expressway exemption applies.
3. Carpool with another vehicle.
   Two vehicles with different coding days can provide additional weekday flexibility.
4. Treat Makati separately.
   Do not assume the normal midday window applies there because the stated Makati schedule runs continuously from 7 AM to 7 PM.
5. Monitor MMDA announcements.
   A suspension can change the normal weekday restriction.
6. Check traffic records periodically.
   Reviewing your LTO record can help identify unresolved TVRs or other entries before license or vehicle registration renewal. You can use the LTO Violation Checker to review outstanding violation records.

Quick Reference Table

Use the last digit of your plate to identify the regular coding day:

For quick examples:

• Plate ending 1 → Monday
• Plate ending 4 → Tuesday
• Plate ending 6 → Wednesday
• Plate ending 8 → Thursday
• Plate ending 0 → Friday

Saturday and Sunday have no regular weekday coding assignment.

Related Queries Answered

People use several different search phrases when trying to determine the same traffic restriction.

“Number coding today” refers to checking the current weekday against the plate-ending schedule.

“Color coding today” is an older term associated with the original system, when stickers were color-coded by day. The current scheme is based on the last digit of the license plate rather than the physical color of the car.

“MMDA coding today” and “MMDA number coding today” refer to the Metro Manila coding schedule administered within the MMDA framework.

For “coding today Manila,” the regular weekday schedule is:

For “Makati coding today,” the important difference is the continuous 7 AM–7 PM period.

If you search “Is there coding today?”, check three things:

1. What day of the week is it?
2. What is the last digit of your plate?
3. Has MMDA announced a holiday or coding suspension?

What Is the UVVRP?

The Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) is the traffic-management system commonly known as number coding or color coding.

It began in 1995 and is associated with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) under its mandate from Republic Act 7924, the MMDA charter law.

The basic concept is to reduce the number of vehicles traveling on major Metro Manila roads during peak periods by assigning certain plate-ending numbers to particular weekdays.

The Expanded UVVRP later incorporated the evening rush period, creating the familiar:

• 7:00 AM–10:00 AM morning restriction
• 5:00 PM–8:00 PM evening restriction

The system affects traffic-heavy arteries such as:

• EDSA
• C5
• Commonwealth Avenue
• Aurora Boulevard
• Other major Metro Manila roads

The phrase “color coding” comes from the 1995 UVVRP pilot, when day stickers were associated with different colors. Modern number coding, however, depends on the last digit of the license plate, not the color of the vehicle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related guides: LTO Tracker