The use of fake, falsified, altered, or counterfeit licenses in the Philippines is a serious criminal offense that strikes at the heart of public administration, road safety, professional regulation, and public trust. Driver’s licenses, professional licenses, firearms licenses, business permits, and even the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) card are all considered public documents when issued by government authority. Any attempt to use a spurious or falsified version of these documents exposes the offender to heavy criminal and administrative sanctions.

Primary Criminal Liability: Revised Penal Code (Act No. 3815, as amended by RA 10951)

The main law that punishes the use of fake licenses is Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Article 171.

Article 172, paragraph 2 (Use of falsified documents)

Any person who knowingly uses a falsified public, official, or commercial document, to the damage of another or with intent to cause such damage, shall suffer the penalty of prisión correccional in its medium and maximum periods (2 years, 4 months and 1 day to 6 years) and a fine of not more than One Million Pesos (₱1,000,000.00).

Driver’s licenses, PRC licenses, firearms License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOPF), mayor’s permits, DTI business name registrations, and PhilID cards are all public/official documents. Therefore, presenting any of these knowing them to be fake falls squarely under Article 172.

Article 172, paragraph 1 (Falsification by private individual)

The person who actually made or altered the license faces the same penalty as the user: prisión correccional medium and maximum + fine of up to ₱1,000,000.

Article 171 (Falsification by public officer or employee)

If a government employee (LTO fixer, PRC employee, PNP-FEO personnel, etc.) participates in the issuance or validation of the fake license, the penalty is higher: prisión mayor in its minimum and medium periods (6 years and 1 day to 10 years) and fine of up to ₱2,000,000.

Article 175 (Using false certificates)

When the fake license is a professional license or certificate of registration issued by the PRC, the offender may also be charged under Article 175 if the document falls under the enumeration of “certificates” mentioned in Article 174.

Penalty: arresto mayor (1 month and 1 day to 6 months) if no damage is caused; otherwise, the penalty under Article 172 applies.

Computer-related forgery (RA 10175, Cybercrime Prevention Act)

If the fake license was produced, altered, or distributed using a computer system (scanning, Photoshop, printing via computer, online sale, etc.), the offense becomes computer-related forgery under Section 4(a)(3) of RA 10175. The penalty is one degree higher than the RPC penalty: prisión mayor (6 years and 1 day to 12 years) plus the accessory penalties under the Cybercrime Law.

Specific Laws and Penalties for Particular Licenses

1. Fake Driver’s License / Student Permit / Conductor’s License

Criminal: Article 172 RPC (2 years 4 months to 6 years + up to ₱1M fine)
If produced using computer: RA 10175 – penalty one degree higher
Administrative (LTO):
- Permanent disqualification from obtaining any driver’s license (LTO Memorandum Circular No. VDM-2019-2299 and related issuances)
- Impoundment of vehicle until proper license is presented
- Fine of ₱3,000 for “driving without valid driver’s license” (Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01, as amended) – this is imposed simultaneously with the criminal case
When the fake license is presented during apprehension for a traffic violation, the violator is usually cited for “fraudulent use of license” and the case is forwarded to the prosecutor for violation of Article 172 RPC.

2. Fake Professional License (PRC-issued: doctors, nurses, engineers, lawyers, teachers, accountants, etc.)

Criminal: Article 172 RPC and/or Article 175 RPC
Additional penalty under the regulatory law of the profession (e.g., Medical Act, Nursing Act, Accountancy Act, etc.) – imprisonment of 6 months to 6 years and fine of ₱50,000 to ₱500,000 depending on the law
RA 8981 (PRC Modernization Act of 2000), Section 35(p): Practicing the profession using a fake, revoked, or suspended license/certificate – fine of not less than ₱50,000 nor more than ₱500,000 or imprisonment of 1–5 years, or both
Permanent disqualification from taking any licensure examination and from practicing the profession

3. Fake Firearms License (LTOPF, PTCFOR, Special Permit)

RA 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act of 2013), Section 28, par. (j): Possession or use of falsified firearms license – prisión mayor (6 years and 1 day to 12 years) and fine of ₱100,000 to ₱500,000
If used to acquire firearms illegally, additional charges of illegal possession of firearms (Section 28, par. a – reclusion perpetua if high-powered)

4. Fake PhilSys ID (PhilID) or National ID

RA 11055 (Philippine Identification System Act), Section 19: Counterfeiting, altering, or tampering with the PhilID – prisión mayor in its medium period (8 years and 1 day to 10 years) and fine of not less than ₱500,000 nor more than ₱5,000,000
Unauthorized use or presentation of another person’s PhilID – same penalty

5. Fake Mayor’s Permit / Business Permit / Barangay Business Clearance

Article 172 RPC (public document)
Violation of local revenue code of the LGU concerned – fine of ₱5,000 to ₱50,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 2 years
If used to defraud creditors or the government of taxes, additional charge of estafa or tax evasion

Aggravating Circumstances and Additional Charges Commonly Filed

Estafa through false pretenses (Article 315(2)(a) RPC) when the fake license is used to obtain money, goods, or credit
Perjury (Article 183 RPC) if the fake license is submitted under oath (e.g., notarized application using fake ID)
Violation of RA 10175 if done online or via computer
If the offender is a habitual user of fake documents, the habitual delinquency provision (Article 62(5) RPC) may be applied, adding up to 6 years per previous conviction

Jurisprudence Highlights

People v. Quebral, G.R. No. 221865 (2018) – Using a fake driver’s license during apprehension constitutes use of falsified public document under Article 172.
People v. Uy, G.R. No. 157399 (2006) – Mere presentation of a fake PRC license to a client is already consummated use of falsified document.
LTO v. City of Butuan, G.R. No. 131512 (2000) – Confirmed that driver’s licenses are public documents for purposes of falsification.
Numerous Court of Appeals decisions (2020–2025) have consistently upheld convictions with penalties ranging from 4 to 6 years imprisonment for fake driver’s license cases.

Prescription Period

The crime prescribes in 15 years (Article 90 RPC, as amended by RA 10951) because the maximum penalty exceeds 6 years when the fine is considered together with the imprisonment.

Current Enforcement Trend (2020–2025)

The PNP, LTO, and PRC have intensified operations against fake license syndicates, particularly those operating online via Facebook and Telegram. As of 2025, the LTO’s digital DL validation system and the PRC’s online verification portal have made it extremely difficult to use fake licenses without immediate detection.

Conclusion

Using a fake license in the Philippines is never a minor traffic or administrative infraction. It is a felony punishable by years of imprisonment, million-peso fines, permanent disqualification from obtaining genuine licenses, and a permanent criminal record. The State treats it as an attack on public order and safety, and courts have consistently imposed penalties at the higher end of the range, especially when the fake license was used to evade responsibility for accidents or to illegally practice a profession.

The only safe and legal course of action is to secure legitimate licenses through proper channels. Any shortcut involving fake documents will almost certainly result in far greater cost than the inconvenience of complying with the law.