1. TIN (or Tax Identification Number) - you have to get this before you get a student’s permit. You apply for this in the bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)or you can have your driving school get it for you.

2. Student’s Permit – what you need before you start learning how to drive. You can get this at the nearest LTO. You can only apply for a license after a month of obtaining the student permit and if you lose the permit you’ll have to get a new one and wait another month to get a license! The student’s permit is only valid for a year and when it expires, you’ll have to get a new one and wait for another month if you haven’t gotten your license yet.

3. Temporary License – after passing your driving test (both written and practical) you will be given a temporary license. It’s just a piece of paper like an official receipt that you’ll need in order to claim the cool card license in a few months.

4. Permanent License – this is the cool card license that was referred to in number 3.

5. LTO - the place to get your student permit and license. This is also where you will take your various tests.

6. Driving School - they offer driving lessons to prepare you for the LTO test ( so it’s highly recommended to take formal driving lessons even if you learned the basics already at home!). lessons vary depending on the package you get and usually learning how to drive an automatic is more expensive than learning how to drive manual.