How The Coding Hours System Works
The Fundamentals of Number Coding in Metro Manila
The Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), commonly called the Number Coding System, is Metro Manila's primary traffic demand reduction policy implemented by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and 16 Local Government Units (LGUs). It restricts specific vehicles from public roads one weekday per week based on the final digit of their license plate or conduction sticker.
1. How The Coding System Determines Your Restriction Day
The core mechanism of the UVVRP relies strictly on the last numerical digit of your motor vehicle license plate. If your vehicle is newly released and has not yet received an official LTO metal plate, the final number of your conduction sticker or official temporary plate number dictates your restriction day.
Check the Last Digit of Your Plate
Locate the final number on your license plate. For example, if your plate is ABC 1234, your restriction digit is 4. If your temporary conduction sticker is MV 9876, your restriction digit is 6.
Match Digit to the Assigned Weekday
Digits are paired across the standard workweek: 1 & 2 on Mondays, 3 & 4 on Tuesdays, 5 & 6 on Wednesdays, 7 & 8 on Thursdays, and 9 & 0 on Fridays.
Navigate Authorized Window Hours
During your restriction day, you are barred from major radial and circumferential roads during peak morning hours (7:00 AM – 10:00 AM) and peak evening hours (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM). Between 10:01 AM and 4:59 PM, you can travel freely under the off-peak window period in participating cities.
2. Interactive Number Coding Plate Checker
Click the last digit of your vehicle license plate or conduction sticker to inspect your restriction day, peak ban windows, and authorized travel times:
Instant Plate Restriction Checker
Select your vehicle's last numerical digit:
3. Complete Day-Wise Plate Restriction Schedule
The standard MMDA Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program schedule is outlined below:
| Day of the Week | Restricted Plate Endings | Morning Ban | Window Hours (Allowed) | Evening Ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1 & 2 | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 3 & 4 | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 5 & 6 | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM |
| Thursday | 7 & 8 | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM |
| Friday | 9 & 0 | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM |
| Saturday & Sunday | COMPLETELY SUSPENDED — All vehicle plates allowed 24 hours. | |||
| Official Public Holidays | AUTOMATICALLY SUSPENDED — Full freedom of travel throughout NCR. | |||
4. Window Hours vs. Continuous Coding Explained
While the MMDA scheme standardizes peak restriction hours across national roads such as EDSA, C-5 Road, Roxas Boulevard, and Commonwealth Avenue, motorists must be mindful of city-specific variations:
Unlike the rest of Metro Manila, Makati City enforces continuous coding from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on all internal roads and city streets. There are no window hours inside Makati jurisdiction, except on elevated flyovers and border boundaries like Osmeña Highway and Magallanes Interchange.
In contrast, cities like Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Valenzuela, and Parañaque fully recognize the 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM off-peak window periods.
5. List of Exempted Vehicles & Green Mobility Rules
Under MMDA regulations and national statutes, the following vehicles are permanently exempt from the number coding system without needing special permits:
- Electric & Hybrid Vehicles (EVs): Under Republic Act No. 11697 (EVIDA), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are 100% exempt from number coding across all Philippine roads.
- Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs): Public buses, modern jeepneys, UV Express vans, and taxis.
- Emergency & Service Vehicles: Ambulances, fire trucks, police cruisers, and military transport units actively responding to emergencies.
- Medical Doctors: Attending medical doctors driving their personal vehicles in bona fide emergency medical situations.
- Motorcycles: Two-wheeled motorcycles are exempt across Metro Manila (except under local ordinances in Makati City).
- Vehicles Carrying Perishable Goods: Authorized transport trucks carrying fresh agricultural and seafood produce with sanitary transit permits.
6. Violation Fines & Single Ticketing Enforcement
Under the Metro Manila Single Ticketing System, traffic citation penalties have been harmonized across all 16 cities:
- Standard Fine: ₱500 per coding violation apprehension.
- Payment Window: Motorists have ten (10) business days from the ticket date to settle the citation.
- Payment Facilities: Settling fines can be done digitally via GCash, Maya, Landbank Link.BizPortal, or physically at the apprehending city's treasury department.
- Contesting Tickets: If you believe you were apprehended during authorized window hours or qualify under EV exemptions, you can file a contest before the Traffic Adjudication Board. For full appeal steps, read our complete guide on traffic violation payments and appeals.
7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The UVVRP, colloquially known as the number coding scheme, is a traffic demand management measure implemented by the MMDA to reduce vehicular congestion on major thoroughfares across Metro Manila by restricting vehicles once a week based on the final digit of their license plates.
Under standard MMDA regulations, number coding is strictly enforced during morning peak hours (7:00 AM to 10:00 AM) and evening peak hours (5:00 PM to 8:00 PM) on Mondays through Fridays. An authorized window period runs from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM in participating cities.
No. Number coding is automatically suspended on Saturdays, Sundays, and official nationwide or Metro Manila non-working holidays, allowing all vehicles to travel freely without restriction.
Yes. Under Section 25 of Republic Act No. 11697 (Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act or EVIDA), all registered battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are 100% exempt from number coding across all cities in the Philippines.
Under the Metro Manila Single Ticketing System, the standardized fine for violating the number coding scheme is ₱500, payable within ten (10) business days via authorized online gateways (GCash, Maya, Landbank) or LGU treasury cashiers.