Coding Hours 2026 Metro Manila: MMDA Number Coding Schedule and Coding Window Hours
Coding hours in Metro Manila are 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Friday, except on applicable holidays. Your coding day depends on the last digit of your vehicle plate number. Coding window hours run from 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM, and again from 8:01 PM to 6:59 AM, when coded cars may use MMDA roads. Makati is the big exception: 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM with no window hours.
Coding Hours Today (Live)
Can I drive my vehicle right now?
Tap the last digit of your plate. Times are in Philippine time.
Number coding applies to private cars, SUVs, vans and pickups. Motorcycles, public utility vehicles, TNVS, and EVs, full hybrids and plug-in hybrids on the DOE list are exempt.
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MMDA coding: 7:00–10:00 AM and 5:00–8:00 PM, Monday to Friday. Window hours: 10:01 AM–4:59 PM and 8:01 PM–6:59 AM. 2026 holidays are included. The MMDA can also suspend coding by advisory during bad weather or strikes, so check @MMDA before driving on those days.
This guide explains the regular Metro Manila number coding rules. All times are Philippine time, UTC+8. For a temporary suspension affecting today’s journey, check a dated MMDA or local traffic advisory.
Metro Manila coding hours and window hours 2026
Use this table for a non-exempt vehicle on its assigned coding day, on roads following the standard MMDA schedule.
| Time (Mon–Fri) | Coding status on your coding day | Can a coded car drive on MMDA roads? |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 MN – 6:59 AM | Free hours | Yes |
| 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Morning coding hours | No |
| 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | Coding window hours | Yes (not in Makati) |
| 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Evening coding hours | No |
| 8:01 PM – 11:59 PM | Free hours | Yes |
| Saturday, Sunday, holidays | No coding | Yes |
The MMDA restated these exact hours in its January 5, 2026 advisory, including both window periods.
Makati reminder: The midday window hours do not apply to roads governed by Makati’s local 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM scheme. EDSA through Makati needs to be distinguished from those local roads.
Sa madaling salita: Sa mga kalsadang sumusunod sa karaniwang MMDA schedule, bawal bumiyahe ang coded na sasakyan mula 7:00–10:00 AM at 5:00–8:00 PM. Ang window hours ay 10:01 AM–4:59 PM at 8:01 PM–6:59 AM kinabukasan. Sa mga kalsadang sakop ng lokal na coding ng Makati, 7:00 AM 7:00 PM ang restriction at walang midday window. Tingnan ang buong ruta at anumang opisyal na suspension bago bumiyahe.
Number coding schedule by plate number (2026)
Number coding is formally called the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, or UVVRP. You may also see “Expanded UVVRP” or hear motorists call it “color coding.” The weekday assignment uses the last numerical digit of your vehicle’s plate number:
| Coding day | Restricted plate endings | Coding hours |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1 and 2 | 7:00–10:00 AM and 5:00–8:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 3 and 4 | 7:00–10:00 AM and 5:00–8:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 5 and 6 | 7:00–10:00 AM and 5:00–8:00 PM |
| Thursday | 7 and 8 | 7:00–10:00 AM and 5:00–8:00 PM |
| Friday | 9 and 0 | 7:00–10:00 AM and 5:00–8:00 PM |
Example: a plate ending in 7 (say, NBC 1237) is coded every Thursday. On Thursdays, it must stay off MMDA roads from 7:00 to 10:00 AM and 5:00 to 8:00 PM, but it can drive at 11:30 AM or 9:00 PM.
Sa madaling salita (Tagalog): Ang coding hours sa Metro Manila ay 7:00–10:00 ng umaga at 5:00–8:00 ng gabi, Lunes hanggang Biyernes. Puwedeng bumiyahe ang coded na sasakyan tuwing window hours: 10:01 AM–4:59 PM at 8:01 PM–6:59 AM. Sa Makati, 7:00 AM–7:00 PM ang coding at walang window hours. Walang coding tuwing Sabado, Linggo at holiday.
How coding window hours work
Coding window hours are the periods when a coded vehicle may legally use MMDA roads on its coding day: 10:01 AM to 4:59 PM, and 8:01 PM to 6:59 AM the next morning. The MMDA confirmed both windows in its 2025 advisories (Daily Tribune). The midday window gives you almost seven hours for errands, clinic visits and meetings.
Plan coded-day trips like this:
- Leave after 10:01 AM and aim to be parked by 4:30 PM, leaving a buffer for traffic.
- If you must be out in the evening, wait until 8:01 PM to drive home.
- If your route touches Makati, the midday window does not exist there — reroute or stay out from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Makati coding hours: 7 AM to 7 PM, no window hours
Makati runs its own ordinance. Coding there lasts from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday to Friday, with no window hours. Makati has its own exemptions too: coded vehicles carrying a Makati senior citizen Blu Card holder, plus official-function and medical-emergency cases under the Makati Traffic Code.
Common trap: entering Makati from Skyway or EDSA during the midday window. The moment you are on Makati city roads, Makati’s 7-to-7 rule applies.
EDSA coding hours and the odd-even scheme
EDSA follows the standard MMDA coding hours with window hours. The EDSA odd-even scheme announced in May 2025 never took effect: the MMDA cancelled it on June 1, 2025, after the President postponed the EDSA Rebuild, and kept regular number coding instead. DPWH later said the rebuild and odd-even scheme were moved to 2026. As of this update we found no MMDA advisory reinstating odd-even, so ignore pages that say both rules apply at once.
Are window hours being removed?
Not as of this update. The idea keeps coming back, which is why rumors spread:
- In 2023 the MMDA said a resolution allowing a 7:00 AM–7:00 PM scheme with no window had been approved, but it would only be used if traffic became severe. It was never rolled out.
- In 2025, posts claiming window hours were scrapped were called fake by the MMDA.
- In January 2026 the MMDA again listed the 10:01 AM–4:59 PM and 8:01 PM–6:59 AM windows.
Coding hours by city in Metro Manila
MMDA coding applies on major roads in all 17 Metro Manila LGUs, whatever the city. What varies is the treatment of each city’s interior roads.
| City/area | Coding hours on MMDA roads | Window hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makati | 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM | None | City ordinance; Blu Card senior exemption |
| Manila | 7–10 AM, 5–8 PM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | Roxas Blvd, Taft, Recto, Rizal Ave are covered |
| Quezon City | 7–10 AM, 5–8 PM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | EDSA, Commonwealth, Quezon Ave, C-5 covered |
| Pasig | 7–10 AM, 5–8 PM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | C-5, Ortigas Ave, Shaw Blvd, Marcos Hwy |
| Mandaluyong, San Juan | 7–10 AM, 5–8 PM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | EDSA, Shaw, Ortigas |
| Taguig / BGC | 7–10 AM, 5–8 PM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | C-5 coded; BGC interior roads widely reported as coding-free |
| Pasay | 7–10 AM, 5–8 PM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | EDSA, Roxas Blvd, Macapagal Ave |
| Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa | 7–10 AM, 5–8 PM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | Interior-road rules vary; check the LGU |
| Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela | 7–10 AM, 5–8 PM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | EDSA, C-4, MacArthur Hwy; interior rules vary |
| Marikina, Pateros | 7–10 AM, 5–8 PM | 10:01 AM – 4:59 PM | Marcos Hwy coded; interior roads vary |
Some sites call Las Piñas, Parañaque, Valenzuela and Navotas “coding-free.” Those claims conflict across sources, and Parañaque has reimposed coding before. Safe rule: if the road is EDSA, C-5, a national road or another MMDA-covered road, assume you are coded.
Is there number coding today?
To work out whether your vehicle is restricted today? You can use our free tool to check it easily.
- Check the weekday and your plate ending. Use the plate-number table above.
- Check the date. Determine whether it is a national non-working holiday or a date covered by a suspension notice.
- Check your complete route. Include connecting streets, city boundaries and expressway access roads.
- Allow for the whole journey. A permitted departure time does not guarantee that the return trip is allowed.
- Confirm any exemption you plan to use. Vehicle classification and local eligibility requirements matter.
Which roads are covered by number coding?
Coding covers the MMDA’s major roads: EDSA plus national, circumferential and radial roads across Metro Manila. When the MMDA listed roads that stay coded alongside EDSA, it named C-5, Ortigas Avenue, Marcos Highway, Quezon Avenue, Shaw Boulevard, Rizal Avenue, Taft Avenue, Recto Avenue and Roxas Boulevard. Commonwealth Avenue, Macapagal Avenue and the other main arteries follow the same hours.
Toll expressways such as NLEX, SLEX and Skyway are run by private concessionaires and are not on MMDA’s coding road list. The catch is the exit ramp: once you exit onto EDSA, C-5, or a Makati street, coding applies again.
Who is exempt from number coding?
Under the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023, these are exempt:
- Public utility vehicles, including tricycles
- TNVS (ride-hailing cars with a valid franchise)
- Motorcycles
- Garbage trucks and fuel trucks
- Ambulances and fire trucks
- Registered, marked government vehicles
- Marked media vehicles
- Vehicles carrying essential or perishable goods
- Electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles
Electric vehicles and hybrid cars
Republic Act No. 11697, commonly called EVIDA, provides a number coding exemption for qualifying EV users as a non-fiscal incentive. The law specifies an eight-year period from its effectivity; the exemption should not be described as permanent.
DOE’s guidance directs motorists to its recognized-model list on the EV Industry Portal. Check the exact model, variant and classification, together with current documentation requirements.
A “hybrid” or “mild hybrid” badge does not, by itself, establish eligibility. An old list or a dealer’s informal assurance is not a substitute for current recognition.
Senior citizens, PWDs and medical appointments
Having a senior citizen or PWD passenger does not automatically establish a Metro Manila-wide exemption for every private car.
Makati’s announced local exemptions include vehicles carrying Senior Citizen Blu Card holders, together with specified official-function and medical-emergency cases. Those local provisions should not be generalized to every city.
For a planned medical appointment, confirm eligibility before relying on an exemption. A routine appointment is not automatically treated as a medical emergency.
Can I apply for a coding exemption?
People outside the automatic list, for example, PWDs or doctors on medical duty, can request one. Send a letter to the MMDA Office of the Chairman stating your reason, with your OR/CR and supporting documents. Approval is case-by-case and not guaranteed.
Number coding violation fine (2026)
The fine for a number coding violation in Metro Manila is ₱500. It was set by the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023 under the Single Ticketing System, and it applies to every offense rather than rising with repeats. Quezon City’s adopted ordinance provides a direct official reference for the ₱500 UVVRP fine.
If you receive a ticket:
- Check the plate number, location, date, time and cited violation.
- Read the payment or contesting instructions and deadline.
- Use the issuing authority’s official process.
- Keep the citation and your payment receipt or adjudication decision.
For QC-issued tickets, the Quezon City Traffic and Transport Management Department publishes official contact details and settlement information. Follow the relevant issuing authority’s process for other tickets.
Pay quickly. Unpaid traffic violations are tagged in the LTO system and can block your registration or license renewal. Check MMDA-recorded violations online through the MMDA’s official violation portal before you renew.
No-coding days left in 2026
Based on Proclamation No. 1006, these weekdays are holidays, so MMDA coding is lifted:
| Date | Holiday | Plates normally coded |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 2 | All Souls’ Day (special non-working) | 1 and 2 |
| Mon, Nov 30 | Bonifacio Day (regular) | 1 and 2 |
| Tue, Dec 8 | Immaculate Conception (special non-working) | 3 and 4 |
| Thu, Dec 24 | Christmas Eve (special non-working) | 7 and 8 |
| Fri, Dec 25 | Christmas Day (regular) | 9 and 0 |
| Wed, Dec 30 | Rizal Day (regular) | 5 and 6 |
| Thu, Dec 31 | Last Day of the Year (special non-working) | 7 and 8 |
All Saints’ Day (Nov 1) falls on a Sunday, so there is no coding anyway. The MMDA sometimes adds extra days around the holidays, as it did for Dec 23, 2025 to Jan 2, 2026. Makati usually follows national holidays but announces its own suspensions.
Number coding outside Metro Manila
MMDA rules stop at the Metro Manila boundary, but some LGUs run their own schemes with the same plate-to-day pattern.
Baguio City is the one most travelers hit. Its coding runs 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekdays inside the central business district coding zone; the perimeter roads around that zone are outside it. Unlike MMDA coding, it stays in force on holidays unless the mayor suspends it by executive order, and tourists are not exempt. Senior citizens who live in Baguio gained an exemption in 2024 for trips to clinics, hospitals or work. Baguio suspended its coding from April 8 to 24, 2026 — that was a Baguio order, not an MMDA one.
Some Rizal and Cavite towns have run their own coding on main highways. Rules change often, so check the town’s official page before a coded-day trip.
7 ways to avoid a coding ticket
- Put a weekly phone reminder on your coding day the night before.
- Shift errands into the 10:01 AM–4:59 PM window and give yourself a 30-minute buffer before 5:00 PM.
- Leave before 7:00 AM or after 8:01 PM on coded days.
- Avoid Makati from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, window or not.
- Check @MMDA on X or call 136 whenever it rains hard or a strike is announced — suspensions are not automatic.
- If you are about to be caught by the clock, park and wait rather than gamble on a few minutes.
- Buying a car partly to beat coding? Pick a full hybrid, plug-in hybrid or EV on the DOE list, not a mild hybrid.