Affidavit of Loss: what to write, what to bring, how much to pay

Someone we know lost their driver's license at a wedding in February. They drove home anyway (don't tell anyone), realized at the next checkpoint that this was going to keep happening, and went to the LTO the next morning to get a duplicate.

The LTO asked for an Affidavit of Loss.

They asked us where to get one.

This guide is the answer.

What an Affidavit of Loss is

It's a one-page sworn statement, signed by you, notarized by a Philippine notary, saying that you used to have a specific item — and now you don't, and you have searched and cannot find it.

That's it. That's the whole thing.

The reason you need it is that whoever is going to replace the item (the LTO, the bank, the school, the PSA) wants you to swear that you really did lose it. The notarization gives that sworn statement legal weight. If it later turns out you didn't lose it — that you sold it, or gave it away, or kept it in a drawer — the affidavit becomes evidence against you in a perjury case.

So tell the truth.

When you actually need one

The list of agencies that ask for an Affidavit of Loss is long, but the situations cluster into a few groups.

Identification documents. Driver's license at the LTO. Passport at the DFA. UMID card at the SSS. National ID at the PSA. Voter's ID at the COMELEC. Senior Citizen ID at the OSCA.

Bank items. Lost ATM card replacement (you'll execute this at the branch). Lost bank book or passbook. Lost certificate of deposit.

Vehicle documents. Lost OR (Official Receipt) or CR (Certificate of Registration). For these, the LTO also requires a police report.

School and corporate items. Lost diploma. Lost transcript of records. Lost stock certificate. Lost insurance policy.

Receipts and small documents. Lost official receipt for a purchase you're trying to claim warranty on. Lost rental deposit receipt.

If you're not sure whether the agency requires one, ask them before you go to the notary. Some agencies have moved to a simple form they fill out at the counter and notarization is no longer required.

What the affidavit must contain

A good Affidavit of Loss has six parts. If any of these are missing or vague, the notary will ask you to redo it.

1. Your full name, age, civil status, citizenship, and current address. The notary needs this to confirm the affidavit is yours. "Civil status" means single, married, widowed, or separated. The age helps confirm you're of legal age to swear an oath.

2. A clear statement of what was lost. Not just "I lost my ID." Say which ID, with the number if you remember it. "Driver's License No. N04-12-345678, issued by the Land Transportation Office, valid until October 2027."

3. When it was lost. A specific date is best. "On or about" is fine if you're not certain. "Sometime between February 15 and February 22, 2026" is also fine.

4. Where it was lost. Don't guess. If you don't know, say so honestly: "Despite diligent search, I have not been able to determine where the loss occurred."

5. Confirmation that you searched. This is the line most people forget. "I have made diligent efforts to locate the said document but have been unable to recover it."

6. The purpose. "This Affidavit is being executed to attest to the truth of the foregoing and to support my application for the issuance of a replacement [name of document] from the [name of agency]."

The notary adds the jurat at the bottom — that's the part that says you swore to the truth of the affidavit before them, and it gets their signature and seal.

How much it should cost

In our experience, in 2026:

• A simple Affidavit of Loss at a neighborhood notary: PHP 100 to PHP 300.
• The same affidavit at a notary inside a mall or law office: PHP 200 to PHP 500.
• If the notary drafts the affidavit for you (most will, for a fee): add PHP 100 to PHP 200 for the draft.

If anyone quotes you PHP 1,000 or more for a simple Affidavit of Loss, walk away. There is a Supreme Court disciplinary case from 2022 where a notary was suspended for charging PHP 10,000 for a simple acknowledgment — courts treat that kind of pricing as exploitative.

What to bring

• One valid government-issued ID with a photo. Passport, driver's license, national ID, UMID, postal ID. The ID does not have to be the one you lost.
• A draft of the affidavit, if you prepared it yourself. If you didn't, just bring the details (what you lost, when, where) and the notary can draft it.
• The fee in cash, in small bills. Many notaries don't have change for PHP 1,000 notes.

If the document being replaced requires a police report — and you have one — bring it along. The notary won't need it for the affidavit itself, but having it ready saves you a trip.

The small mistakes that send you back

A few patterns we've seen:

• Wrong address. You wrote your old address on the affidavit but your ID shows your new one. The receiving agency will reject the mismatch. Use the same address that's on the ID you're showing.
• Wrong middle name spelling. "Maria Cristina De La Cruz" versus "Maria Cristina dela Cruz." Spell it the same way as on your ID. The agency will literally compare letter by letter.
• Future date. Don't post-date the affidavit. Notaries are not allowed to do that.
• No statement of search. The agency wants to see you tried to find it. Include the "diligent efforts" line.

Common questions

Do I need to remember the exact date I lost the item? No. "On or about" a specific date is acceptable, or even "sometime in the first week of March 2026." Just be honest about the level of certainty.

Will the police give me a copy of the police report I need to attach? Yes, but only if you actually file one. For many lost items — a school ID, an ATM card, an unsigned receipt — a police report is not required. Only items like firearms, vehicles, and certain government IDs have a strict police-report requirement.

Can I get an Affidavit of Loss for something I never received in the first place? Not really. If you never had it, you do not have something to be "lost." What you need in that case is an Affidavit of Non-Receipt, which is a different document.

What to do next

If you need an Affidavit of Loss this week, book one here. We'll draft it from your details, quote the fee in pesos before you commit, and you can pick up the original or have it delivered. The whole process usually takes one business day.

If your lost item was a vehicle document, our LTO replacement guide walks through the broader process including the police report.