MTC Clearance Philippines 2026 Fee and Application Process

The MTC Clearance is a legal clearance certificate issued by the Municipal Trial Court in Philippines. Having an MTC Clearance confirms that a person does not have any ongoing criminal litigation, civil cases or outstanding warrants in the area of jurisdiction covered by relevant municipal trial court.

Any individual person living in Philippines can apply for MTC Clearance at their nearest Municipal Trial Court Office. Before applying for a Municipal Trial Court Certificate of Clearance, it is necessary to learn about MTC Clearance Requirements, Fee and its application process.

MTC Clearance Requirements

The applicant must meet MTC Clearance requirements to get it from the municipal trial court. These requirements include some documents that can prove the applicant’s residency, identity and eligibility for MTC Clearance.

Here I provide the list of documents required for MTC Clearance in Philippines.

1. Completely Filled MTC Clearance Application Form
2. Government issued ID Card Original
3. Original and Photocopy of Community Tax Certificate
4. Original and Photocopy of Barangay Clearance (if applicable)
5. Valid Proof of Residency e.g. Recent Utility Bill
6. 2×2 Recent Photo of the Applicant

When applying for MTC Clearance in the Philippines, make sure that you have all the required documents listed above. The municipal trial court may request for additional documents if they need more checking of applicant’s background and legal records history.

Eligibility Criteria for MTC Clearance

Any individual living in the Philippines is eligible to apply for MTC Clearance if they fulfill the eligibility conditions. Whether you are a Filipino Citizen or a foreign resident in the Philippines, you can apply for MTC Clearance and claim it from your nearest municipal trial court office.

Here I provide MTC Clearance eligibility criteria as under_

1. The applicant must be either a Filipino Citizen or a Foreign National living in Philippines.
2. The applicant must be living in the area of jurisdiction covered by concerned Municipal Trial Court.
3. The applicant must have a valid Government issued ID Card e.g. Passport or National ID or equivalent identity document.
4. The applicant must have a clear purpose of getting MTC Clearance and the applicant must mention the purpose in their MTC Clearance Application Form.
5. The foreign national applicant living in Philippines is required to provide a valid document to prove their residency in the area of the municipal trial court.

Before applying for MTC Clearance, the applicant must check if they meet the eligibility conditions listed above. In addition, the applicant must get the documents ready for the MTC Clearance Application.

MTC Clearance Fee

The MTC Clearance Fee is a small amount charged by the Municipal Trial Court. Every applicant must pay the MTC Clearance Fee to the Clerk of the Municipal Trial Court when submitting the MTC Clearance Application Form with the necessary documents.

• MTC Clearance Fee – ₱50 to ₱100

The minimum fee for MTC Clearance Application is ₱50 and it may go higher up to ₱100 per application. The MTC Clearance Fee can vary from one municipal trial court to another. The MTC Clearance Fee is usually ₱50 or ₱60 yet you can contact your nearest municipal trial court office to know the exact fee amount.

The applicant can pay MTC Clearance Fee by cash, it is easy, quick and convenient payment mode for everyone. In case the municipal trial court accepts online payment then the applicant can pay the fee online by a credit card or debit card or net banking.

How to Get MTC Clearance in Philippines

Being a Filipino Citizen or Foreign National residing in Philippines, you may need an MTC Clearance for various purposes. To obtain an MTC Clearance Certificate, you need to go through the step-by-step process that I am going to share here_

Step 1: Determine the Area/Jurisdiction

You can find the area or jurisdiction of your concerned municipal trial court (MTC) from the Supreme Court website. Once your know your area/jurisdiction, you can visit the relevant MTC Clerk Office to apply for MTC Clearance in Philippines.

1. Go to Supreme Court of Philippines website @sc.judiciary.gov.ph.
2. Click on Trial Court Locator given at top of the screen.
3. Select court type as Municipal Trial Court.
4. Enter your province/region name and city/municipality name.
5. Scroll down to check the list of municipal trial courts that are close to your region/city/municipality.
6. Select the Municipal Trial Court that covers your city/municipality.
7. Note down the address and contact number(s) of your concerned municipal trial court.

Step 2: Get All Documents Ready

After determining your concerned municipal trial court details, you are required to visit the court office. But I strongly recommend you to get some time to prepare the documents required for MTC Clearance a day before you visit the municipal trial court clerk office to apply for MTC Clearance for yourself.

Step 3: Visit the Municipal Trial Court

You have found concerned Municipal Trial Court Address in step 1. Now, you should visit that court during its working hours. You can call it up in advance to know its working hours and visit the court on right time.

Step 4: Get MTC Clearance Application Form

At your concerned municipal trial court, you should find out clerk office and enter it. Thereafter request the court clerk for an MTC Clearance Application Form.

Step 5: Fill up MTC Clearance Application

As you get the MTC Clearance Application Form, fill it up with your personal details. Thereafter paste your 2×2 photograph on the application form in the photo box and attach all required documents with the form.

Step 6: Submit MTC Clearance Application

Make sure that you have filled up the MTC Clearance Application Form correctly and all documented are attached to it. Then go to the municipal trial court clerk and submit your MTC Clearance Application with documents to them.

The clerk may ask you to complete the application form if it is incomplete or any detail is missing. You need to complete it and submit the MTC Clearance Application to the court clerk.

Step 7: Pay the Fee

Once you submit the MTC Clearance Application, the clerk will check the form and ask for fee payment. You need to pay the MTC Clearance Fee as per clerk’s request (generally between ₱50 and ₱100) by cash and get the payment receipt.

If the online payment service is available at that municipal trial court, you can pay the MTC Clearance Fee online. But I recommend cash payment because it is quick and convenient. Don’t forget to collect the payment receipt from the clerk.

Step 8: Claim MTC Clearance

After fee payment, the court clerk will give you payment receipt and ask you to wait for 10-15 minutes. If there is heavy work load in that municipal trial court office, the clerk may ask you to visit the court next day to claim your MTC Clearance.

Once your MTC Clearance is ready, you can go to the clerk and show the payment receipt. The clerk will hand over the MTC Clearance to you.

In this way, you need to go through eight different steps to claim your MTC Clearance from the Municipal Trial Court of your region/city.

MTC Clearance Online Appointment Booking

The online appointment and online application services can save applicant’s time in getting their MTC Clearance from the municipal trial court in Philippines. If you want to save time and get MTC Clearance fast, just go through the online procedure steps given below.

1. Go to MTC Clearance official website.
2. Register yourself with personal details and login with your username and password.
3. Find and select MTC Clearance option.
4. Select Appointments and set your appointment date & time.
5. Select your concerned Municipal Trial Court Office and confirm your appointment schedule.
6. Pay the MTC Clearance Fee online and print the payment receipt.
7. Log out and close the web browser.
8. Visit the municipal trial court on your appointment day and meet the clerk.
9. Fill up and submit the application form with documents.
10. Wait for a few minutes and collect the MTC Clearance from the clerk when it’s ready.

So, this is how you can do MTC Clearance Online Appointment Booking and submit Online Application to get your MTC Clearance faster from the municipal trial court clerk office.

MTC Clearance Processing Time

The municipal trial court takes a certain time period to process the MTC Clearance Application. This process includes a background check and verification of past records in criminal cases and civil cases to determine the character of the applicant.

The MTC Clearance Processing may take 10 to 15 minutes, maximum 1 hour. But the processing may take longer if the court clerk finds something doubtful in the records. In addition, the clerk can ask you to visit the municipal trial court next day to claim your MTC Clearance if there is heavy work load in the court office.

Some courts may offer quick processing of MTC Clearance by taking extra fee. If you need an MTC Clearance fast and the quick processing facility is available at your concerned municipal trial court then you should pay extra fee to get the MTC Clearance instantly.

MTC Clearance Validity

The Supreme Court of Philippines has not set any law rule to implement any fixed validity for MTC Clearance. Generally, the Municipal Trial Courts add a validity of 3 to 6 months in an MTC Clearance according to applicant’s requirements.

So, you can request the municipal trial court clerk to provide your required validity in your MTC Clearance when you submit the application. The clerk will consider your request and provide MTC Clearance Validity accordingly. Kindly remember that the minimum validity of an MTC Clearance is 3 months and the maximum validity is six months.

Conclusion:

The MTC Clearance is a useful document to get a new job or obtain a business license in Philippines. With help of MTC Clearance, you can prove that there are no pending criminal cases or warrants or civil cases against you in the area of that municipal trial court in Philippines.

I have explained MTC Clearance Requirements, Purpose, Eligibility, Fee and Complete Application Process above. In case you still have a query or confusion, please ask it in the comment section.

FAQs