They are two separate renewals. Your DTI business name registration is valid for five years, and you can renew it up to 180 days before it expires. Your mayor's permit is valid for one year and, in most cities, is renewed in January, with local taxes due in the first 20 days. Renewing one does not renew the other.[1,2,3]
Side by side
| DTI business name | Mayor's permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Who issues it | Department of Trade and Industry | Your city or municipality |
| How long it lasts | 5 years from the date of registration | 1 year |
| When to renew | Early: up to 180 days before expiry. Regular: within 90 days after expiry | First month of the year or on the permit's anniversary, as your city chooses |
| Late window | 90 more days after the regular period | After your city's deadline, usually 20 January unless extended |
| Late cost | Additional 50% | Up to 25% surcharge plus up to 2% a month interest (city sets the rate) |
| Fee | ₱200 barangay, ₱500 city, ₱1,000 regional, ₱2,000 national scope, plus ₱30 DST | Business tax and fees assessed by the city |
| How to pay | Online: GCash, PayMaya, credit or debit card | Your city's treasurer or its online portal |
Why people mix them up
Both are called "renewal", both come up when you register, and many cities ask to see your DTI certificate when you renew your permit. Valenzuela lists proof of DTI, SEC or CDA registration among its renewal requirements. Bacolod's 2025 checklist, which covers new and renewal applications, asks for the original DTI registration.[5,6]
But the two expire on different dates. A DTI certificate issued in March 2023 runs to March 2028. Your mayor's permit expires every year. Mixing them up leads to two mistakes: renewing DTI every January when you do not need to, or forgetting it in the fifth year.[1]
Does the city need a fresh DTI certificate every year?
Not always. Imus's July 2025 renewal checklist asks for your DTI, SEC or CDA registration only if it has expired. A valid certificate from an earlier year is enough there.[4]
Other cities word it differently, so read your own city's list. If your DTI certificate expires during the year, renew it before you go, so the copy you hand over is current. See renewal requirements by city.[5]
Using DTI's 180-day early window
DTI lets you file up to 180 calendar days before your certificate expires. If your fifth year ends in the first half of 2027, you can renew the name in late 2026 and walk into the January permit renewal with a fresh certificate.[1]
Pay quickly once you apply. DTI's system treats an application as abandoned if the fee is not paid within seven calendar days. It accepts GCash, PayMaya and credit or debit cards.[1]
When the mayor's permit renewal falls
The Ease of Doing Business law makes business permits valid for one year and lets each city choose to renew in the first month of the year or on the permit's anniversary. Most cities in our research use January. Davao's charter says its permit is renewed within January and expires on 31 December.[2,8]
Quezon City uses the anniversary: its guide says you file one year from your permit's issue date. If you are in QC, your renewal date is printed on your permit, not on the calendar.[7]
Closing? Both need to be ended
Stopping your mayor's permit does not cancel your DTI business name. DTI says you must apply to cancel the registered name when you close. Steps are on closing instead of renewing.[9]
Track both renewals
- Write your DTI certificate's expiry date on your calendar
- Set a reminder 180 days before it
- Mark 1 to 20 January for the mayor's permit every year
- If DTI expires in 2027, renew it before your January visit
- Bring a copy of your DTI certificate to the permit renewal
- Keep both receipts in one folder
Questions people ask
- Do I renew my DTI registration every year?
- No. A DTI business name registration is valid for five years from the date of registration. You renew it once in that cycle.
- Can my mayor's permit be renewed if my DTI certificate has expired?
- Cities usually ask for proof of registration. Imus asks for the DTI certificate on renewal when it has expired, so renew DTI first.
- How early can I renew my DTI business name?
- Up to 180 calendar days before the expiration date.
- Is the late fee the same for both?
- No. DTI charges an additional 50% for late filing. For the mayor's permit, the law allows a surcharge of up to 25% and interest of up to 2% a month, at rates your city sets.
Sources
Checked 13 November 2026. We link the agency's own page for every requirement. Rules change; confirm with the office before you pay.
- BNRS - Frequently Asked Questions · DTI
- Republic Act No. 11032 (Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018) · Lawphil Project (Arellano Law Foundation) · 28 May 2018
- Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code of 1991) · Congress of the Philippines (via Lawphil) · 10 October 1991
- CHECKLIST OF REQUIREMENTS FOR RENEWAL OF BUSINESS PERMIT (20250731) · City Government of Imus · 31 July 2025
- PASPAS PERMIT · City Government of Valenzuela
- 2025 Business Permit Checklist of Requirements · City Government of Bacolod · December 2024
- How to Renew Business Permit - Quezon City Government · Quezon City Government · 6 January 2026
- The City Government of Davao Citizen's Charter Handbook · City Government of Davao
- Closing a Business · Department of Trade and Industry