Renewing your Japanese Driver's License

Table of Contents

Your Driver's license will need to be renewed every 2-3 years depending on the situation.

Renewal period

You have a two-month period to get your driver's license renewed (starting from two months prior to the license's expiry). This period is to be notified to you in a postcard sent to the address on your driver's license about two months before your birthday.

How to check your driver's license expiry

①=YEAR   ②=MONTH   ③=DAY

JP license example

How to renew your license

At least 4 week before the expiration of your license, you will receive this slip from driver's license center.

RC-renew-01

You will see when you will be able to renew your drivers license inside of the post card.

RC-renew-03

Also there are instructions backside.

On the backside of the slip, you can find a Time Schedule and the location where you can renew your license, and the cost of your renewal.

RC-renew-02

 

What to bring (MUST BE ORIGINAL)

  • Renewal notification postcard (If you did not receive this, please tell at the reception at the driver's license center)
  • Japanese driver's license
  • Residence card **If you changed your address, your address has to be updated
  • The renewal fee in CASH *Please check the fees below.
  • *A head-shot photo (you can take a photo at the license center for 600JPY)
    1. H3cm×W2.4cm
    2. The photo must not be older than 6 months old
    3. Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera
    4. The photo should show a close-up of your face and the top of the shoulders
    5. No background

Renewal fees

Which one of the below driver's categories you fall under is mentioned on the postcard.

  • Excellent driver (優良運転者）3,350 JPY - Gold status
  • General driver (一般運転者）3,850 JPY - Blue status
  • Traffic-rule violator & beginner driver（違反者講習＆初回更新者）4,200JPY JPY

Other notes

  • There is no ATM or wifi at the license center and driving schools
  • Please arrive at the renewal location by one hour before the starting time
  • If you don't know what your license status is (usually, it is written on the notification postcard), please go to one of the renewal locations for the earliest renewal sessions