Are you considering obtaining a medium-duty license, but are wondering how to reduce costs and obtain it quickly?

Here we will teach you how to obtain a medium-sized driver's license as cheaply, smoothly, quickly, and reliably as possible. This is because the cost and period vary greatly depending on the acquisition method.

In this article, we will tell you three points to keep in mind when acquiring a medium-sized driver's license, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to choose one. In the second half, we will cover the commuting fees for 10 major cities in Japan (Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka) and 7 areas (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Tokai, Kansai, Chugoku/Shikoku, Kyushu) ) We have thoroughly compared the costs of recommended training camps.

Once you have finished reading this, you will no longer have to worry about getting a medium-sized vehicle license. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a license, so I hope you find a way to do it without any regrets. (As of January 14, 2026)

[1] How much does a medium-sized license cost?

What is the national average cost for a medium-sized license? For commuting

Medium-sized license school fee market price
Possession license	Price (tax incl.)
Ordinary car	229,138円
Semi-medium 5t limited MT	191,532円
Semi-medium license	170,888円
Limited release	110,816円

The above fees are the average tuition fees based on a survey of the costs involved in obtaining a license at 10 driving schools in the 10 largest cities across the country that offer medium-sized vehicle licenses.
*Provisional license application and issuance fees are not included. (As of January 14, 2026)

What is the national average cost for a medium-sized license? In case of training camp

Medium-sized license training camp fee market price
Possession license	Price (tax incl.)
Ordinary car	213,570円
Semi-medium 5t limited MT	183,427円
Semi-medium license	169,797円
Limited release	118,620円

The above fees are based on the average training camp fees based on a survey based on acquisition costs from 6 schools that handle recommended training Driving Camp and semi-medium licenses from 7 areas: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Tokai, Kansai, Chugoku/Shikoku, and Kyushu. It becomes.

*The above prices are for plans that include accommodation, meals (3 meals), transportation (partial), and a guarantee that no additional costs will be incurred until graduation. The provisional license application fee is not included. (As of January 14, 2026)

How to choose when obtaining a medium-sized license

How to choose when obtaining a medium-sized license

① Keep costs down
② Prioritize acquisition time and speed over cost
③地域ごとの費用相場と取得期間について　がポイントです。

First, let's focus on keeping costs down as much as possible.
When obtaining a medium-sized vehicle license, there is a system in place where the government subsidizes part of the cost, rather than having to pay the entire cost yourself.
This subsidy system has many benefits if used effectively.

[2] Get a cheap medium-sized vehicle license by taking advantage of subsidies

Individuals can save up to 100,000 yen by using the education and training allowance!

(1) What is education and training benefit?

If you take a training plan designated by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, you can receive a portion of the expenses you paid from employment insurance. This plan is available to people who have been covered by employment insurance for three years or more, but first-time recipients can take the program if they have a total of one year or more.

"I want to get a license, but the costs are so high..." This is the perfect system for people like you!
This system is available for both school and camp plans.

(2) How much is the benefit amount?

If you take and complete general education and training designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, you will be eligible to receive 20% of the fees you paid to the driving school (up to a maximum of 100,000 yen per year).
*You cannot apply for multiple educational training courses at the same time, but you can apply for a simultaneous training plan (e.g. medium-sized license + large special license + towing license).

(3) Check here to see if you are eligible for benefits!

(4) Points to note

The insured person under the employment insurance is a worker who is employed by a company, etc. and who is subscribed to the employment insurance. Individual business owners and public servants are not eligible for the education and training benefit.
This subsidy system has been established because a medium-sized vehicle license is a qualification necessary for work and can also lead to career advancement.

Corporations can save up to 160,000 yen by using the career development promotion subsidy!

(1) What is the career development promotion subsidy?

This is a subsidy system that subsidizes driving school training costs and part of the wages during the training period when a transportation company, etc. has an employee who has a regular car license obtain a medium-sized car license.

(2) Grant amount

The subsidy covers the expenses required to take lessons at the driving school and the wages paid during the time spent taking lessons at the driving school.

To obtain a medium-duty driver's license, you will be required to take approximately 20 hours of training at a driving school, although this will vary depending on the license you hold.

If the subsidies are used correctly, small and medium-sized businesses can receive an estimated 150,000 yen for training costs and 16,000 yen per employee for wage subsidies, for a total of about 160,000 yen.

One thing to note is that this subsidy requires more than 20 hours of training, so if the training, such as lifting restrictions, is less than 20 hours, you will need to add a job-related course or other training conducted within your company or at an external institution. By the way, each Driving Lessons and academic training session is 50 minutes long.

助成事項	Payment criteria (small and medium-sized enterprises)
wage subsidy	800 yen per person per hour
Expense subsidy	Half the cost of training Maximum amount per person: 20-100 hours: 150,000 yen
remarks	As a general rule, if the actual training hours are less than 80% of the planned training hours, you will not be eligible for the subsidy.

Possession license	Skill time limit	Number of academic hours	Target availability
Ordinary car	15	1	Additional training etc. required (16 classes x 50 minutes/60 minutes = 13.3 hours)
Semi-medium 5t limited MT	11	1	Additional training etc. required (12 classes x 50/60 minutes = 10 hours)
Semi-medium license	9	0	Additional training etc. required （14時限×50分/60分＝ 7.5時間）

*Since each lesson is 50 minutes long, you will need to convert the time as shown above.
*The time required to obtain a medium-sized vehicle license alone is not enough to meet the 20 hours, so you will need to add in forklift and slinging skills training, safe driving training, etc. Also, since this system is aimed at developing the professional skills of employees, you will need to submit an annual plan.

(3) Flow of receiving benefits

The important point is the process of receiving the subsidy. Careful preparation is required in advance. Although it is not a very difficult document, this document from the Trucking Association has detailed information. (Click here for details)

1. Selection of vocational ability development promoters
2. Creation of in-house vocational skills development plan
3. Creating an annual professional development plan
4. Submission of Career Development Promotion Subsidy Training Implementation Plan Notification
5. Conducting training
6. Submission of career development promotion subsidy application form
7. Receiving a subsidy

Next, let's take a look at ② the acquisition period, and prioritizing "quickly" over cost.

[3] The time it takes to get the qualification is key! If you go to school, it takes at least one month, but if you go to a training camp, it only takes one week.

Current license	skill hours	Department time	Acquisition period Commuting	Acquisition period training camp	recommendation How to obtain it?
Ordinary car	15	1	4 weeks	The 8th	Driving Camp
Semi-medium size 5t limited edition manual transmission	11	1	3 weeks	The 6th	Driving Camp
Semi-medium license	9	0	2 weeks	The 6th	Driving Camp

If you want to get it in a short period of time, it is overwhelmingly Driving Camp!

as a premise

Benefits of attending classes: You can book and proceed with lessons according to your own schedule.
Disadvantages of commuting: If the driving school is crowded, it will be difficult to make a reservation and your lessons will progress slowly.

Advantages of the training camp: You will receive daily lessons. Generally, you will receive the maximum amount of training time stipulated by law (Level 1 on-campus lessons: 2 hours, Level 2 on-road lessons: 3 hours).
Disadvantages of training camp: You cannot make other plans during the training camp period.

In the case of Driving Camp, the schedule will be as follows.

• Model schedule example ① Medium-sized license (regular car license): 7 nights and 8 days ~
• Model schedule example ② Medium-sized license (semi-medium 5t limited MT license possessed): 5 nights and 6 days ~
• Model schedule example ③ Medium-sized license (semi-medium-sized license possessed): 5 nights and 6 days ~

Why does it take so many days to complete the exam while attending school?

The number of training vehicles is small

The main reason is that the number of training vehicles is small. Since the number of students with medium-sized driving licenses is often only a few per month, many driving schools tend to have two to three machines (one for inside use and one for street use).

It is extremely difficult to make reservations for lessons when commuting to school.

1. Timing: Driving schools across the country are busy with high school and university students getting their regular driver's licenses in January, February, March, August, and September, making it difficult to make reservations.
2. Time: Generally speaking, people who obtain a medium-sized driver's license tend to be working adults. Due to the small number of training vehicles, if your reservation time overlaps, such as after the evening, you will not be able to make a reservation.
3. Day of the week: Similarly, reservations are often crowded on Saturdays and Sundays.
4. Other: Schools are also closed on regular holidays, Obon holidays, and New Year's holidays.

[4] Medium-sized vehicle license fees by region (a thorough comparison of commuting and training camps)

Here, we have conducted a thorough nationwide survey of the training fees for medium-sized vehicle licenses.
We have thoroughly compared the commuting fees in Japan's 10 biggest cities (Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka) as well as the costs of recommended driving schools offering medium-sized Driving Camp and intensive driving courses in the seven areas of Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Tokai, Kansai, Chugoku/Shikoku, and Kyushu.
So let's take a closer look.

*The following camp fees include accommodation, meals, transportation to the camp, and a guarantee until graduation.

Those who live in the Hokkaido area

area	Hokkaido (Sapporo City)	Hokkaido (Sapporo City)	Tohoku (Yamagata Prefecture)
acquisition style	Commuting to school	Commuting to school	training camp
Driving school name	Chuo Bus Driving School	Sapporo Inter Driving School	Matsuki Driving School Nagai Branch
Ordinary car	203,500円	200,805円	216,000円
Semi-medium size 5t limited edition manual transmission	167,420円	166,265円	174,000円
Semi-medium license	147,180円	146,465円	174,000円
Limited release	93,500円	75,625円	108,000円

~This is the key point in the Hokkaido area~

• Commuting fees are cheap compared to the national average! There are many driving schools that handle medium-sized driver's licenses for commuting students, so the benefits of training camps (fast and cheap) are slim.
• For those who participate in Driving Camp in Honshu from Sapporo or Hakodate, transportation expenses will also be paid if you use the Shinkansen or train.

Those who live in the Tohoku area

area	Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture)	Fukushima Prefecture (Nihonmatsu City)	Tohoku (Yamagata Prefecture)
acquisition style	Commuting to school	Commuting to school	training camp
Driving school name	Sendai Kita Driving School	Toa Driving School	マツキドライビングスクール長井校
Ordinary car	184,800円	192,390円	216,000円
Semi-medium size 5t limited edition manual transmission	158,800円	162,910円	174,000円
Semi-medium license	143,400円	145,640円	174,000円
Limited release	106,500円	95,700円	108,000円

~This is the key point in the Tohoku area~

• Commuting fees are cheap compared to the national average! There are many schools in the Tohoku area that offer medium-sized licenses, so there are few benefits to going to a training camp.
• The Tohoku area is a training camp mecca, and if you want to gain speed, come to training camp! !
• Please note that there are some driving schools in your prefecture that do not allow training camps within the prefecture, as they are prohibited from entering the area.

Those who live in the Kanto area

area	Tokyo (Tama City)	Yokohama-city kanagawa prefecture)	Kanto (Chiba Prefecture)
acquisition style	Commuting to school	Commuting to school	training camp
Driving school name	Tokyu Driving School	Minami Yokohama Driving School	Goi Driving School
Ordinary car	232,500円	256,520円	225,500円
Semi-medium size 5t limited edition manual transmission	202,100円	216,920円	187,000円
Semi-medium license	185,700円	195,800円	165,000円
Limited release	121,000円	139,700円	125,180円

~This is the key point in the Kanto area~

• A training camp is recommended. Especially in Tokyo and Kanagawa, there are very few driving schools that handle medium-sized driver's licenses, and it continues to be difficult to make reservations. The tuition fees for commuting schools are among the highest in the country and are relatively expensive.
• Even if you don't go to the Tohoku region, the following are famous training camps in the Tokyo area:
  Tochigi Prefecture (Nasushiobara): Nasu Driving School
  Saitama Prefecture (Kawagoe City): Smart Driver School Kawagoe
  Shizuoka Prefecture (Gotemba City): Smart Driver School Mt. Fuji Gotemba

Those who live in the Tokai area

area	Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya City)	Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya City)	Tokai (Shizuoka Prefecture)
acquisition style	Commuting to school	Commuting to school	training camp
Driving school name	Meitetsu Driving School	Nagoya Driving School (Tenpaku Branch)	Hainan Driving School
Ordinary car	249,960円	251,600円	220,000円
Semi-medium size 5t limited edition manual transmission	216,960円	211,130円	209,000円
Semi-medium license	197,600円	171,640円	209,000円
Limited release	117,150円	114,550円	132,000円

~This is the key point in the Tokai area~

• I recommend the training camp. In fact, Aichi Prefecture is famous nationwide for the high cost of commuting to school. Therefore, in neighboring prefectures Shizuoka and Nagano, Driving Camp from Nagoya are very popular. Access is also good. There is no difference in price, but if speed is important, then the training camp is the way to go.

Those who live in the Kansai area

area	Osaka-shi, Osaka)	Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture)	Kansai (Shiga Prefecture)
acquisition style	Commuting to school	Commuting to school	training camp
Driving school name	Hanwaho Driving School	Delta Driving School Shijo	Smart Driver School Biwako Seta
Ordinary car	206,950円	257,500円	297,000円
Semi-medium size 5t limited edition manual transmission	174,830円	224,200円	217,800円
Semi-medium license	157,120円	207,400円	178,200円
Limited release	83,050円	157,300円	99,000円

~This is the key point in the Kansai area~

• The cost will depend on the license you hold, but there is not much difference. Please check the cost in your area for more details.

Those living in the Chugoku and Shikoku areas

area	Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture)	Okayama Prefecture (Okayama City)	Chugoku and Shikoku (Kochi Prefecture)
acquisition style	Commuting to school	Commuting to school	training camp
Driving school name	Numata Driving School	Okayama Driving School	Ichinomiya Kochi Prefectural Driving School
Ordinary car	227,700円	267,450円	202,400円
Semi-medium size 5t limited edition manual transmission	192,500円	217,290円	158,400円
Semi-medium license	173,250円	190,670円	129,800円
Limited release	105,050円	108,460円	107,800円

~This is the key point in the Chugoku/Shikoku area~

• I recommend the training camp. Even in this area, the cost of commuting to school is higher than the national average. On the other hand, the training camp is very cheap.

Those who live in the Kyushu area

area	Fukuoka Prefecture (Fukuoka City)	Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture)	Kyushu (Saga Prefecture)
acquisition style	Commuting to school	Commuting to school	training camp
Driving school name	Minami Fukuoka Driving School	Nishiko Driving School	Imari Driving School
Ordinary car	219,560円	199,540円	181,500円
Semi-medium size 5t limited edition manual transmission	182,160円	164,340円	150,700円
Semi-medium license	154,110円	144,100円	133,100円
Limited release	110,110円	101,200円	82,500円

~This is the key point in the Kyushu area~

• Commuting fees are cheap compared to the national average!
• Many people looking for Driving Camp in Kyushu search within Kyushu, but in the Kyushu area, there is not much difference in the cost of a driving school and commuting to school. However, if speed is your priority, a driving school is the better option.

[5] Illustrated, thorough explanation of medium-sized vehicle licenses!

Professional driver qualification available from age 20

A medium-sized driver's license is a ``professional driver qualification'' that can be obtained by those who are 20 years of age or older and who have at least 2 years of experience driving a regular vehicle license. This medium-sized license was newly created in 2007. As shown in the diagram below, a medium-sized driver's license is a completely new driver's license created between a regular license and a large-sized driver's license.

In fact, the Road Traffic Act was revised again in 2017, and a semi-medium vehicle license was created once again, and there are currently four categories as shown below. In other words, two completely new driver's licenses have been created in the past 10 years.

First of all, let me explain in detail the meaning and contents of the medium-sized license.

Under the latest Road Traffic Act, Class 1 licenses are classified into six types as follows.
There are four licenses (1.3.5.6.) and two restricted licenses (2.4.) that were created due to differences between before and after the revision of the Road Traffic Act.

1. Ordinary car license
2. Semi-medium license (limited to 5t)...*1
3. Semi-medium license
4. Medium-sized license (limited to 8 tons)...*2
5. Medium license
6. large license

There are 6 categories:
*1 Those who obtained a standard vehicle license between June 2007 and March 2017 have now been automatically transferred to a medium-sized vehicle license (5 ton limit).
*2 Those who obtained a standard vehicle license before June 2007 have now been automatically transferred to a medium-sized vehicle license (8 ton limit).
In 2007, a new “medium-sized license” was created, followed by a semi-medium-sized license in 2017. In other words, the licensing system has been significantly revised twice in the past 10 years, making it complicated to understand the licensing system.

Obtaining a medium-sized license can be done in one of four ways.

There are 4 ways to obtain a semi-medium license:

(1) If you have obtained a Regular Manual license (*The key point is the timing of acquisition.)

If you obtained a regular license after March 12, 2017

1. Graduated from a designated driving school (15 hours of Driving Lessons, 1 period of theoretical training)
2. Passed the written test and aptitude test at the driver's license center

(2) If you have acquired a semi-medium 5t limited MT (*The key point is the timing of acquisition.)

If you obtained a regular license after June 2, 2007 and by March 11, 2017

1. Graduated from a designated driving school (11 hours of Driving Lessons, 1 period of academic training)
2. Passed the written test and aptitude test at the driver's license center

(3) If you have a semi-medium license (*20 years or older, 2 years or more of driving experience)

If you obtained a semi-medium vehicle license after March 12, 2017

1. Graduated from a designated driving school (9 hours of Driving Lessons, no academic training)
2. Passed the written test and aptitude test at the driver's license center

(4) If you have a medium-sized license limited to 8 tons

If you obtained a regular driver's license before June 1, 2007
Under the current system, you will automatically be limited to a medium-sized vehicle license of 8 tons. Therefore, if you remove this 8-ton limit, you will have a full medium-sized vehicle license.

1. Graduated from designated driving training (5 hours of Driving Lessons) *If your regular car license is limited to AT, you will need to separately cancel the AT limitation.
2. Passed the restriction release examination at the driver's license center

There are four ways to obtain a license, and the time it takes to obtain one varies greatly, so please be careful.
Next, we will explain the weight of vehicles that can be driven with a medium-sized license.

This is the size and weight of the car you can drive with a medium-sized license! !

With a medium-sized license, you can drive a vehicle with a maximum payload of less than 6.5 tons and a total vehicle weight of less than 11 tons.

It's not a commonly used expression, so it's hard to imagine what it means.
A medium-sized license is the perfect size for what are commonly known as 4-ton trucks.
A 4-ton truck is a medium-sized truck with a maximum load capacity of less than 5 tons and a total vehicle weight of less than 8 tons.

This medium-sized truck is the most commonly seen logistics vehicle in the city. Due to its versatility and ability to carry a large amount of cargo and make it easy to drive around town, it is used in a variety of fields, including civil engineering and food (refrigeration), in addition to the transportation industry.

Next, we will explain the types of trucks that are compatible with medium-sized licenses. A must-see for anyone considering acquiring one.

Types of trucks that can be ridden with a medium-sized license

Trucks that can be ridden with a medium-sized driver's license are classified into five types, shape characteristics, and uses. A truck is a vehicle whose shape can change completely depending on what kind of finery you put on it.

[Flatbed] This is the standard open-top shape. Flatbeds are often used in driving schools.
[Refrigerated/freezer truck] A van with refrigeration and freezing functions. In addition to transporting fresh food, it is also used to transport precision machinery.
[Crane] A vehicle with a crane between the driver's seat and the loading platform. This type is used by construction companies, civil engineering companies, piano transporters, etc.
[Van] The key feature is the box-shaped loading platform. Vans are essential for moving companies, florists, and for transporting clothing and miscellaneous goods.
[Dump truck] A dump truck that uses hydraulic pressure to push up the loading platform and eject the load in one go. It is a must-have for drivers in the construction industry.

There are also aerial work vehicles used at communication construction sites, packer trucks for garbage collection, mixer trucks for transporting ready-mixed concrete, and on-vehicle vehicles for transporting cars.

These high-quality medium-sized vehicles are popular for employment and have a variety of professional faces. They are truly professional drivers.
As we have seen so far, a medium-sized vehicle license can be used for a variety of business purposes, but there are three other points worth noting:

1. Twice the average for all industries! Super seller's market

   The labor shortage in the transportation industry is due to an "increasing workload." With the shortage of drivers becoming a social problem, this is an excellent opportunity for job hunting and career changes.
   Against this background, improvements in wages and other working conditions are being made!!

2. Due to supply and demand, there are many jobs with high income and high benefits! !

   The appeal of truck driving is the high salary. The working environment and employment of young people and women have also evolved dramatically!
   Furthermore, logistics is an important social infrastructure that supports people's lives and industrial activity, and trucks play a central role in logistics.

3. High social and public status!

   Logistics is especially a social infrastructure that supports economic activities. In the event of a disaster, they also play a role as a lifeline, demonstrating mobility and transporting large amounts of relief supplies.

[6] Summary

In recent years, the driver shortage has become even worse. This has also led to a rise in freight rates, which is expected to affect the treatment of drivers. This is good news for those who are looking to obtain a medium-sized vehicle license to advance their careers!

A medium-sized license is a high-level license that is good for finding employment. Whether you are considering applying as an individual or a corporation is considering having its employees do the work, it is possible to significantly reduce the burden by taking advantage of government and industry subsidies. I hope this article will help readers advance their careers.