Due to legal reforms, it has become easier to obtain a large vehicle license. If you obtain a large vehicle license and are able to drive large trucks and trailers, the range of work you can do will greatly expand. If it has become easier to obtain a license, taking this as a good opportunity to obtain one will be an attractive option.

In this article, we will explain the conditions and methods for obtaining a large vehicle license, as well as the costs involved. Please read this article if you would like to know the latest information surrounding licenses.

With the revision of the law in May 2022, it will be possible to obtain a large vehicle license from the age of 19

In conclusion, people aged 19 or older who have held a regular driver's license for at least one year can now obtain a large vehicle license. Previously, people aged 21 or older who had held a regular driver's license for at least three years could obtain a large vehicle license, but this has been significantly relaxed.

People under the age of 21 or who have had a regular driver's license for less than three years were not allowed to obtain it, which limited their job options. In order to resolve this situation, the Road Traffic Act will be revised on May 13, 2022.

However, you cannot get it completely unconditionally from the age of 19. One of the conditions is to take a process of taking up to 36 hours of special training for the exam. If you take this course, the conditions for obtaining the license will be relaxed as an exception.

This training can be taken at driving schools designated by the Public Safety Commission of each prefecture. If you want to obtain a large vehicle license, first check the driving schools you can attend.

Qualifications and conditions for obtaining a large vehicle license at age 19

A driver's license is a qualification based on the law set by the country. Therefore, there are detailed conditions for obtaining one. Let's understand the conditions for obtaining a large vehicle license at the age of 19, including the points introduced in the previous section.

To obtain this, the following conditions must be met:

• It has been more than one year since you obtained a regular driver's license.
• Take the "Examination Eligibility Special Course" at a driving school
• Meets age and physical requirements

Let's look at the details of each in turn.

It has been more than one year since you obtained a regular driver's license.

One of the criteria is whether or not you have had a regular driver's license for at least one year. The applicable licenses are any of the following:

• Ordinary license
• Semi-medium license
• Medium Truck License
• Large special license

A regular driver's license is for ordinary passenger cars, a medium-sized driver's license is for 2-ton trucks, a medium-sized driver's license is for 4-ton trucks, and a large special vehicle license is for special vehicles such as wheel loaders and cranes.

Even if you want to get a large vehicle license, you cannot take the test unless you have at least one year of experience after obtaining such a license. It is also not possible to take the test for a moped license, so if you do not yet have the relevant license, you should take the test after going through the steps in order.

Take the "Examination Eligibility Special Course" at a driving school

The May 2022 change in the law will allow 19-year-olds to obtain a large vehicle license, but this is a special case that requires taking special training for the exam, so it is important to remember to take the course. Make sure to take the course at a driving school designated by the Public Safety Commission.

Students will take a maximum of 36 hours of aptitude tests, theory, and practical training, but the specific content is divided into the following three courses.

• Age Course
• Experience Course
• Age + Experience Course

If you take the age course you will be allowed to obtain the license at the age of 19 or over, if you take the experience course you will be allowed to obtain the license with at least one year of license, and if you take the age + experience course you will be allowed to obtain both licenses.

For example, if you are 21 years old and have been driving for one year, you will take the experience course, but if you are getting your license at the minimum age and experience, you will take the age + experience course. Take the course that suits your situation.

The content and number of lessons for each course are as follows:

	Age Course	Experience Course	Age + Experience Course
Driving Lessons (first)	2 period	9th period	11th period
Driving Lessons (2nd)	2 period	18th period	20th period
Total of Driving Lessons	4th period	27th period	31st period
Academic training (first)	2 period	None	2 period
Academic training (2nd)	1 period	2 period	3rd period
Total of theory lessons	3rd period	2 period	5th period
grand total	7th period	29th period	36th period

The number of subjects you need to study increases in the order of age course, experience course, and age + experience course. Of the theory and skills, more time is spent on skills, but you should make sure you have a good grasp of both to prepare for license acquisition.

What is a young driver course?

A large vehicle license obtained by taking the special eligibility training course described above is called a special license, and is treated specially until the person reaches the age of 21, which is the original eligibility requirement.

Until the period is reached, the holder of the special license will be in the young driver period. If the driver accumulates three or more violation points during this young driver period (four or more points if the violation is three or more points in one instance), he or she will be required to take a young driver course.

If you do not take this course, and if you commit three or more violations after the course, your large vehicle license will be revoked.

Age and physical condition

As with other driver's licenses, you cannot take the exam if you do not meet the age and physical requirements. The age limit can be lowered through the special training course for eligibility mentioned above, but let's take a look at the basic definitions.

The age and physical requirements for acquisition can be summarized as follows:

• 21 years of age or older (can be lowered to 19 years of age by taking special training for eligibility to take the exam)
• Vision: 0.8 or more in both eyes, 0.5 or more in one eye (glasses or contact lenses acceptable)
• Passed the depth perception tester (average error is less than 2cm)
• Can distinguish red, blue, and yellow colors
• The alarm can be heard at 90 dB at a distance of 10 m (hearing aids allowed).
• No physical disability that impedes driving a car

These requirements will be examined during the aptitude test. If you have any concerns about the definition of a "physical disability that impedes driving a motor vehicle," check with the driving aptitude counter at the driver's license testing center in advance.

In addition, "A thorough explanation of the revisions to the eligibility requirements for large-vehicle licenses and class-2 licenses in 2022" provides a detailed explanation of the age reduction for medium-vehicle licenses, large-vehicle licenses, and class-2 licenses in 2022. We also introduce a quick reference table for training hours, so please refer to it.

Types of vehicles you can drive with a large vehicle license

If you obtain a large vehicle license, you will be able to drive large vehicles. A large vehicle is defined by the Road Traffic Act as a vehicle that has the following characteristics:

• Total vehicle weight is 11t or more
• Maximum load capacity is 6.5t or more
• Passenger capacity: 30 or more

Specific vehicle types include large dump trucks, large buses, trailers, etc. Large buses also include tourist buses and route buses, but driving these types of passenger vehicles requires a more difficult Class 2 large vehicle license.

Large vehicles are more difficult to drive than regular cars due to their size, and they have larger blind spots and are harder to deal with irregularities such as pedestrians jumping out into the road. Driving a large vehicle requires careful attention, so it is important to acquire solid skills in order to pass the test.

In addition, a large vehicle license also includes a license to drive the following vehicles:

• large car
• medium size car
• semi-medium car
• Ordinary car
• Small special purpose vehicle
• motorized bicycle

Separate licenses are required for large special purpose vehicles, Heavy Motorcycle, and Regular Motorcycle.

How to get a large vehicle license from a regular vehicle license

If you currently only have a regular driver's license, but would like to obtain a large vehicle license to help you in your work, you should take the appropriate process to step up. There are two main ways to step up:

• attend a driving school
• Take the one-shot exam

We will explain the contents of each one.

1. Go to driving school

If you enroll in a driving school and take a course to obtain a large vehicle license, you can aim to pass the test while acquiring the knowledge and skills. If you want to take the course between work or school, you can go to a driving school, and if you want to obtain your license in a block of time, you can take Driving Camp.

The process for obtaining a license is as follows:

• academic training
• Driving Lessons
• Final Driving Test
• Main test
• aptitude test
• Driver's License Issuance

If you have a regular license you only need one theory class, but Driving Lessons differs depending on whether you have an automatic transmission license or not.

	1st stage	2nd stage	total
No limitations	12th period	18th period	30 hours
AT limited	16th period	18th period	34 hours

If you are not confident about passing the test on the first try, or if you cannot arrange a vehicle or instructor for road practice, you should attend a driving school. It is also important to remember that people between the ages of 19 and 21 must attend a special eligibility course to take the test.

Who is the driving school recommended for?

Taking the above points into consideration, the following people are recommended to attend a driving school and obtain a driver's license:

• People who want to be taught by a professional instructor
• People who cannot arrange an environment for street practice
• Those who want to take Final Driving Test in a course they are familiar with
• Those who can only take the test on weekends

2. Take the one-shot test

If you take the test at a driver's license testing center and pass, you can get your license more cheaply and smoothly than if you went to a driving school. However, be aware that it is difficult.

The process for obtaining a license is as follows:

• aptitude test
• Provisional license skill test
• Road practice (5 days/10 hours within 3 months)

Once you have met the above requirements, you can take the exam.

• Pass the on-site test
• Pass the road test
• aptitude test
• Driver's License Issuance
• Acquisition training

Being able to practice on the road before the test is an important point for the one-shot test. This is because you need to rent a vehicle to use for practice, and you need to have an instructor who has either held a large vehicle license for more than three years or who holds a large vehicle license for Class 2, along with you.

These conditions can be met if you have an acquaintance or family member who has a license, or if someone can lend you a vehicle to practice on, but unless that is the case, you will need to pay a rental fee.

In addition, if you want to get a large vehicle license from the age of 19, you will need to take a special eligibility course at a driving school anyway. Please note that even if you meet the conditions and environment, you will still need to attend a driving school.

Who is the one-shot test recommended for?

Taking the above points into consideration, the one-shot test is recommended for the following people:

• People who don't have time to go to a driving school
• People who want to obtain a large vehicle license as cheaply as possible
• Those who can secure a passenger who meets the requirements for large vehicle and large vehicle license instruction
• People who can take the test on weekdays

People who need to take the special eligibility training must attend a driving school, so they cannot get their license as smoothly as they would if they took the regular one-shot test.

In addition, only a limited number of people can arrange for a vehicle for road practice and an instructor to ride with them, and the practical test involves driving on an unfamiliar test course, so the pass rate is low.

At a driving school, you can pass the practical test by passing Final Driving Test for the course you are familiar with, so it can be said that the one-shot test is more difficult.

Costs of obtaining a large vehicle license and subsidy system

When using a driving school, the cost is still a concern. How much does the one-shot test, which is said to be relatively cheap, actually cost?

You should also understand the cost of obtaining a large vehicle license. In some cases, you can obtain a license more cheaply by taking advantage of subsidies, so we will explain that as well.

Costs for obtaining Driving Camp at a driving school, driving camp, or one-shot test

A comparison of the cost of attending a driving school, the cost of taking a Driving Camp, and the average cost per one-shot test (for those with a standard driver's license) is as follows:

Driving school attendance	Driving Camp	one shot test
Approximately 320,000 yen	Around 320,000 yen	8,650 yen + 22,000 yen (training fee at the time of acquisition)

Please note that this amount is only a guideline and may vary depending on the region and driving school.

The cost of Driving Camp can be cheaper or more expensive than attending a driving school, but this will vary depending on factors such as the location of the driving school (whether it's in a tourist area or not) and the quality of the services at the accommodation.

In addition, if you fail the one-shot test, you will have to pay to retake the test. If you have to rent a vehicle for road practice or hire a passenger, the cost will increase even more, so don't just choose the one-shot test because it's cheap.

In "Comparing the Costs of a Large Vehicle License in 2024! Training Camp Fees vs. Commuting Fees," we compare the training camp fees and commuting fees. We also explain three important points to keep in mind when obtaining a large vehicle license, so please use this as a reference.

【2026年】大型免許の費用比較！合宿料金vs通学料金

Costs for obtaining a medium-sized or semi-medium-sized license to a large-sized license

What are the costs if you want to obtain a large vehicle license from a license other than a regular license? The costs of the driving school for each license are summarized as follows.

• Semi-medium-sized license 5t only (AT only): approx. 300,000 to 400,000 yen
• Semi-medium-sized license 5t limited (no limit): 250,000 to 350,000 yen
• Medium-sized license: 200,000 to 250,000 yen

Just like when obtaining a regular driver's license, the fees for driving schools vary depending on the area and the nature of each driving school.

The cost of the one-shot test is the same as if you were to obtain a regular driver's license.

Subsidy system available for obtaining a large vehicle license

We will introduce two grant and subsidy systems that can be used when obtaining a large vehicle license.

• Education and training benefit system
• Human Resource Development Support Grant

Education and training benefit system

The education and training benefit system is a benefit system that aims to support the ability development and career formation of working people, and to promote employment stability and job hunting. If you obtain a large vehicle license, you will be subject to "specific general education and training," which is a type of education and training benefit system.

You can check whether you meet these conditions and are eligible to use the system by submitting an Education and Training Benefit Payment Requirements Enquiry Form to Hello Work.

*Source: Education and Training Benefits System

Human Resource Development Support Grant

The Human Resources Development Support Subsidy is a system run by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare whereby the government subsidizes part of the training expenses and wages of workers employed by employers and others.

As a rule, subsidies for expenses are 45% of the eligible expenses. 45% of tuition fees for driving schools etc. will be paid, so if you are employed or plan to be employed at a company, check to see if you can apply.

*Source: Human Resource Development Support Subsidy

Get your large vehicle license in the right way according to your requirements

Due to the 2022 amendment to the Road Traffic Act, which was made against the backdrop of a driver shortage in the transportation industry, it is now possible to obtain a large vehicle license from the age of 19. The number of years you need to hold the license has also been relaxed, so it can be said that it has become easier to obtain a license overall.

There is a high demand for drivers who can drive dump trucks and trailers, so having a large vehicle license will be a big advantage. Although you will need to go through a process such as special training to qualify for the exam, you can obtain it just like any other license by attending a driving school or passing the test on the first try.

If you want to acquire the skills reliably, you can go to a driving school, and if you are able to prepare for road practice on your own, you can take the one-shot test. Obtain your large vehicle license in the appropriate way according to your individual circumstances and use it in your work.