We will explain the renewal procedures at the license center. We will introduce the reception hours, fees, necessary documents, etc., and also explain the flow on the day.

We will also provide detailed information on what is required depending on the situation, so please refer to this if you are planning to renew your license at a driver's license center.

License Center renewal procedure acceptance hours

Most prefectural license centers accept renewal applications on weekdays (Monday to Friday) from 8:30 to 11:00 and 13:00 to 16:00. Some locations also accept applications on Sundays.

However, be sure to check in advance as reception times may differ between weekdays and Sundays, and reception times may be set for each course category.

[By category] Training hours when renewing at the license center

Let's take a look at the course times and fees for renewing your license at a license center, divided by course category.

Good Driver Training

The target persons, training times, and fees for the good driver training course are as follows:

Target Audience	People who meet all of the following conditions: People who are under 70 years old during the renewal period from one month before to one month after their birthday People who have had a license for more than five years and have had no accidents or violations in the past five years from 41 days before the birthday of the year of renewal People who have never been involved in aiding or abetting a serious violation (※) or causing death or injury off the road
Training time	half an hour
commission	Renewal fee: 2,500 yen Training fee: 500 yen

*Assisting and inciting a serious traffic violation refers to a passenger encouraging a driver to commit a serious traffic violation, or knowingly failing to stop the violation.

The driver's Driver's License issued will be gold in color and will be valid for five years for those up to age 70 on the expiration date of the renewal period (one month after their birthday), four years for those aged 71, and three years for those aged 72 or older.

General driver training

The target participants, training times, and fees for the general driver training course are as follows:

Target Audience	Those who meet all of the following conditions: Those who are under 70 years old during the renewal period from one month before to one month after their birthday Those who have had a license for more than five years and have only committed one minor violation (violation of up to three points) in the past five years 41 days before the birthday of the year of renewal Those who have never incited or aided a serious violation or caused death or injury off the road
Training time	60 minutes
commission	Renewal fee: 2,500 yen Training fee: 800 yen

The driver's Driver's License issued will be blue and will be valid for 5 years for those up to 70 years of age on the expiration date of the renewal period (one month after their birthday), 4 years for those 71 years of age, and 3 years for those 72 years of age or older.

Senior citizen course

Those who are eligible for the elderly driver's license course must take the elderly driver's license course at a designated driving school and then renew their license at the license center. If they submit a certificate of completion of the elderly driver's license course at that time, they will be exempt from the course at the time of renewal.

Target Audience	Those who meet all of the following conditions: Those who are 70 years of age or older during the renewal period from one month before to one month after their birthday Those who have taken a senior citizen course
commission	Renewal fee: 2,500 yen

Those who need to take the senior driver's license course will be notified. Make a reservation and take the course at a driving school that offers the course. The course time is 2 hours, and the course fee is 6,450 yen.

In addition, people aged 75 or older will receive a notice for a cognitive function test or driver's license holder test within the six months prior to the expiration date of their validity period. Only those who are judged to have "no risk of dementia" in the test, and those who are judged to have "risk of dementia" but are subsequently diagnosed by a doctor as "not having dementia" can take the elderly person training course.

Please note that people over 70 years old cannot renew their driver's Driver's License unless they take the senior driver's course.

If you wish to take the course for seniors in a prefecture other than your place of residence, you will need to take a specific optional course for seniors. Please contact the driver's license center or police station in the prefecture where you wish to take the course to confirm the location of the course before taking it.

First-time renewal course

The target audience, training time, and fees for the first-time renewal training course are as follows:

Target Audience	People who meet all of the following conditions: People who are under 70 years old during the renewal period from one month before to one month after their birthday People who have had their license for less than five years and are renewing their license for the first time People who have zero or only one minor violation (violation of up to three points) People who have never incited or aided a serious violation or caused death or injury off the road
Training time	120 minutes
commission	Renewal fee: 2,500 yen Training fee: 1,350 yen

The color of the driver Driver's License issued will change from green to blue, and it will be valid for three years regardless of age.

Driver Violation Course

The target participants, training times, and fees for the driver violator training course are as follows:

Target Audience	Those who meet all of the following conditions: Those who are under 70 years old during the renewal period from one month before to one month after their birthday Those who have had a license for five years or more and have had a violation or accident in the past five years from 41 days before the birthday of the year of renewal (excluding those who have only had one minor violation)
Training time	120 minutes
commission	Renewal fee: 2,500 yen Training fee: 1,350 yen

The driver's Driver's License issued will be blue in color and will be valid for three years regardless of age.

Specific optional training

If you have taken a specific optional course within the last six months and are renewing your driver's Driver's License, you will be exempt from taking the course at the time of renewal if you submit a certificate of completion of the specific optional course.

Target Audience	Those who have taken a specific optional course within the past six months
commission	Renewal fee: 2,500 yen

Specific voluntary courses are courses certified by the Public Safety Commission and are offered to groups that are recognized as having common conditions in the region, workplace, etc. The course lasts two hours and costs 1,350 yen.

How to renew your license at the license center

The main steps for renewing your driver's Driver's License at a license center are as follows:

1. Get your license renewal application form at the reception desk
2. Complete and submit the application
3. take an aptitude test
4. take a course

Let's take a closer look at each one.

1. Receive your license renewal application form at the reception desk

Pick up your renewal application form at the counter during reception hours. If there is a reception machine installed, insert your driver's Driver's License and print out the application form.

2. Complete and submit the application form

Fill out the application form with the necessary information. If there is a sample posted, use it as a reference to avoid making any mistakes. Submit the completed application form at the counter. At that time, purchase a revenue stamp and pay the fee.

3. Take an aptitude test

You will be required to take aptitude tests for eyesight, hearing, physical ability, etc. The pass criteria for each are as follows:

[Vision]

Vision standards vary depending on the type of license.

Type of license	SLR	both eyes
Regular cars, motorcycles, medium-sized vehicles	0.3 or higher	0.7 or higher
Mopeds and small special vehicles	–	0.5 or higher
Class 1 Medium-sized vehicle, Class 1 Large-sized vehicle, Towing vehicle, Class 2	0.5 or higher	0.8 or higher

For passenger cars, motorcycles, and medium-sized vehicles, if your single-eye vision is less than 0.3 or you are blind in one eye, the visual field of your seeing eye must be at least 150 degrees to the left and right.

In addition, for mopeds and small special vehicles, if your vision in both eyes is less than 0.5 or you are unable to see with one eye, the visual field of the other eye must be at least 150 degrees on both sides and your visual acuity must be 0.5 or better.

For Class 1 Medium-sized Vehicles, Class 1 Large-sized Vehicles, Towing Vehicles, and Class 2 Vehicles, a depth perception test is also conducted. The test is conducted three times using a depth perception tester, and the average error must be less than 2 centimeters.

[Hearing]

Hearing in both ears is required to be able to hear sounds up to 90 decibels at a distance of 10 meters. In this case, the use of hearing aids is permitted for standard vehicles, motorcycles, medium-sized motorbikes, and small special vehicles.

【Exercise capacity】

You must be able to sit in the driver's seat and drive safely. If you lack the cognitive or operational ability required for safe driving due to a decline or disability in your physical motor functions, you may be deemed to not meet the standards.

Once you have passed these aptitude tests and your application has been checked, your photograph will be taken for your driver's Driver's License.

4. Take a course

You will take the course for the appropriate category. Since the content and required time for each course are different, they will be conducted separately for each category.

Once the course is over, you will be issued a new driver's Driver's License. The details will be checked, and if there are no errors, the renewal procedure is complete.

What you need to renew your license at the license center

We will introduce the documents required for the renewal procedure and what you should prepare depending on the situation.

Required documents

To renew your license at a license center, you will need the following documents:

• driver's Driver's License
• Renewal fee/Training fee
• Update notification postcard (※)

Those who do not have Japanese nationality will also need documents to verify their status of residence.

*You can complete the procedure without bringing the renewal notification postcard. However, since the course category needs to be confirmed at the renewal counter, the procedure may take longer than if you bring the postcard in person.

What you need depending on the situation

In addition to your driver's Driver's License and renewal and course fees, you will also need other items if you are in the following situations:

If you need assistance with vision or hearing

• If there are any changes to the information provided
• When applying for a residence card for those aged 70 or older
• If you have to apply before the renewal period

I will explain each situation separately.

If you need assistance with vision or hearing

If you need glasses or hearing aids, please be sure to bring them with you when you renew your license.

Don't forget that if you cannot meet the standards of the aptitude test without glasses or hearing aids, you will not be able to renew your license.

If there are any changes to the information provided

If there are any changes to the information on your driver's Driver's License, such as your address, registered domicile, or name, you can also apply for a change of information at the same time. In that case, you will need the following documents to verify the changes:

Documents required for change of address	Documents required for change of domicile/name
The following documents that can verify your new address: Copy of resident registration card, My Number card, health insurance card, residence card, postmarked mail, etc.	Copy of residence card showing permanent domicile

If you wish to have your maiden name listed, you will need a copy of your resident card showing your maiden name or your My Number card showing your maiden name.

When applying for a residence card for those aged 70 or older

If you are 70 years old or older and wish to renew your driver Driver's License, you will need a certificate of completion of the elderly driver's course. Also, if you are 75 years old or older, you will need a certificate of completion of the elderly driver's course, as well as a notification of the cognitive function test results and a certificate of the driving skills test results (if applicable).

A certificate of completion of the elderly driver's course, a notification of the cognitive function test results, and a certificate of the driving skill test results will be issued when you take the elderly driver's course, the cognitive function test, or the driving skill test. Approximately 190 days before the expiration date of the driver's Driver's License renewal period, you will receive a postcard notifying you of the course or test, so make a reservation at the driving school or testing center listed in the notice and take the course or test.

If you have to apply before the renewal period

If you have unavoidable reasons such as traveling abroad, hospitalization, or childbirth, you can apply for renewal before the period has expired. In that case, you will need to present documents such as your passport, medical certificate, or maternal and child health handbook to prove why you cannot apply during the renewal period.

What to do if your driver's Driver's License has expired

We will explain the procedures to follow if your driver's Driver's License has expired.

Less than 6 months from expiry date

If your license has expired within the last 6 months, you will need to take an aptitude test and a course to renew it. The following items are required:

• Expired driver Driver's License
• 1 photo for application
• A copy of the residence certificate showing your permanent domicile, or a passport or identification card issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (for those not subject to the Basic Resident Registration Act)
• Certificate of completion of training (elderly training, cognitive function test result notification, etc.)
• Course fees and renewal fees

In some cases, you may not need to bring a photo for the application, as it may be taken at the license center. Also, the fee varies depending on the type of license and training category you are re-obtaining, so be sure to check with the reception desk.

If you pass the aptitude test and pass the application check, Driver's License will be issued on the same day as a normal renewal. If there is a compelling reason, you can keep your previous license, but if there is no compelling reason, you cannot keep your previous license, and for example, if you had a gold license, you will become a blue license. The renewal period will also change to three years, so be sure to pay close attention to the renewal deadline.

More than 6 months but less than 1 year from the expiration date

If your certificate has expired more than six months but less than a year ago, you will need to prepare the following items when applying:

• Expired driver Driver's License
• 2 photos for application
• A copy of the residence certificate showing your permanent domicile, or a passport or identification card issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (for those not subject to the Basic Resident Registration Act)
• Certificate of completion of training (elderly training, cognitive function test result notification, etc.)
• Inspection fee: 1,550 yen / Issuance fee: 1,150 yen

After taking the aptitude test, you will be issued a regular provisional license, a semi-medium provisional license, a medium provisional license or a large provisional license depending on the type of driver's license you held. At that time, you will be exempt from the written and practical tests.

To receive Driver's License, you must take the written and practical exams for the full license. You can take the exam at a driver's license testing center or after taking a provisional license course at a driving school.

If it has been more than one year since the expiration date

If your license has expired more than one year ago, you will need to obtain a new Driver's License.

However, if there is a unavoidable reason recognized by the Public Safety Commission and it has been less than three years since the license expired, you may be able to re-obtain your license by submitting the following documents and applying within one month of the expiration date, and taking an aptitude test and a course.

• Documents proving the unavoidable reason and the period of absence
• Expired driver Driver's License
• 1 photo for application
• A copy of the residence certificate showing your permanent domicile, or a passport or identification card issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (for those not subject to the Basic Resident Registration Act)
• Certificate of completion of training (elderly training, cognitive function test result notification, etc.)
• Course fees and renewal fees

Documents that prove the unavoidable reason and the period of absence are a passport, hospitalization certificate, medical certificate, incarceration certificate, etc. In addition, the passport must be in a state where entry and exit records can be confirmed.

The fee varies depending on the type of license and training category you are re-acquiring, so please check at the reception desk.

[Other than license renewal] Procedures that can be done at the Driver's License Center

Here we will introduce procedures other than renewal that can be done at the license center.

Changes to information

If you move and your address changes, or if your name changes due to marriage or divorce, you will need to change the information on your driver Driver's License. In that case, you will need the following documents:

Documents required for change of address	Documents required for change of domicile/name
● Driver Driver's License ● The following documents that can verify your new address Driver Driver's License Copy of resident's certificate My Number card Health insurance card Residence card Postmarked mail, etc.	●Driver Driver's License ●Copy of residence certificate showing your registered domicile

There is no fee required for making changes to your registration information.

Re-issuance of Driver's License

If your driver's Driver's License has been lost, stolen, defaced, or damaged, you can apply for a reissue with the following documents:

In case of loss or theft	In case of damage or soiling
One photo for application Documents that can verify the applicant's address, name, and date of birth (copy of residence certificate, My Number card, health insurance card, passport, etc.)	Driver's Driver's License (if identity verification is difficult due to damage or dirt, documents verifying address, name, and date of birth are also required) 1 photo for application

In addition, a fee of 2,250 yen is required.

Depending on the prefecture, reissue procedures may be accepted at locations other than the license center, so be sure to check the official website in advance.

Voluntary surrender of license

When voluntarily surrendering your driver Driver's License, you can go to a license center or police station to complete the procedure. All you need is Driver's License, but if a representative is completing the procedure, they will need a letter of attorney and documents that can verify the representative's address, name, and date of birth (driver's Driver's License, copy of resident registration, My Number card, etc.).

In addition, if you apply for a driving history certificate at the same time as voluntarily returning your license, you will also need one photograph for the application and a fee of 1,100 yen.

When renewing your license at a license center, be sure to check the necessary documents and opening hours.

Most prefectural license centers accept renewal procedures from 8:30 on weekdays. However, this may vary depending on the location, and there may be designated reception times for each training category, so be sure to check in advance.

On the day, you will fill out and submit the application form you received at the counter, take an aptitude test and a course, and then you will receive your new driver's Driver's License.

Basically, all you need to renew your license is your driver Driver's License, the renewal notice postcard, and the fee. If necessary, don't forget to bring your glasses, hearing aids, and course completion certificate.

Also, if you are applying for changes to registered information at the same time, be sure to gather the necessary documents for the changes you are making to ensure the update goes smoothly.