It is essential to carry your driver's Driver's License with you when driving a car. If you lose Driver's License, you will not be able to drive a car, and there will be various risks such as misuse by a third party.

Some people may have concerns or doubts, such as, ``What will happen if I leave it as is?'' or ``I don't know how to go through the reissuance procedure.''

Here, we will introduce in detail what you should do if you lose Driver's License, the risks that may occur if you leave it as is, and the procedures and required documents for reissue.

What to do first if you lose your driver's Driver's License

If you realize you have lost your driver Driver's License, take action as soon as possible.

Contact the location where you think the item was lost

If you have any idea where you lost your driver Driver's License.

Please inquire directly at stores, transportation facilities such as trains and buses, or check to see if they are delivered to your nearest police box.

If the transportation you used was JR, you can contact the "Inquiry Center (Lost and Found)" by phone, or you can also check the lost item online by entering the date, time and location of the item in chat format.

In the case of police stations, you can also check for lost items by phone or by using the "Lost and Found Search Page" for each prefecture.

reference: JR East Lost and Found Chat
reference: Publication page for lost items by prefectural police

File a lost item report with the police

If you can't find Driver's License after checking various places, file a lost item report with your local police box or police station.

By filing a lost item report, you will be notified if your item is found, and you can prevent Driver's License from being misused by a third party.

The following items should be included in the lost item report:

• Date and time of loss
• Lost location
• Characteristics of lost items
• Contact information if found

In some areas, it is possible to submit a lost item report online (electronically).

It's a good idea to search for ``prefecture name police station online application'' to see if your area is covered.

Report your identity at a credit information agency

In addition to filing a lost property report with the police, you can further reduce the risk of misuse of Driver's License by a third party by reporting your identity at a credit bureau.

A credit information agency is an institution that collects and manages credit information from member financial institutions and credit card companies.

Personal declaration is a system in which you report to a credit information agency that you have lost Driver's License and register the information.Although a fee will be charged, the declaration can be completed online or by mail.

Credit information agencies include designated credit information agencies (credit company-affiliated), Japanese Bankers Association (banks and credit unions), and Japan Credit Information Organization (consumer finance-related).

By declaring your identity at each credit information agency, you can prevent third parties from opening bank accounts or credit cards.

[List of contacts]

reference: Designated Credit Information Institution (CIC)
reference: Japan Bankers Association, General Incorporated Association
reference: Japan Credit Information Corporation (JICC)

What happens if you lose your driver's Driver's License?

If you lose your driver Driver's License and leave it unattended, there are various risks. Even if you don't usually drive much, you should not let your guard down.

can't drive a car

To drive a car, you are required by law to carry a driver's Driver's License.

Even in cases where there is no fault of your own, such as loss due to theft, driving without a license is subject to criminal penalties, so be careful.

Article 95, Paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Act also stipulates, ``When driving a motor vehicle, a licensed person must carry Driver's License for the motor vehicle, etc.''

Even if you are found not to have your Driver's License with you, there will be no additional points for the violation, and it will not affect your ability to receive a gold driver's license or receive car insurance. However, you will have to pay a penalty of 3,000 yen at a later date.

If you drive a car on a daily basis or if your car is essential for work, please complete the reissue procedure as soon as possible.

May be misused by a third party

If you leave Driver's License lost, it may be misused by a third party.

Because a driver Driver's License also serves as an identification document, there are cases where someone borrows money from a consumer loan and receives a bill that they do not recognize, or a mobile phone contract.

There have also been cases of malicious use, such as registration on dating sites and unsolicited delivery of unsolicited deliveries to addresses listed on Driver's License.

In some cases, there is a possibility that a bank account will be opened and used for crimes such as wire transfer fraud.

To minimize damage, if you lose your driver's Driver's License, report it as soon as possible.

Once the expiration date has expired, you will no longer be able to apply for a reissue of your driver Driver's License

There is no deadline for reissuance application itself, but you should pay attention to the expiry date of Driver's License. Once the expiration date has passed, Driver's License will become invalid and you will not be able to apply for a reissue.

If you lose your card within the expiry date, please apply for a replacement as soon as possible. Please note that reissue application and renewal procedures can be done at the same time.

The renewal period for Driver's License is two months from one month before the expiration date to one month after the expiration date.

If you apply for a "driver's Driver's License renewal procedure with reissue," you will only be charged a fee for the renewal procedure; you will not have to pay a fee for the reissue procedure.

If the renewal deadline has passed for no unavoidable reason, you will need to retake the course and exam.

[Procedure details when there is no unavoidable reason]

Reference: Metropolitan Police Department

Procedures for reissuing a lost driver Driver's License

If you cannot find Driver's License, go to the police station, driver's license examination center, or driver's license center in your area and complete the procedures for reissuing Driver's License.

Facilities where procedures can be processed vary depending on the region, so please contact the police station in each prefecture or check their website in advance.

Reception hours are only weekdays, and closed on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and the year-end and New Year holidays. As a general rule, the application must be completed by the applicant himself/herself, and applications cannot be submitted by a proxy.

The following is the general flow of the reissuance procedure at the driver's license examination center.

[Flow of reissue procedure]

1. Creation of application form
2. reception
3. PIN setting (2 sets of 4-digit PIN)
4. Taking photos for application
5. Issue

First, fill out the necessary information on the application form available at the counter and set two 4-digit PIN numbers. After that, an application photo will be taken and Driver's License will be issued.

Driver's License will be reissued on the same day at license centers and driving license exam centers, and two to three weeks later at police stations.

What you need to reissue your driver's Driver's License

Here we will introduce what you need to reissue your driver Driver's License. Prepare in advance to make the process go smoothly.

• application form
• photograph
• Identification
• Fees and PIN

application form

There are two types of application forms: the ``Driver Driver's License Reissue Application Form,'' which is used to reissue Driver's License, and the ``Driver's Driver's License Lost/Stolen Report'', which is used to report that Driver's License has been lost or stolen.

Application forms are available at the counter, so there is no need to prepare them in advance.

There are differences in the order of items to be filled out depending on each prefecture, so please follow the instructions of the person in charge when filling out the required information.

photograph

One photo is also required for the application form. This is used for identification purposes and is not for driver's Driver's License.

The size is 3.0 cm in height and 2.4 cm in width. If the photo was taken with a speed camera or a photo studio, it can be submitted as is without cutting it.

A clear photograph of your face, with no hat, no background, frontal view, and upper thirds of your body, must be taken within 6 months prior to application.

You can bring your own driver's license with you, but you can also take photos on the day using the speed cameras (800 yen) installed at driver's license centers and driver's license exam centers.

Depending on where you apply, there may not be photo machines installed, so be sure to check in advance.

Identification

Please also prepare a form of identification that has the applicant's name written on it, such as a My Number card or a health insurance card.

Submit one item, such as a passport or My Number card with a photo, and two or more different types of documents, such as a residence card or insurance card.

If you have filed a lost property report, please bring a copy of the report with the receipt number, a photo, or a memo.

[Identification card required for reissue]

Fees and PIN

A fee of 2,250 yen will be charged for the reissue procedure.

If you perform reissue and renewal procedures at the same time, you will not need to pay the reissue fee, and only the renewal fee will be paid.

In addition, the PIN number is used to issue an IC Driver's License, and two sets of 4-digit numbers are required.

The IC chip built into Driver's License records personal information and a photograph of one's face, which helps prevent misuse through forgery.

Instead of using something easy to understand like your birthday or phone number, choose a number that is difficult for a third party to guess.

Points to note when reissuing your driver's Driver's License

Finally, we will introduce points to keep in mind when reissuing a driver's Driver's License, such as the reception hours for reissuance, whether or not an agent can apply, and what actions to take if an old Driver's License is found.

Check reception hours

Please check the reception hours for reissuance procedures in advance.

Driver's License can be reissued at three facilities: police stations, driver's license exam centers, and license centers, but the locations and reception hours vary depending on the region.

It is best to contact the police station in each prefecture in advance, or check the location and reception hours on the website.

In principle, procedures can be completed at all three facilities on weekdays from Monday to Friday, and are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and the year-end and New Year holidays.

Applications cannot be made by proxy.

Regardless of the circumstances, the driver must carry out the procedures for reissuance of Driver's License. Please note that applications cannot be made by a proxy.

You can have someone represent you to apply for the "Notification of Changes to Information on Your Driver Driver's License", which is necessary for address changes, etc., but you must apply for reissuance and renewal procedures in person.

In order to proceed smoothly with the procedure, it is recommended to secure a convenient date and time in advance to match the reception hours of the facility where you will be applying.

If you are in a hurry, please complete the procedure at the driver's license examination center or license center.

If you are in a hurry to receive your license, we recommend that you complete the procedure at a driver's license examination center or driver's license center.

In the case of a police station, reissuance will be at a later date, but at driver's license exam centers and driver's license centers, reissuance can be done on the same day as long as there are no defects in the documents.

The time it takes to process and reissue a license is 1 to 2 hours at driving license exam centers and license centers, and 2 to 3 weeks at police stations.

[Facilities that can reissue and the time it takes to issue]

If you find Driver's License, return it.

If your lost old Driver's License is found after it has been reissued, please return it to the driver's license exam center, driver's license center, or police station.

The old Driver's License will be returned, not the reissued Driver's License. Be careful not to return your new Driver's License by mistake.

By the way, the end of your PIN number indicates the number of times Driver's License has been lost. When reissued, 0 becomes 1, and when reissued, 1 becomes 2.

Make sure to check that the last number on Driver's License is a small number before returning it.

If you lose your driver's Driver's License, it's important to act quickly.

If you leave Driver's License unattended, you will not only be unable to drive a car, but you will also be at risk of having it used illegally by a third party.

If you lose your item, first contact the place where you think you lost it. If you cannot find it, file a lost property report with the police station.

When reissuing Driver's License, please check the facilities and reception hours where the procedure can be done, and be sure to apply in person, not through an agent.

Once your license expires, it cannot be reissued, so it is important to act as soon as possible if you realize you have lost Driver's License.