Expired Driver’s License

Steps to Take if Your Driver’s License Has Expired
In principle, you must go through the procedure for a new driver’s license either at Chiba Driver’s License Center or Nagareyama Driver’s License Center. It is not the procedure for updating your license.
 
Types of Expiration
Please check if any of the following types applies in your case:
1. your license expired within the last 6 months due to an unavoidable reason.
2. your license expired within the last 6 months but not due to an unavoidable reason.
3. your license has been expired for more than 6 months but not more than 3 years due to an unavoidable reason, and not more than one month has passed since the reason was cleared.
 
Note:
If your expired license included Large-size Vehicle, Medium-size Vehicle, Semi-medium-size Vehicle, or Regular Vehicle and it expired more than 6 months ago but not more than one year ago, for a reason NOT unavoidable, you are eligible for a temporary license (仮免許Karimenkyo) for each vehicle class by taking an aptitude test but exempt from driving and written test.
See “Temporary License (expired for more than 6 months but not more than one year)” for detail. (This process is limited to Chiba Driver’s License Center.)
 
Note:
A special measure is available to those whose license has been expired for 3 years or more due to an unavoidable reason:
Provided an unavoidable reason had arisen before June 20, 2001, and that led to the expiration of your license and the unavoidable reason was cleared within the last one month, you must pass a written test within one month since the clearance of the unavoidable reason; then by taking an aptitude test and attending a 2-hour lecture in the afternoon, your license will be issued. Reception desk is open only in the morning and the process will take a whole day. The special measure is NOT applicable if more than one month have passed since the clearance of the reason.
 
Reception Desk Open Hours
Monday – Friday 8:30 - 9:00 AM, 1:00 - 1:30 PM
 (closed on Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, and during Year-end and New Year Holidays)
※ Applicants returning from abroad are increasing. If you can, we recommend that you avoid Mondays and Fridays because the reception desk tends to be very crowded.
We also recommend that you are present at the time reception desk opens.
Please note that the new license sometimes may not be issued on the very day of your application if applicants are excessive.
 
 
Required documents
 
- Expired driver’s license
* In case you no longer have the expired driver’s license, please present an identification such as a health insurance card, My Number Card, or passport.
 
- Certificate of Residence (住民票Juminhyo)
If you are a Japanese national, it must include permanent domicile (本籍Honseki), or nationality if you are a foreign national. It should NOT include My Number.
 
* If you are a temporary returnee to Japan and not registered as a resident, please bring the following documents listed in either 1 or 2:
1. Certificate of Residence Exclusion (住民票の除票Juminhyo no Johyo) including permanent domicile (it is to certify that you have no address in Japan), Residency Certificate (PDF:120KB)((居住証明書 Kyoju-shomeisho), and a copied ID of the certifier (such as a copy of driver’s license or health insurance certificate)
2. Supplementary Family Register (戸籍の附票Koseki no fuhyo) including permanent domicile (it is to certify that you have no address in Japan. Be reminded that it is neither a full copy of your family register (戸籍謄本Koseki-tohon) nor an extract copy of your family register (戸籍抄本Koseki-shohon), Residency Certificate (PDF:120KB)(居住証明書 Kyoju-shomeisho), and a copied ID of the certifier (such as a copy of driver’s license or health insurance certificate)
Note:
Only those who are temporarily back in Japan and staying in Chiba Prefecture can apply for processing in Chiba Prefecture. If you are staying in another prefecture, please contact the license center of the corresponding prefecture.
Note:
If you are a foreign national and temporarily staying in Japan, please contact the License Center.
Residency Certificate (for short-term visitors from abroad) (PDF:112KB) (居住証明書(短期滞在外国人用)(Kyoju-shomeisho), passport
 
- If you have changed your name or permanent domicile, please bring a full copy of your family register (戸籍謄本Koseki-tohon) or an extract copy of your family register (戸籍抄本Koseki-shohon) which will certify the change.
 
- If you are a foreign national, please bring Residence Card (在留カード) or Special Permanent Resident Certificate (特別永住者証明書).
 
- A photo (3.0cm x 2.4cm, full frontal view of the head and shoulders without a head covering taken against a plain background within the last 6 months
More detail about the photo
 
- If you have returned from another country, experienced at least one year’s driving in that country, and possess a driver’s license from that country, please bring it. (We will examine and decide whether we can exempt you from displaying the Novice Driver Mark or lift a ban of carrying a passenger on a large motorcycle or regular motorcycle)
 
- If your license expired due to an unavoidable reason, please bring documents that can justify the reason.
 
- Eye glasses or contact lenses (if you need them for driving or your unaided vision does not reach the driving standards)
 
- If you are 70 years or older, please bring the Certificate of Completion of Lecture for Elderly Drivers (高齢者講習修了証明書).
 
- If you are 75 years or older, please bring the Cognitive Function Test Result (認知機能検査結果通知書), the Certificate of Completion of Lecture for Elderly Drivers (高齢者講習修了証明書), and the Driving Test Result (運転技能検査受検結果証明書) (if applicable).
Note:
Reservation is required. See “Lecture for Elderly Drivers” for more detail.
 
Fees
- Examination fee: 1,900 yen per category
- Lecture fee:
Superior Drivers: 500 yen
General Drivers: 800 yen
Traffic Offenders and First-time Renewers: 1,350 yen
- Issuance fee: 2,050 yen (If you apply for two or more categories, a listing fee of 200 yen for every additional category will be imposed.)
 
Procedure
1. Reception
2. Aptitude test (including vision test)
3. License registration
4. Photo shooting
5. Lecture attendance (Lecture for Superior Drivers (優良運転者講習), Lecture for General Drivers (一般運転者講習), Lecture for Offender Drivers (違反運転者講習), Lecture for First-time Renewers (初回更新者講習)
6. Issuance of license
 
Other Information
 
Visiting the License Center
If you feel ill, please postpone your visit until when you recover.
 
Depending on Type of Expiry
- If Type 1 (“your license expired within the last 6 months due to an unavoidable reason.”) applies to you, we consider the licensed period is continuing. If you have been continuously licensed for the past 5 years or more AND you have never caused a traffic accident nor violated any traffic regulations during the period, a Gold Driver’s License will be issued to you.
 
- If Type 3 (“your license has been expired for more than 6 months but not more than 3 years due to an unavoidable reason, and not more than one month has passed since the reason was cleared.” ) applies to you, you should make an application within one month after the day when the unavoidable reason was cleared.
 
- You cannot apply for the procedure if you are a subject of retest in the Beginner Driving Period System.
 
Documents to Certify the Unavoidable Reasons
 
- Passport
You are required to present the stamp record in your passport (from the last exit stamp before the license expiry date to the most recent entry stamp). In case your current passport is not stamped due to its renewal etc., please bring your old passport also.
* If you used an automated gate and did not get a passport stamp, or for some reason you cannot bring your old passport, you must present Record of Immigration issued by Immigration Bureau.
 
- Medical certificate
In order to prove that you were ill or injured before the license expiry and because of that you failed to have your license renewed, a medical certificate will certify that and it should include the name of disease or injury, the date of the first medical examination, the date when you were diagnosed as recovered (or dates of entering and leaving the hospital) . In case of certain diseases, you must submit a medical certificate in the format specified by Public Safety Commission, so please contact License Center in advance.
Example of medical certificate (PDF:56KB)
 
A medical certificate issued by an ophthalmologist should include the diagnosis, the date of the first examination, eyesight on the first examination day (right eye, left eye, both eyes) , the date of eyesight recovery, and eyesight on the recovery day (right eye, left eye, both eyes). If your eyesight from the first examination could meet the driving standards, the diagnosis cannot be counted as an unavoidable reason.
Example of medical certificate (ophthalmology) (PDF:56KB)
 
The above PDF files are samples. Some medical institutions may charge you additional fee if you request them to fill in such a form, so please ask the medical institution where you were examined.
 
Beginner Driving Period System
If your license has been expired for 6 months or longer, you are subject to Beginner Driving Period System (初心運転者期間制度). But if you have a foreign driver’s license and had at least one year’s driving experience in that country with the license, please present it with your driving record and a document showing period of your stay (e.g. a stamped passport, flight record showing your entry/exit). You may be exempt from Beginner Driving Period System.
In such case, please examine in advance the issuing date of the foreign license and period of stay on your passport. If you cannot present your driving record and period of your stay in the foreign country, you may have to present your former license, Driving Record, and/or immigration record issued by Immigration Bureau.
 
*【Beginner Driver Period】
You must take the Course for Beginner Driver (初心運転者講習) if you have accumulated a total of 3 violation points by breaking traffic rules or causing accidents within one year after being issued a license for Regular Vehicle, Semi-medium-size Vehicle, Medium-size Vehicle (8t limited), Large Motorcycle, Regular Motorcycle or Moped.
You would be subject to a retest if:
- you failed to attend this course; or
- after attending this course, you received a total of 3 additional violation points by breaking traffic rules or causing accidents during the beginner driver period.
If you do not take the retest or fail the retest, your license will be cancelled.
See Course for Beginner Driver for more detail
 
Who Can Apply at a Local Police Station
You can apply for the procedure of expired driver’s license at the police station in your area if all the following conditions can be met:
- Your license expired within the past 3 years due to an unavoidable reason and the unavoidable reason was cleared within the last one month;
- You have attended the Lecture for Elderly Drivers or Specific Voluntary Lecture at a License Center and;
- You agree to receiving the newly issued license at a later date.
Police stations’ office hour:
Monday- Friday    9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
(closed on Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, and during Year-end and New Year Holidays)