Checked on 26 September 2026 against the Road Traffic Act, its Enforcement Order and Enforcement Regulation (e-Gov), the National Police Agency’s page on licence renewal, and the driving licence pages of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and the Chiba, Hyogo and Shizuoka prefectural police.
The short answer
- You renew a Japanese driving licence in the month before and the month after your birthday. The rule is the same for foreign residents and Japanese nationals.
- Since 1 October 2025, foreign nationals must show a residence card or equivalent at the counter. Any one of: residence card, special permanent resident certificate, My Number card with licence data, or a resident record copy showing your status details. Without one, you cannot apply.
- The reminder postcard goes to the address on your licence. Telling the city office you moved does not change it. Tell the police (it is free).
- The lecture takes 30 minutes to 2 hours, and in Tokyo you pay 3,350 to 4,250 yen for a plastic licence. Your category depends on violations in the last five years and how long you have held the licence.
- One day past the expiry date, the licence has lapsed and driving on it is unlicensed driving. Within six months you can get it back with an aptitude test. If you will be abroad during the window, renew early before you go.
Knowing this, you can work out your own deadline without waiting for a postcard, and renew in one visit with the right card in your pocket. If a move or a trip home overlaps your birthday, you will also know what to do beforehand so the licence does not lapse.
Your birthday is next month, and the renewal postcard has not come. A Japanese colleague shrugs: “Don’t worry, the postcard always comes.” But you moved last year and only told the city office. Your colleague has also never heard that foreign residents must show a residence card to renew. The postcard went to your old flat, and the expiry date is weeks away.
- When can I renew my Japanese driving licence?
- Why hasn’t my renewal postcard arrived?
- What do I need to bring to renew as a foreigner?
- How long is the lecture, and what is the renewal fee?
- Do I need to book? (Tokyo example)
- What if I am abroad during the renewal window?
- My Japanese driver’s license expired — what now?
- What if I drive on an expired licence?
- Which one are you?
- FAQ
- Summary
- Related reading
When can I renew my Japanese driving licence?
The window is set by Article 101 of the Road Traffic Act. It opens one month before the last birthday before your expiry date and closes on the expiry date itself. The expiry date is one month after that birthday. In practice, you have two months with your birthday in the middle (National Police Agency, licence renewal procedures).
An example. If your birthday is 1 April and your licence says “valid until 1 May”, you can renew from 1 March to 1 May. If the expiry date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday or the New Year break, you can renew until the next weekday, and the licence stays valid until then (Tokyo Metropolitan Police, renewal at the test centres).
How long the new licence lasts depends on your category and age (Article 95-6).
- Excellent or standard drivers under 70: until one month after your fifth birthday from now — about five years
- Violators and first-time renewers: until one month after your third birthday — about three years
The law makes no distinction by nationality here. Your licence expiry is counted separately from your residence card expiry. Copy the “valid until” date on your licence into your calendar today.
Why hasn’t my renewal postcard arrived?
The police (the prefectural public safety commission) send each driver a notice with the renewal window (Article 101(3)). This is the renewal postcard. Chiba Prefectural Police say it goes out about 40 days before your birthday, by ordinary mail, to the address printed on your current licence.
You move, file your moving-in notice at the city office, and your resident record and residence card both show the new address, so you assume your licence does too. Where you come from, that may be normal. In Japan, the address on your driving licence is changed separately, at the police. Hyogo Prefectural Police put it plainly: a change at the city office alone will not bring you the postcard.
The procedure is called a change of licence details (kisai jiko henko). Article 94 requires you to report a new address promptly. Failing to do so can mean a fine of up to 20,000 yen or a minor fine (National Police Agency). The change itself is free (Tokyo Metropolitan Police). To prove the new address, foreign nationals can only use a residence card, a special permanent resident certificate, or a resident record copy with status details (National Police Agency).
If you filed a change of address with Japan Post, the postcard may be forwarded. Shizuoka Prefectural Police even list “a renewal notice postcard with the forwarded address written on it” as proof of address. But forwarding only lasts one year from the day you file.
No postcard does not mean no renewal. You can renew without it (Chiba and Tokyo police). The postcard is a reminder; the date on your licence is what counts. You can also change your address on the same day as renewing (Tokyo Metropolitan Police).
What do I need to bring to renew as a foreigner?
For renewal at a Tokyo driving licence centre, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police list:
- Your driving licence (and your My Number card with licence data, if you have one)
- The QR code or reference number from your booking (in Tokyo)
- The renewal postcard (you can still renew without it)
- Glasses or hearing aids, if you use them
- The fees
Foreign nationals need one more thing. Under an amendment to the Road Traffic Act Enforcement Regulation that took effect on 1 October 2025, you show one of these at the counter (Regulation Art. 29(2); Tokyo Metropolitan Police notice on the amendment):
- Residence card
- Special permanent resident certificate
- My Number card with your licence recorded on it (maina menkyo-sho)
- A copy of your resident record showing the “specified items” (original, issued within the last six months)
The National Police Agency is clear that without showing one of these at the counter, you cannot apply for renewal. When people search for a “stricter” renewal for foreigners, this is the change they mean.
The “specified items” are the details printed on a foreign resident’s record: nationality, status of residence, period of stay and its end date, residence card number and so on. An ordinary copy is not enough. At the city office, ask for a copy that includes nationality and status of residence; the residence registration guide explains how. If your residence card is not with you, this copy can take its place.
Foreign nationals who are not registered as residents (not covered by the Basic Resident Registration Act) cannot, as a rule, renew a licence, apart from exceptions set by law (National Police Agency).
How long is the lecture, and what is the renewal fee?
At renewal you take an aptitude check (eyesight and so on), then a lecture. The lecture types and lengths are set by Article 38 of the Enforcement Regulation.
| Category | Who | Lecture | Lecture fee (Tokyo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent (gold) | Held the licence 5+ years, no violations in 5 years | 30 min | 500 yen |
| Standard | 5+ years, only one minor violation in 5 years | 1 hour | 800 yen |
| Violator | 5+ years, other violations in 5 years | 2 hours | 1,400 yen |
| First renewal | Licensed for under 5 years | 2 hours | 1,400 yen |
On top of that comes the renewal fee. In Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Police fee table) it is 2,850 yen if you will hold only the plastic licence afterwards. It is 2,100 yen for the My Number card only, and 2,950 yen for both. With a plastic licence only, the total at the counter is 3,350 yen for excellent, 3,650 yen for standard, and 4,250 yen for violators and first renewals.
A cabinet order sets standard amounts, and each prefecture fixes its own fees by ordinance (Article 112). Tokyo’s 2,850, 500, 800 and 1,400 yen match the standard amounts in the order. If you live elsewhere, check your prefectural police page.
If you got your Japanese licence by converting a foreign licence, the same categories apply. If you have held the Japanese licence for less than five years, your first renewal is a first-renewal lecture. The same goes if you learned at a Japanese driving school. Drivers aged 70 and over take a separate older drivers’ course before renewing.
Do I need to book? (Tokyo example)
Booking rules differ by prefecture. Here is how Tokyo works.
Renewal in Tokyo is by reservation. If you are under 70 and have the postcard from the Tokyo police (with a booking ID), you book a visit on the Tokyo driving licence booking site or by the automated phone line. Without a postcard you cannot book, so go to a driving licence centre (Fuchu, Samezu or Koto) if you can. The police do not reissue postcards.
Where you can renew depends on your lecture category. The driving licence centres take every category. The renewal centres and designated police stations do not take all of them. If you are unsure of your category, take your licence to a nearby police station or koban and ask (Tokyo Metropolitan Police).
The Tokyo police also state that if you cannot get a booking and your licence expires, it is treated as lapsed. If the booking system is full, go straight to a driving licence centre before your expiry date.
What if I am abroad during the renewal window?
If you expect to be out of Japan during your window, you can renew before it opens (Article 101-2). Accepted reasons are a trip abroad, medical treatment, business or social obligations you cannot avoid, and heavy snow or high waves that make travel difficult (Enforcement Order Art. 37-5). The Tokyo police also list childbirth.
Bring proof of the reason: your passport or a boarding pass stub for a trip abroad, a medical certificate for a hospital stay, or your maternal and child health handbook for childbirth. In Tokyo, early renewal needs no booking (Tokyo Metropolitan Police, early renewal).
Two things to watch. First, your next expiry comes sooner. After an early renewal, your next birthday counts as one full year (Tokyo Metropolitan Police).
Second, a condition that applies only to foreign nationals. The Tokyo police say that if your period of stay ends before your renewal window opens or during it, a trip abroad is not accepted as a reason for early renewal. Their reasoning is that you cannot be said to have a home in Japan to return to. It is accepted if your period of stay ends after the window closes. Before you go to the counter, put your residence card expiry and your licence expiry side by side.
If you are a student heading home for the summer or winter break, you will already be checking your residence card expiry and the date you must be back. At the same time, check whether the trip overlaps the month either side of your birthday.
My Japanese driver’s license expired — what now?
The date passes by a few days, you sort out the paperwork later, and you carry on driving on the same licence. Where you come from, that may be normal. In Japan, the licence loses its effect the day after it expires (Article 105). What follows is not a renewal but a new application for a licence (Tokyo Metropolitan Police).
Depending on how long it has been, part of the test is waived (Article 97-2; National Police Agency).
| Time since it lapsed | What happens |
|---|---|
| Within 6 months | Written and driving tests waived. You get it back with an aptitude test and a lecture |
| 6 months to 1 year (no valid reason) | For ordinary car licences and similar, only the provisional licence tests are waived |
| 6 months to 3 years (valid reason) | Written and driving tests waived if you apply within 1 month after the reason ends |
| Anything else | No waiver. You start from the beginning |
Valid reasons are a trip abroad, disaster, illness or injury, legal detention, unavoidable business or social obligations, and other circumstances the commission accepts (Enforcement Order Art. 33-6-2). The Tokyo police page for people whose licence has expired says that “I was busy at work”, “I didn’t see the postcard” and “I couldn’t get a booking” are not valid reasons. If you do have one, bring documents that prove it. Drivers who had a valid reason are treated as if the licence had continued, so they can still be in the excellent or standard category (National Police Agency).
Foreign nationals getting a lapsed licence back submit a resident record copy with the specified items (National Police Agency; Tokyo Metropolitan Police). In Tokyo this is done only at a driving licence centre, on weekdays. With no valid reason and within six months, you pay a 1,950 yen test fee, an 800 or 1,400 yen lecture fee, and a 2,350 yen issue fee (plastic licence only): 5,100 or 5,700 yen in total.
Some people only notice after coming back from home that the licence has lapsed. Whether going home counts as a “trip abroad” is decided by the commission case by case. Do not decide it yourself; ask at the driving licence centre for your address.
What if I drive on an expired licence?
Driving on a lapsed licence is unlicensed driving (Article 64). The penalty is up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to 500,000 yen (Article 117-2-2). One day over the date is enough.
An International Driving Permit issued in Japan also stops being valid once the Japanese licence it is based on has lapsed, even if the permit’s own date has not passed (National Police Agency). If you plan to drive abroad, check your Japanese licence date first.
An accident while unlicensed adds the unlicensed driving to everything else. What to do at the scene, and how insurance and your residence status come into it, is in the car accident guide.
Which one are you?
- Your expiry is more than two months away — put the expiry date, and the date one month before your birthday, in your calendar. If you have moved, report the new address to the police this week.
- You are in the window and no postcard has come — do not wait for it. Today, with your residence card and licence in hand, look up your prefectural police’s booking method or licence centre hours.
- You will be abroad during the window — check whether your residence card expiry is after the window closes. If it is, get your passport or ticket ready today and pick a day for early renewal.
- The date has already passed — stop driving today. Count the months since it lapsed, get a resident record copy with the specified items, and pick a day to go to the licence centre.
FAQ
Q. Do foreigners need a residence card to renew a driving licence in Japan?
Since 1 October 2025, foreign nationals must show a residence card or equivalent at the counter. Any one of a residence card, special permanent resident certificate, My Number card with licence data, or resident record copy with the specified items. Without one, you cannot apply.
Q. When can I renew my Japanese driving licence?
From one month before the last birthday before expiry until one month after it (the expiry date on your licence). If that date is a weekend, public holiday or in the New Year break, you can renew until the next weekday. The same applies to foreign residents.
Q. My renewal postcard has not arrived. Can I still renew?
Yes. The postcard goes to the address on your licence, so it will not reach you if you never reported a move to the police. You can renew without it during your window. In Tokyo, the police ask you to go to a driving licence centre if you have no postcard.
Q. How much is the driving licence renewal fee in Japan?
In Tokyo, the renewal fee is 2,850 yen for a plastic licence, plus a lecture fee. The lecture fee is 500 yen (excellent), 800 yen (standard) or 1,400 yen (violator or first renewal), so the total is 3,350 to 4,250 yen. Each prefecture sets its own fees.
Q. I will be in my home country during my renewal window. What can I do?
Renew early, before you leave. Bring proof that you will be abroad, such as your passport or ticket. But the Tokyo police do not accept a trip abroad as the reason if your period of stay ends before the window closes.
Q. My Japanese driving licence has expired. What happens?
It has lapsed, and driving on it is unlicensed driving. Within six months, the written and driving tests are waived and you can get it back with an aptitude test and a lecture. With a valid reason such as a trip abroad or hospital stay, the same applies within three years if you apply within one month after the reason ends.
Summary
You renew in the month either side of your birthday. Since October 2025, foreign nationals cannot apply without showing a residence card or equivalent. The lecture takes 30 minutes to 2 hours, and in Tokyo you pay 3,350 to 4,250 yen for a plastic licence.
The postcard is where most people slip. It goes to the address the police have, and the city office does not update it. Go by the date on your licence, not by the postcard. If you will be abroad, renew early; if it has already lapsed, get to the licence centre within six months. Driving on a lapsed licence is unlicensed driving, even one day late.
Official sources: Road Traffic Act (e-Gov, Japanese) / Road Traffic Act Enforcement Order / Road Traffic Act Enforcement Regulation / National Police Agency, licence renewal and other procedures / Tokyo Metropolitan Police, renewal at driving licence centres / Tokyo Metropolitan Police, fees / Tokyo Metropolitan Police, rule change of 1 October 2025 / Tokyo Metropolitan Police, early renewal / Tokyo Metropolitan Police, expired licences / Chiba Prefectural Police, renewal postcard / Hyogo Prefectural Police, change of licence details (all in Japanese). Checked on 26 September 2026. Booking methods, hours and fees differ by prefecture, so check your own prefectural police page.
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