Oops! Japanese driver's license expired!

In Japan, you need a driver's license before you can legally drive on the road. (Nonsense 😅) Driving without a license if the driver's license expires is equivalent to driving without a license. If it expires for too long, you must retake the test before you can get a driver's license again.

Last year, I received a notice that my driver's license was about to expire, but I kept forgetting to change my license. The notice was buried under a pile of letters, and it wasn't until one day that I sorted out the letters and found that my driver's license had expired! 😵‍💫

I heard that getting a driver's license in Japan is very expensive, and it is not easy to pass. Fortunately, Taiwan and Japan can exchange each other's driver's license without test. At this stage in Asia, only Taiwan and South Korea can exchange with Japan. As long as you have a Taiwan driver's license at the Japanese supervision office, you can change it to a Japanese driver's license, and you can get it after completing the formalities on the same day. Therefore, I haven't experienced the grind of a Japanese driving school. (Short-term tourists can travel by car in Japan if they prepare an international driver's license)

Japan, which attaches great importance to safety, inevitably has many regulations on car driver's licenses. Below are some points that I personally think are more important.

In Japan, like Taiwan, people over the age of 18 can get a driver's license. In the early years before Japan launched the Japanese version of the ID card 👉【マイナンバーカード (my number card) non-compulsory acquisition], most Japanese mainly use the driver's license as a proof of identity, so when they reach the age of the test, most people will Go get a driver's license. And if you live in an area where public transportation is not developed, it will be very inconvenient to not have a car by yourself. In addition, if you are under the age of 18, it is more troublesome to prove your identity. You have to apply for a passport and use a health insurance card, but there is no photo on the health insurance card, and the identity proof is not enough.

There are many types of car driver's licenses in Japan according to the weight of the vehicle. Here we only talk about the ordinary car driver's license that is used by the most people. For those who have just obtained a driver's license, the color of the driver's license is green, not the whole card is green, but the color of the valid date column of the driver's license in the center of the card. After 3 years, there will be the first renewal procedure (Japanese: Exemption for renewal). The main purpose of each license replacement procedure is to confirm whether the holder’s physical condition is still suitable for driving, to re-educate the driving safety awareness, to change a new photo, and of course to pay the exchange fee.

There are special regulations for novice drivers in the first year after obtaining a driver's license. The accumulated deduction points for violating traffic rules within one year exceed 3 points and must undergo [novice driver training]. This workshop is up to you to decide whether to take it or not, but those who don't have to take the exam again, and if you don't even go to the exam, you'll end up waiting for your driver's license to be revoked.

A novice driver will be upgraded to a blue driver's license after changing his driver's license once. This color indicates that he has left the novice stage. If there are no violations and no accidents for 5 consecutive years before the next license replacement, then the next license replacement can be upgraded to a golden driver's license (excellent driving).

There are various benefits to getting a golden driver's license.

• The validity period of the driver's license is extended to 5 years. The replacement period is longer, and the training time and fees are less.
• You can choose more places to change your photo, and the police station can also handle it.
• There will be discounts on car insurance premiums, and the specific amount can save nearly 10,000 yen a year.
• Each place has its own various discounts, such as discounts on food, gas, accommodation, etc.

However, as long as the holder of the golden driver's license violates the traffic rules, no matter how minor the violation, the next time the license is changed, the color will fade and return to the blue driver's license. It takes a long time to re-golden it.

This time, I was confused and didn't notice that nearly half a year (less than 6 months) had passed since the period for changing my license, and there were some more troublesome procedures for no reason. Originally, within the normal period for changing my license, I could choose the supervision office closest to my home, and the procedures were simpler.

The specific troublesome procedures are recorded as follows. The content of this paragraph is only suitable for people who have this need, and it may not be easy for people who are not familiar with the situation of Japanese driver's licenses.

In the future, if someone has expired like me, but it is less than 6 months, you can refer to it. However, over time, the solution may change, and the safest way is to directly contact the supervisory office where you are located.

Tokyo residents can only go to the three supervision offices of Fuzhong Test Field, Shanchu Test Field, and Jiangdong Test Field.

It is only available from 8:30 to 14:00 on weekdays, not on Sundays. (Normal photo change can also be done on Sunday, and it can also be done before 16:00 pm)

Before going, you must prepare a resident certificate separately. [Original nationality] must appear on the resident certificate, and [personal number] should not appear.

When you arrive at the scene, you must fill in one more reason for expiration, which is very important!

Expiration reasons are mainly divided into two categories, there are legitimate reasons, such as going abroad, hospitalization, etc.; the other is forgetting...

For those who have justifiable reasons, the expiry date of the renewal of the certificate shall not exceed 3 years, and the entry and exit records, hospitalization certificate, and prison certificate shall be attached. If it is more than 3 years, it must be re-examined.

If there is no justifiable reason, the length of the period exceeding the time limit will vary. If the time limit exceeds 6 months, you can pass the [Appropriateness Test] and then listen to the lecture; if it exceeds 6 months and less than 1 year, you need to get a temporary driver's license first, and after 10 hours of [on-the-road training], you can retake the driver's license; more than 1 year, continuous The provisional driver's license must also be retaken.

However, due to the epidemic situation in the past two years, the deadline has been relaxed. Tokyo residents can try to use "worry about the new crown virus" as a legitimate reason. For other places, please contact the supervision office where you live.

Source of information: チューリッヒ Hosho Co., Ltd.

https://www.zurich.co.jp/car/useful/guide/cc-license-expired-term/

My driver's license was finally plated with gold, and I was worried that it would fade before I went to the supervision office. Fortunately, after the license was replaced, it was still golden, and the replacement fee was the same as usual!

Finally, the protagonist of this incident is attached as a souvenir. The expired driver's license and the black circle in the middle are actually opened.

2022/04/05 posted.

Original link to Japan behind-the-scenes observation