Car, Driver's License, Motorbike and Dog Procedures When Moving in Japan: Parking Certificate First, Vehicle Certificate Within 15 Days

Deadlines and counters at a glance

Address changes for cars, licenses, motorbikes and dogs are all required by law. Here are the deadlines and counters.

Every one of these needs a resident record for your new address or a My Number Card showing it. In other words, the starting point is the move-in notice at the municipal office (or the change-of-address notice within the same city). The deadline and counting for the move-in notice are in Move-out and move-in notices: when to file.

Driver's license: the police station writes the new address on the back

The Road Traffic Act says a license address change must be reported "promptly". There's no set number of days, but your license is often used as ID, and an out-of-date address can cause trouble with banks and mobile carriers. Once you've filed the move-in notice, do it as soon as you can.

• Counter: the police station covering your new address, or the driver's license center (testing center). If you moved from another prefecture, you can still handle it at a counter in your new prefecture.
• What to bring: your driver's license and a document showing your new address (a copy of your resident record, My Number Card, etc.). Some prefectures ask for a photo if you moved from another prefecture, so check in advance.
• Fee: there is no fee for an address change (change of recorded details). The new address is written on the back of your license.
• If you have a My Number Card license: if you only have a license integrated with your My Number Card, changing the card's address at the municipal office means no police procedure is needed. If you also hold a conventional license, that one needs an address change.

Cars (regular cars): get the parking certificate, then change the vehicle certificate

For a regular car, you must register the address change on the vehicle inspection certificate within 15 days of your address changing (Road Transport Vehicle Act, Article 12). Since your parking place also changes, a new parking space certificate is required as part of the paperwork. Issuing a parking space certificate takes a few days to about a week, so getting the order wrong can make you miss the 15 days.

1. 1

   File the move-in notice and get a copy of your resident record

   On the same day as the move-in notice (or change-of-address notice), get a copy of your resident record for the new address. Choose one that shows the link between your previous and new addresses (one that includes the previous address).

2. 2

   Apply for a parking space certificate at the police station covering your new address

   Submit the application, a document showing your right to use the parking place (a use consent certificate for a monthly parking space, or a self-declaration for your own land), and a location map and layout plan. Fees vary by prefecture and total about 2,000 to 3,000 yen including collection. It takes about 3 to 7 days before you can collect it.

3. 3

   Register the change at the Transport Bureau office

   Submit your vehicle inspection certificate, the copy of your resident record, the parking space certificate, the application form and the fee payment form. The new vehicle inspection certificate is issued the same day.

4. 4

   Change license plates if the jurisdiction changes

   If your new address is under a different Transport Bureau office, your plates change. Bring the car to the Transport Bureau office to swap them and have the seal fitted. Within the same jurisdiction, you keep your plates.

Don't forget to change the address on your car insurance (voluntary insurance) too. Even if the coverage doesn't change, contact after an accident and renewal notices won't reach you. Once the change is registered, automobile tax notices generally switch over, but if you crossed prefectures it's worth checking with the tax office.

Kei cars: a parking place notification instead of a parking certificate

• Vehicle inspection certificate address change: handle it within 15 days at the Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization covering your new address. Bring the vehicle inspection certificate and a copy of your resident record. If the jurisdiction changes, your plates change too.
• Parking place notification: for kei cars, instead of a parking space certificate in advance, you notify the police station of the parking place after the address change. It's only required in some areas (prefectural capitals, larger cities and so on), so check on the police station's website whether your new address is covered.

Scooters and motorbikes: the counter depends on engine size

Scooters are subject to a municipal tax (light vehicle tax), so their plates are issued by each municipality. If you move to another municipality but keep the old plate, tax notices keep coming from your old municipality. When deregistering, bring the license plate and the plate issuance certificate.

Dogs: update the registration within 30 days, and don't forget the microchip

• Moving to another municipality: within 30 days, take your current dog license tag and this year's rabies vaccination tag to the office for your new address or the public health center. They'll exchange it for the new municipality's tag, and many municipalities charge no fee.
• Moving within the same municipality: report the change of location. You keep the same tag.
• Microchip change registration: for dogs and cats with microchips, register the address change in the Ministry of the Environment's registration system. In some municipalities, this change registration also counts as updating the dog's registration.
• Cats: there's no registration system like the one for dogs, but if your cat is microchipped, the change registration is required.

The order to visit: municipal office → police station → Transport Bureau

For a household with a car and a motorbike, an efficient route is to handle the move-in notice, a copy of your resident record, scooter registration and the dog's registration at the municipal office on day one, then go straight to the police station to change your license address and apply for a parking space certificate. Once you've collected the parking certificate, register the vehicle certificate change at the Transport Bureau office. With the license due "promptly", the vehicle certificate within 15 days and the dog within 30 days, the timing works even if collecting the parking certificate takes a week.

In the Moving To-Do List, ticking "I have a car", "I have a motorbike or scooter" and "I have a dog" adds these procedures with deadline dates and shows what to bring for each counter together. If a deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday, the previous working day is shown too. For how moving within the same city differs, see Moving within the same city, and for the overall flow, see Moving to-do list in chronological order.

FAQ

When must I change the address on my vehicle inspection certificate after moving?

Within 15 days of your address changing (Road Transport Vehicle Act, Article 12). For a regular car, first get a parking space certificate from the police station covering your new address, then register the change at the Transport Bureau office. Kei cars are handled at the Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization.

Which comes first, the parking space certificate or the vehicle certificate change?

For a regular car, the parking space certificate comes first, because a new one is required in the change registration paperwork. It takes about 3 to 7 days to collect, so apply as soon as you've filed the move-in notice.

What do I need to change the address on my driver's license?

Your driver's license and a document showing your new address (a copy of your resident record, My Number Card, etc.). Handle it at the police station or driver's license center covering your new address. There's no fee. If you crossed prefectures, a photo may be required.

Do I change my scooter's plate if I move to another city?

Yes. Scooter plates are issued by each municipality, so you deregister at the old address, return the plate and register again at the new municipal office. Some municipalities let you do it all at the new address.

What do I need to do when moving with a dog?

Update the dog's registration at the office for your new address or the public health center within 30 days. Bring your current dog license tag and this year's rabies vaccination tag and they'll exchange it for a new tag. If your dog is microchipped, also register the address change.