Moving in Japan: must you change the address on your driver's license?
Yes. After moving, holders of a Japanese driver's license must promptly file a 記載事項変更 to update the address. Where you apply and what you bring depend on the license format you hold.
Yes. When you move and your residential address changes, a holder of a Japanese driver's license must promptly file a 記載事項変更, a notification to amend the information recorded for the license. Updating your address at a ward office or city hall does not necessarily update a driver's license automatically.
The notable exception is a person who holds only a マイナ免許証 and has completed the requirements for the one-stop address-change service. That person may not need a separate police notification after reporting the new address to the municipality. If you hold a conventional license or both formats, do not assume the data changes automatically.
Quick answer by license format
Format held | What to do after moving | What to check |
|---|---|---|
Conventional driver's license only | File the address change at an authorized police facility | Bring the license and proof of the new address |
Both conventional license and マイナ免許証 | Normally complete the procedure to update both | Bring both; do not confuse this with the one-stop service for マイナ免許証-only holders |
マイナ免許証 only, one-stop service not registered | Complete the required police procedure and linkage setup | Update the My Number card address before visiting |
マイナ免許証 only, one-stop service registered | Municipal address reporting may be sufficient | Confirm the service is active and the data synchronized |
First determine whether your status is 免許証のみ, 2枚持ち, or マイナ免許証のみ. The treatment differs. Merely possessing a My Number card does not mean that you possess a マイナ免許証.
Why is the address change required?
The National Police Agency says that when an address or name recorded for a license changes, the holder must promptly notify the Public Safety Commission with jurisdiction over the new residence. This duty is based on Article 94, paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Act.
The procedure does not state a universal deadline such as 14 days; it uses 速やかに, meaning promptly.
Failure to report may result in a fine or petty fine of up to 20,000 yen under the provision cited by the National Police Agency.
An old address can prevent the license-renewal notice from reaching you.
A mismatched address may create extra verification when the license is used as identification.
An address change does not change the current license expiry date or vehicle classes.
Do not wait for renewal when it is months away. Some offices allow address changes together with renewal during the valid renewal window, but that does not make a long delay compliant.
What order should you follow after moving?
First complete the 転入届 or 転居届 at the ward office or city hall so the official residential address is updated. Then update the residence card and My Number card as applicable, and take the appropriate evidence to the licensing authority.
File the move-in or within-city address report within the deadline applicable to residence procedures.
Check that the new address appears on the residence card or relevant residence record.
If using a My Number card, update its address and check the electronic certificates.
Determine whether you hold a conventional license, 2 cards, or only マイナ免許証.
Check the new prefecture's police website for filing locations, hours, and documents.
File the 記載事項変更 or confirm that the one-stop service has reflected the new address.
Retain the resulting papers and verify all information before leaving the counter.
The order is especially important for マイナ免許証. Tokyo police instruct users to change the address printed on the My Number card at the municipality before visiting for a license-information change.
Where can the address be changed?
The police authority for your current prefecture determines the receiving locations. One or more of the following are commonly available:
運転免許試験場, a driver's license examination center.
運転免許更新センター, a driver's license renewal center.
警察署, a police station handling license procedures.
Some prefectures may accept filings at a 交番 or 駐在所, but not every local post does so.
After moving to another prefecture, normally apply in the prefecture of the new address, not the old one.
In Tokyo, residents can apply at examination centers, renewal centers, and police stations in Tokyo. Tokyo police state that police-station handling is principally on weekdays; examination centers also have Sunday reception periods, but are closed Saturdays, public holidays, and the year-end/New Year period. Chiba, Saitama, and other prefectures may use different schedules.
What documents should you bring?
Foreign resident with a conventional license
From October 1, 2025, documents for foreign nationals in certain license procedures changed. Under Tokyo's current guidance for foreign residents covered by the Basic Resident Registration system, an address-only change requires:
The current driver's license.
A 在留カード residence card, 特別永住者証明書 special permanent resident certificate, or a 住民票 containing the required residence-status particulars.
If using a 住民票 in Tokyo, an original issued within 6 months is required under the current guidance.
The individual My Number need not appear on the 住民票; avoid requesting a copy containing it unless specifically required.
Bring original documents, because a phone image or photocopy may not be accepted.
In practice, the license plus an updated residence card is often the simplest set for a Vietnamese resident registered normally in Japan. Requirements can still differ by prefecture and residence status, so check the prefectural police page before going.
Holder of マイナ免許証 or both formats
Bring the My Number card that contains the license information.
If holding both formats, bring the conventional license as well.
Update the address printed on the My Number card at the municipality first.
Bring a residence card or 住民票 too if the prefecture's foreign-resident guidance requires it.
Remember any PIN needed for linkage or related service settings.
Writing the new address on the reverse of a conventional license is an ordinary 記載事項変更. Changing the holding format, such as moving from a conventional license to マイナ免許証-only or holding both, is a different procedure and may require a fee or appointment.
What happens at the counter?
Step | Action | Point to check |
|---|---|---|
1 | Obtain and complete a 記載事項変更届 | Write the address exactly as shown by the evidence |
2 | Submit the license and address evidence | Present additional foreign-resident documents if required |
3 | Staff verify the data | They may confirm the room number, building-name spelling, or postal code |
4 | Information is updated | A conventional license normally receives the new address on the reverse |
5 | Receive and inspect the document | Check address, name, and dates before leaving |
Tokyo charges no fee for a simple recorded-information change. Reissuing a card to display the new address on the front, changing the license format held, or completing another procedure is not the same transaction and may cost money.
Does マイナ免許証 change its address automatically?
Not every マイナ免許証 holder automatically receives this treatment. The one-stop address and name service requires you to hold only マイナ免許証, submit the required signing electronic certificate to the police, and complete マイナポータル linkage.
A My Number card without integrated license information does not qualify.
A person holding both マイナ免許証 and a conventional license should not assume police notification is waived.
A マイナ免許証-only holder who has not activated the service must complete setup or use the ordinary procedure.
After using the service, report the municipal address and verify it in マイナポータル or the マイナ免許証 reading app.
If data does not change or an error appears, contact the licensing authority instead of continuing to wait.
The benefit is that future address or name changes reported to the municipality can update linked license data without a further police filing. The マイナ免許証-only condition is the part most easily overlooked.
Is a new photograph or replacement card required?
Normally, an address change requires no new photo and does not extend the license term. For a conventional license, the new address is usually written on the reverse; the front may keep the old address until a new card is issued through an appropriate later procedure.
No new driving test or medical examination is required merely because you moved.
You do not need to wait for the renewal postcard before changing the address.
A replacement card is not mandatory solely to show the new address on the front.
If the license is lost, damaged, or you want new information on the front, a separate reissue procedure may apply.
A simultaneous name or nationality change requires more documents than an address-only change.
Can someone apply for you?
Proxy filing rules differ by prefecture. Tokyo permits a person shown on the same 住民票 to act as proxy in certain cases, with added documents for the license holder and proxy. Saitama states that the license holder should file in principle but permits an adult relative in the same household when conditions are met.
Check whether your prefecture permits proxy filing.
Prepare the original license of the person whose address changes.
Prepare a 住民票 showing the relationship and same household when required.
Bring identification for the proxy.
Check whether a power of attorney, pledge, or prescribed form is needed.
Because proxy conditions are not uniform nationwide, do not rely only on another person's experience in a different prefecture.
Moving to a different prefecture
You do not need a completely new license merely because you moved between prefectures. File the 記載事項変更 at a location designated by the police in the new prefecture.
Complete residence procedures in the new municipality first.
Use evidence showing the new address, not documents still showing the old one.
Check filing locations for the new prefecture.
You need not return to the police station that originally issued the license.
The new address will determine future administration and delivery of renewal notices.
If you moved prefectures while already in the renewal window, you may be able to update the address during renewal at a qualifying location. Check appointment rules and locations for your renewal-course category.
Common mistakes
Updating only the residence card and assuming the license changes automatically.
Possessing a My Number card and mistaking it for マイナ免許証.
Holding both cards but assuming the one-stop exemption applies.
Bringing a photocopied 住民票 or one missing required residence particulars.
Going to the nearest 交番 without checking whether it handles the filing.
Waiting for renewal even though expiry is months away.
Missing the renewal notice because the address was not updated.
Believing an address change extends the license term.
Frequently asked questions
I do not own a car but hold a license. Must I still change the address?
Yes. The duty follows from holding a valid driver's license, not from owning a car or driving frequently.
Does changing the license address cost money?
An ordinary 記載事項変更 is free in Tokyo. A simultaneous reissue, change of マイナ免許証 holding format, or another procedure may carry a fee. Check your prefecture.
Can the ward office do it together with my 転入届?
For a conventional license, the ward office normally does not amend the license; you must use a police receiving location. Only a person meeting all conditions of the one-stop service for マイナ免許証-only holders may avoid an additional police filing.
If my residence card shows the new address, do I need a 住民票?
In Tokyo, a foreign resident under the Basic Resident Registration system may present a residence card, special permanent resident certificate, or qualifying 住民票 for an address-only change. Other prefectures may differ; bring a 住民票 when the official guidance requires one.
Can I still drive while the license shows the old address?
Failure to update the address does not automatically turn an unexpired license into an expired one, but you are not fulfilling the reporting duty and may be penalized. File promptly instead of treating this as an allowed delay.
My license expires soon. Can I update the address during renewal?
Often yes, if you attend an eligible facility during the correct period with all documents. Tokyo police confirm simultaneous handling is possible. Check appointment and evidence requirements before visiting.
Checklist before you go
Complete the new-address registration at the ward office or city hall.
Update the residence card and My Number card as applicable.
Identify exactly which license format you hold.
Check the receiving location and hours for the new prefecture.
Bring the conventional license and マイナ免許証 if held.
Bring a suitable residence card or 住民票.
Do not rely on photos or copies when originals are required.
Check proxy rules if you cannot attend personally.
Verify the address after completion.
Locations, hours, proxy rules, and documents may differ by prefecture. Check the official police page for the prefecture where you live after moving, not only the guidance from your former prefecture.