Driver's licence renewal

[ManWithAPlan]

Hi Everyone,

I have to renew my driver's licence soon and I have been looking at how to go about it. I have a green card, and this will be my first time renewing my licence. There's the Driver's licence centre in the next town over, but for me to get there I would have to drive quite a fair bit, so if i can do it closer to home that would be great.

I have also read that it's possible for me do this at a police station, which there just so happens to be one just a short bike ride away. My question is, is it correct that as a green card holding, first-time renewer, can I take care of it all at the police station? Also, there's a driver's school pretty much a 2 minute walk from the police station, so is that also a place I may be able to do it? Thanks.

 

[Glenski]

Driver's license station is the usual place. You'll need a photo, of course, which you will be able to get taken there. Plus, you'll have to sit through a very boring hour or so of films, usually of auto crashes or similar stuff, even if you can't understand a word of Japanese. When it's done, they announce people's names and give them their cards as you file out of that room.

The whole thing is a systematic process. Just go to the station and follow instructions. People will tell you what forms to fill out and what step to do next.

 

[ManWithAPlan]

Thanks for the reply. I read pretty much all the steps (including the ones you mentioned) that are needed on a few different websites, but the information I am after is whether it can be done at a police station. It seems the Japanese have managed to get the systematic process at the centre down to a T.

 

[Majestic]

If you received the renewal notice, it will say exactly where you can get your license renewed. Usually, the cleaner your record, the greater (and more convenient) your options are.

I know if you live in Tokyo (for example) if you have no changes in your status and no violations, you can renew your license at the police station that has the license renewal window (not every police station has one of these). The notification card lists the stations where you should be eligible to get your license renewed.

If you have an infraction (even a parking violation), you usually need to go all the way to the driver license center, which is a depressing, slightly complicated, and completely tedious trudge out to a dreary corner of Tokyo.

The opening hours for the window at the police station are fairly compatible with work hours - meaning you can feasibly get your license renewed and still be in to work before lunch. If you have to take the forlorn journey out to the license center, you can kiss the day goodbye.

Anyway, the renewal card/notice should list the options available for you.

 

[ManWithAPlan]

Thanks the advice. Actually, I haven't received my postcard because I moved last year and didn't update my address. It's completely my fault for not getting around to it, but I spent so much time updating everything else it slipped my mind and then when I remembered again I just decided to wait because I knew my renewal was this year, so I will update my address when I get my renewal. I have my jyuminho ready and waiting.

I will give my local police station a try and if they say I can't do it there, I will have to go to the drivers licence centre, which I really do not want to do. I don't have any violations, so hopefully that'll work in my favour too.

 

[Mike Cash]

Info is here

 

[Glenski]

I will give my local police station a try and if they say I can't do it there, I will have to go to the drivers licence centre,

That's about the only advice I'd have given you anyway. Hope for the best, but be prepared for any sticklers to rules wherever you go.

And, yes, update your address.

 

[ManWithAPlan]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I just thought I would write a quick up date as I went to the police station this morning, and maybe this information will be useful for someone else who stumbles across this thread in the future.

Basically, it's entirely possible to completely skip the Driver's licence centre and just do your renewal via your local police station. However, there are a few conditions if you do it this way.

First, if you have a green licence, meaning that you are this renewal will be your first time, well then, you probably know this already, but you will have to attend a 2-hour class, which includes watching a video. This cannot be done at a police station, so really the police station option is only available to drivers with a licence that doesn't require you to watch a video, which I believe is blue licence holders and above (Please correct me if I am wrong here). Second, if there's a driving school nearby, they sometimes have certain days during the month where they will have the class that you need to attend, so it's entirely possible that you could complete the paperwork, eye tests etc at the police station, then go a driving school to attend the class. I like this option, but seeing as the one by me has only 1 day a month in which you can attend the class at the driving school, it isn't convenient for me, so I am just going to go directly to the licencing centre.

The alternative is the usual way of doing it, which is simply attending a licencing centre, where they will go everything in-house and you will get the licence on the day, instead of on a different day like at a police station. Hope this information is useful to someone out there.