renewing drivers license

[sunrise 0]

Hi all you J drivers,

 

My J driver's license if up for it's first renewal later this month.

 

What's the best way to renew? I was going to go to the motor registry (a hassle) but then someone said you can do it at any big police station (I guess koban is a no).

 

Is that an easy way to do it, or is the registry better? I guess the cops take the photo there?

 

Thanks.

[indosnm 0]

I went to the big rego place and you get it done in a few hours.

I had another choice to do it at a larger police station but that was going to take a week.

[Go Native 70]

I did it at the police station when I renewed mine earlier this year. Had to sit through a driver safety movie which was boring as hell but the whole process was relatively easy.

[RobBright 35]

Originally Posted By: sunrise

Hi all you J drivers,

My J driver's license if up for it's first renewal later this month.

What's the best way to renew? I was going to go to the motor registry (a hassle) but then someone said you can do it at any big police station (I guess koban is a no).

Is that an easy way to do it, or is the registry better? I guess the cops take the photo there?

Thanks.

I was also told that I could go to my local "big" police station and get it renewed there. Depends where your local driving license centre is. Mine is in the same town as where I live, so not a hassle, but if you live quite far away, then go to the police station.

There is a "seminar", otherwise known as a bore-fest, where you have to watch/listen to a lecture, but only for first-time renewers, which you have to attend. Make sure all the paperwork is done before hand too.

[Go Native 70]

I had to attend the bad boy seminar because I'd got done speeding more than 30 kmh over the speed limit. I actually thought I should take it seriously and even got a friend to come along as an interpreter. Within a few minutes of the start of the seminar though just about everyone had closed their eyes and fallen asleep....oh well.

[RobBright 35]

Originally Posted By: Go Native

I had to attend the bad boy seminar because I'd got done speeding more than 30 kmh over the speed limit. .

Good question that:

Was driving along yesterday on the Tomei, doing 100km/h (oops!) and wife suddenly pointed out that there were some cameras above, by which time it was too late to slow down. Except everyone else was speeding past me, down perhaps 110+.

What is the margin of error for speed limits over here? In the UK, it's rumoured to be +10% or so.

[Go Native 70]

I'm not sure if there is a hard and fast rule. I've known people to get done for as little as 7 km/h over the limit in a 50 km/h zone and others who've been doing nearly 20 km/h over the limit in a 60 km/h zone not getting fined. Many overhead cameras also appear to not always be operational. If you didn't see any sort of flash then you probably got away with it.

[klingon 10]

Yes give it a few hours and prepare to watch a very helpful video that will re-teach you how to drive.

[muikabochi 208]

I was able to get mine done at the local Muikamachi driving centre place. It took about 30 minutes, while they did some processing I was sat down to watch the video.

 

I think if you have any driving offences then you need to go through more hoops.

[Go Native 70]

Originally Posted By: klingon

Yes give it a few hours and prepare to watch a very helpful video that will re-teach you how to drive.

[Thundercat 60]

I can't remember why but the large police station near my house won't allow me to renew my license there... I haven't had any driving offences but I think it had something to do with the fact that I was renewing it for the first time... maybe...

 

It was pretty simple though... had to sit through a boring seminar and boring movie. I think it was just busy work to pass the time while we waited for our new licenses to be made.

[indosnm 0]

You have to do the whole 2 hr vid thing if it's your first time renewing.

[Chriselle 158]

Yep,,yep,,,yep...and then one day in five years or so if you're a good boy you'll reach the elite status level of yours truly....GOLD

[Go Native 70]

I don't think I actually have any demerit points on my Japanese license though because when I got caught speeding I didn't have any valid license. My international one had expired and I didn't have a Japanese license yet. Luckily they let me off on the fine for driving unlicensed! That would have hurt at Y250,000!!

[Chriselle 158]

They let you off? VERY lucky. The J cops have been very generous with me over the years especially when I had my Mitsubishi Eclipse. Now I drive a diesel Land Cruiser so I've tamed things down a bit. My wife says I should get the orange and white "old folks momiji" sticker..

[Go Native 70]

I was just honest with them explaining that I'd completely forgotton the expiry date on my international license and that as soon as they made me aware of the fact it had expired I went and got my Japanese license. I was most apologetic and obviously had a prosecuter and judge who were quite reasonable (I had to go to court in Otaru).

[Chriselle 158]

In a country with a 99% conviction rate....you got off. Sexual favors??

[Go Native 70]

I took it like a man

[Chriselle 158]

[@tokyo 14]

Sounds very lucky that!

Well done.

[Slippery Jim 65]

Yeah, I was once license-less for almost five years because I forgot to renew for more than a full year and the only way to get it back was to go through the entire testing regimen (too much time & bother) or wait until I had at least 90 days out of country on my passport (then they reissued me on my u.s. license).

I had to twiddle my thumbs for almost an hour while they went through older and recent passports adding up the days, then take my u.s. license to JAF office to get an authorized translation, then go back to the registry with that and get the rest of the paperwork done.

Still, it was all doable in a single afternoon.

[Slippery Jim 65]

GN: well played!

 

Everyone should be aware that if you're resident here (i.e. you have a gaijin card) you are not legal on an international license. The cops usually won't hassle you about it for minor offenses, but if something unfortunate were to occur...

[Go Native 70]

I drove nearly 6 months last year a car without shaken! I'm such a bad boy...

[sunrise 0]

haha

 

Hey, thanks for all the replies.... I think I'll take my iPod and sneak my stealth earbuds on if I have to sit through some boring movies.... only in Japan, eh!

 

Hmmmm, maybe I'll drive to the registry instead of the police, sounds like it might be a bit quicker, and I don't even know where the nearest big copshop is, let alone if I can park there (might be 2 or even 3 trains if I'm not driving!).

 

Rob - what paperwork do I need? I assume I get that done at wherever I renew and they'll take a photo while I"m there. Do they do another eye test, that's all I had to do last time aside from have the translation of my Oz license and all my old passports.

[sunrise 0]

no infringements so it should be straightforward.

 

I've never been able to figure out the speeding thing. So they do have speed cameras here. And 'stealth' too! Driving on the shutoko no-one is going 60, but I've never seen a cop chasing anyone....