# Car registration and ownership transfer in Japan (名義変更)

URL: https://japanhow.com/driving/cars/car-registration-transfer-japan/
Author: JapanHow editors
Updated: Oct 27, 2026

## Summary

When a regular car changes owner in Japan, you must file a transfer (移転登録, 名義変更) at the transport bureau (運輸支局) within 15 days. As of October 2026 the fee is ¥700 at the counter or ¥600 online. A foreign resident needs a seal certificate issued within 3 months, the registered seal (実印) and a parking certificate (車庫証明) issued within 40 days. A car with an expired inspection cannot be transferred. Moving house needs a separate address change (変更登録), also within 15 days.

## Key facts

- Deadline: 15 days
- Transfer fee (counter): ¥700
- Seal certificate: Issued within 3 months
- Parking certificate: Issued within 40 days

Car registration in Japan changes whenever a regular car changes hands or its owner moves. As a foreign resident, you file an ownership transfer (移転登録, called 名義変更) at the transport bureau (運輸支局) **within 15 days**. As of October 2026 the fee is **¥700 at the counter** or ¥600 online. You need a seal certificate, your registered seal (実印) and a parking certificate (車庫証明). A kei car is handled elsewhere.

## What do I have to register, and when?

Two filings matter, and each has its own **15-day** deadline. Ibaraki Prefecture says a violation can bring a fine of up to ¥500,000 under the Road Transport Vehicle Act.

- **Transfer (移転登録, 名義変更):** the car is sold or handed over and the owner changes.
- **Address change (変更登録):** you move house. Changing your 住民票 does not change the address on the inspection certificate (車検証).

The same prefecture notes that car tax (自動車税) is billed to the address on the 車検証. Changing the address on the 車検証 sends the notice to your new address from the following fiscal year. For the 住民票 itself, see [how to get a certificate of residence](/life/admin/juminhyo-certificate-of-residence/) and [what to do when you move](/life/admin/moving-within-japan-address-change/).

This page covers regular cars. A kei car is registered at the Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization (軽自動車検査協会), with different papers. Buying steps and kei cars are in our [guide to buying a car as a foreigner](/driving/cars/buying-a-car-in-japan-foreigner/).

## What documents do I need at the transport bureau?

The Aomori Transport Branch lists these for a transfer. It calls them a basic example, so phone your own bureau first.

| Who | What to bring |
|---|---|
| Old owner | Seal certificate (印鑑証明書) issued within 3 months, registered seal (実印) or a power of attorney sealed with it, transfer certificate (譲渡証明書) sealed with the 実印 |
| You (new owner) | Seal certificate issued within 3 months, your 実印 or a power of attorney sealed with it |
| New user, if not you | Proof of address issued within 3 months, such as a 住民票 |
| Parking | Parking certificate (車庫証明) issued within 40 days |
| The car | Inspection certificate (車検証), application form No. 1 (第1号様式), fee stamp (検査登録印紙) |

Number plates cost extra if the car moves to another plate area or the number changes. The car must have a valid inspection: **an expired 車検 cannot change owner**. If the name or address on the 車検証 does not match the seller's seal certificate, the seller also needs papers that show the changes, such as a 住民票 or a 住民票の除票.

## Seal and signature: what foreign residents should know

The seal certificate is required by law for car registration, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (総務省). Foreigners who have a 住民票 can register a seal. Short-term visitors and people without legal status cannot.

Rules are set by each city. Hamamatsu City, for example, lets residents over 15 register a seal that shows the name on the residence card (在留カード), a registered alias or the **katakana** form of a name. It accepts a residence card or My Number card (マイナンバーカード) as ID and registers the same day, free of charge. Other cities differ, so check yours.

**Signature certificates: ask first:** Some foreign residents ask whether an embassy signature certificate (署名証明) can replace a seal certificate. We could not confirm this on any transport bureau page. Ask your bureau before you buy a car, and do not rely on it.

If a dealer or specialist files for you, the bureau asks for a power of attorney sealed with your 実印. You still supply the seal certificate and parking certificate.

## What does car registration cost in Japan?

The statutory fee rose on 1 April 2026, according to the transport ministry's notice. Online filing is cheaper than the counter.

| Filing | Counter | Online (OSS) |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer (移転登録) | ¥700 | ¥600 |
| Address change (変更登録) | ¥500 | ¥450 |

The Aomori page still shows the old ¥500 stamp for transfers. We follow the April 2026 notice. A parking certificate is separate: in Tokyo it is ¥2,400 at the counter, and it takes 3 to 7 days. Plates and car tax are extra, and we have not checked those amounts.

## Can I file online?

Sometimes. The one-stop service (OSS) lets you apply online for both the police parking certificate and the transport bureau registration. Hiroshima Prefecture says that if the eligibility check shows a car is not eligible, you apply at the counter as usual. Online applications are reviewed only Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 17:00, excluding holidays. We could not confirm whether OSS needs a My Number card, so check the portal.

## What if I change my address and my car stays the same?

File an address change (変更登録) within 15 days. Ibaraki Prefecture's flow is: get a parking certificate for the new address, get a new 住民票 at the city office, then update the 車検証 at the bureau. If your plate area changes, you also get new plates.

**General information only:** Papers vary by bureau and by case, such as a minor owner or a company car. For anything unusual, ask the transport bureau or a 行政書士 (administrative scrivener) who handles vehicle registration.

More guides: [car insurance for foreigners](/driving/cars/car-insurance-japan-foreigners/), [converting a foreign license](/driving/license/convert-foreign-license-japan/) and [your My Number card](/life/admin/my-number-card-foreigners/).

## Questions people ask

### How long do I have to change the owner of a car in Japan?

15 days. Ibaraki Prefecture says a transfer (移転登録) and an address change (変更登録) must each be filed within 15 days, and a violation can bring a fine of up to ¥500,000.

### How much does car registration cost in Japan?

The statutory fee for a transfer is ¥700 at the counter or ¥600 online (OSS) from 1 April 2026. An address change is ¥500 or ¥450. Parking certificate, plates and tax are extra.

### Can I register a car in Japan without a hanko?

For a regular car, no. Registration uses your registered seal (実印) and a seal certificate. Foreign residents with a 住民票 can register a seal at the city office.

### Does moving house change my car registration automatically?

No. Ibaraki Prefecture notes that changing your 住民票 does not change the address on the 車検証. You must file an address change at the transport bureau.

### Can a car with an expired inspection change owner?

No. The Aomori Transport Branch says a car whose inspection (車検) has expired cannot change owner.

## Sources

- [自動車の登録（移転登録）](https://wwwtb.mlit.go.jp/tohoku/am/am-sub02-003.html), MLIT Aomori Transport Branch (青森運輸支局) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [自動車の登録・検査の法定手数料変更について（令和8年4月1日）](https://wwwtb.mlit.go.jp/tohoku/am/touroku/sonota/202604_tesuuryou_kaitei.pdf), MLIT Tohoku Transport Bureau (東北運輸局) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [自動車検査証（車検証）の変更を忘れずに！](https://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/somu/zeimu/fuka/jidousha/documents/r5syakennsyouwasurezuni.pdf), Ibaraki Prefecture (茨城県) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [自動車保有関係手続のワンストップサービス（OSS）について](https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/site/zei/oss.html), Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県) (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [外国人住民に係る印鑑登録証明事務の取扱いについて](https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000105089.pdf), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [Legal procedures: Inkan registration](https://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/hamaeng/02life/02_5.html), Hamamatsu City (accessed Oct 20, 2026)
- [保管場所証明申請手続（窓口での申請）](https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/tetsuzuki/kotsu/hokan/syako_tetsuzuki/jidousha_syomei.html), Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)