Online courses will be introduced along with the introduction of the My Number license.
As mentioned above, the online renewal course was launched at the same time as the My Number license, and as will be explained in more detail later, it is one of the conditions for obtaining a My Number license. So, first of all, let’s review what a My Number license is.
The My Number card is a combination of a driver’s license and a My Number card. The license-specific information stored on the IC chip of the driver’s license is recorded on the IC chip of the My Number card, thereby integrating the two.
In other words, a single My Number card linked to your driver’s license information will reveal information such as the license type, number, issue date, and validity period. Although it looks just like a My Number card, even if you only carry this My Number card while driving, it will be treated the same as having a driver’s license.
The My Number card is a combination of a driver’s license and a My Number card.
By the way, whether or not to obtain a My Number license is up to the license holder. Obtaining a My Number card itself is also optional, so naturally there are people who do not have one. Also, there are three ways to hold a driver’s license:
1. “Two cards” – a traditional driver’s license and a minor driver’s license
2. “Minor driver’s license” only (combined and “one card”)
3. “Traditional driver’s license” only (no combination and “one card”)
If you choose option 2 above, your driver’s license and My Number card will be combined into one, which can be beneficial for people who find it troublesome to carry around a lot of cards, such as point cards and credit cards.
However, in this case, if you lose your My Number card, it will take time and effort to reissue it, which can be a bit of a hassle. The procedure is to first get your My Number card reissued at your city, ward, or village office. After that, the police will record your license information on the IC chip of your My Number card. Furthermore, it is said that it generally takes about a week to reissue your My Number card, and you will not be allowed to drive a motorcycle or car until the police have recorded your license information on your reissued My Number card. If you drive a motorcycle or car before your card is reissued, you will be in violation of the law of “not carrying your license.”
On the other hand, if you have two licenses (as in 1), you can say that there is less anxiety than if you only have one Minority Number license. This is because as long as you have either one, you will be able to drive while the reissue process is in progress (although it will be more troublesome if you lose both at the same time). However, you should be aware that the fees for driver’s licenses are higher for two licenses than for one.
For example, the fees for license renewal are as follows:
[License renewal fees]
・ Conventional license + minor license (two licenses): 2,950 yen
・ Conventional license (single license): 2,850 yen
・ Minor license (single license): 2,100 yen
Taking all of this into consideration, it’s best to consider your personal circumstances and circumstances, such as whether you need to drive a motorcycle or car on a daily basis, or whether it would be better to keep all your information on one card, as well as costs, and decide which method of carrying your information is best for you.
You can only take “excellent” or “general” courses
At the same time as the new minor driver’s license, online renewal courses were also introduced. The conditions for taking the course are as follows:
[Conditions for taking the online renewal course]
・Holder of a minor driver’s license (either “one minor driver’s license” or “two licenses, one with a conventional license”)
・Course category: “Excellent” or “General”
・Under 70 years old (not eligible for the elderly course)
From the above, we can see that the online renewal course is a system that requires the holder of a minor driver’s license. Furthermore, the system is limited to those who have held a driver’s license continuously for at least five years and are “good drivers” with no accidents or violations in those five years, or “ordinary drivers” who have held a driver’s license continuously for at least five years and have only one minor violation with a score of three points or less. Furthermore, the age limit is 69 years old. It is also important to note that those who are eligible for the senior citizen course are not eligible.
The online renewal course is available to drivers with good driving records who will be eligible for a gold license, or general drivers with a valid license for 5 years.
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Please note that even if you have a blue license, those who are not in the “general driver” training category and are “first-time renewal holders” or “violator drivers” are not eligible for the online training.
In addition, you can take the course one month before or after your birthday in the year your driver’s license expires. If the expiration date (one month after your birthday) falls on a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, or during the New Year holidays (December 29th to January 3rd), you can apply until the weekday immediately following these days. Your driver’s license will also remain valid until that day.
However, when it comes to renewing your license, as will be discussed in more detail later, you will not only need to take the online renewal course, but you will also need to go through procedures at a driver’s license testing center after taking the course, so you will need to decide on a schedule taking these dates into consideration.
What is the flow of the online course?
If you meet these requirements, you can take the online renewal course. You can take the course at any time and from anywhere, such as at home, using your smartphone or computer.
The main steps for taking the course are to first log in to the My Number Portal website and link your My Number license. My Number Portal is an online administrative window accessible to My Number card holders, allowing you to apply online for a variety of administrative procedures, including driver’s licenses, My Number insurance cards, nursing care, taxes, and more.
After linking My Number Portal and your My Number license, you can press the “Driver’s License” button on the My Number Portal website and a message about “Taking the online course” will appear. By following the instructions, you can proceed to the course screen.
The main flow of the course is as follows:
“Watch the video”
↓
“Take the confirmation test”
↓
“Take the driving qualification diagnosis (for general drivers)”
Finally, select “Answer the questionnaire (optional)” to complete the process .
The training duration is 30 minutes for “Excellent Drivers” and 60 minutes for “General Drivers.” The content includes the current state of road traffic in the area and the actual state of traffic accidents, and the effectiveness is measured after each video content viewing. In addition to the content for “Excellent Drivers,” “General Drivers” also undergo a survey (driving aptitude diagnosis) on the aptitude required to drive a car, etc.
Main flow of the online renewal training course (Source: Excerpt from the online training manual on the National Police Agency website)
What do I need to take the course?
When taking the online renewal course, you will mainly need the following:
[Items required when taking the online renewal course]
・My Number driver’s license
・Smartphone or PC
・Webcam
・IC card reader
・Internet connection (Wi-Fi recommended)
・”Renewal Notice” postcard
On smartphones, the supported browser is Chrome for Android, and Safari or Chrome for iOS. On PCs, the supported browser is Microsoft Chromium Edge for Windows, and Safari, Chrome, or Firefox for Mac. The latest version is recommended for the operating environment. For details, please check the My Number Portal operating environment ( https://services.digital.go.jp/mynaportal/system-requirements/ ).
The webcam is used to capture facial images while taking the online renewal course. The system uses this to check whether the person renewing their license has properly taken the course by comparing it with the photo on the license. If identity verification cannot be obtained at this time, staff at the driver’s license testing center or police station will confirm attendance when the person goes through the counter procedure.
For webcams, you can use devices with built-in cameras, such as laptops and smartphones. For devices without built-in cameras, such as desktop computers, you will need to purchase an external webcam.
An IC card reader is required to read the My Number card when accessing My Number Portal, etc. This is also not necessary if you use a device that can read My Number cards, such as a smartphone.
As watching videos requires a large amount of data, it is recommended to use Wi-Fi internet.
Your smartphone or computer must be compatible with the My Number Portal operating environment. Also, since watching videos requires a lot of data, it is recommended that you use Wi-Fi.
A “Renewal Notice” postcard will be sent to your home when it is time to renew your driver’s license. This is necessary if you wish to make an online reservation for the renewal procedure date (described below) after attending the course (renewal procedures are by appointment only in some areas, such as Tokyo, and availability varies by prefecture, so please check for details).
The “Notice of Renewal” postcard is required when booking your renewal online.
Renewal procedures are carried out in person at driver’s license testing centers, etc.
And it’s important to note here that simply taking the online renewal course does not complete the license renewal process.
Previously, the main process for license renewal was “aptitude test → photo taken → course → license issuance,” all of which was completed at a driver’s license testing center. However, with online courses, you can simply take the course at your preferred location and time, such as at home. Other aspects of the process, such as aptitude tests, photo taking, and license issuance, still require you to go to a driver’s license testing center or designated police station, as before.
A comparison of how the license renewal process changes between traditional and online courses (Source: Excerpt from the National Police Agency website online course manual)
Naturally, even if you do not take the online renewal course, all renewal procedures, including taking the course, will have to be carried out at a driver’s license testing center or designated police station.
As mentioned above, simply taking the online renewal course does not complete the renewal procedure, so please be sure to pay close attention to the schedule, etc. Please be careful not to get complacent just because you have taken the online renewal course, and forget to complete the renewal procedure and end up “accidentally letting your license lapse.”
Please note that after taking the online course, you will still need to go to a driver’s license testing center or designated police station for aptitude tests, photographs, and license issuance, just like before.
[Reference link]
National Police Agency website Online Training Manual
https://www.npa.go.jp/bureau/traffic/onlinemanual_Japanese2025.pdf
