When riding a motorcycle, it is necessary to carry a vehicle registration certificate.
Motorcycles over 250cc that require vehicle inspections are required by law to carry a vehicle inspection certificate when driving. This is due to the following provision in Article 66 of the Road Transport Vehicle Act.
“A motor vehicle may not be put into operation unless it is equipped with a motor vehicle inspection certificate and displays an inspection mark in accordance with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ordinance.”
If you violate this regulation and are caught not carrying your card, you may be subject to a fine of up to 500,000 yen.
Carrying your vehicle registration certificate with you when driving is a legal requirement.
In addition, for light motorcycles over 125cc and under 250cc that do not require vehicle inspection, there is a “Light Motor Vehicle Notification Certificate” which can be considered as a substitute for a vehicle inspection certificate. Article 63-3 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Road Transport Vehicle Act also requires that this certificate be carried on the motorcycle or loaded onto it.
In addition, for mopeds (motorized bicycles) with an engine displacement of 125cc or less, there is a document called a “license certificate.” This is similar to a vehicle inspection certificate and is issued together with the license plate issued by the city or ward where you live, but since this is a tax document, there is no legal requirement to carry it with you.
Incidentally, when driving a motorcycle or car, one of the documents that you are required to carry along with your vehicle inspection certificate is your certificate of compulsory automobile liability insurance (hereafter referred to as the “certificate of compulsory automobile liability insurance”). This is required to be carried regardless of engine displacement, as stipulated in Article 8 of the Automobile Liability Insurance Law. If you are caught not carrying it, you may be subject to a fine of up to 300,000 yen.
It is a violation to not carry your automobile liability insurance certificate while driving.
Is it bad to carry a copy of your vehicle inspection certificate?
As you can see, vehicle inspection certificates and compulsory automobile liability insurance certificates are mandatory to carry, but they are also powerful documents that can be used to change the vehicle’s ownership. Considering theft, many people may feel uneasy about keeping them in their bikes.
For this reason, as mentioned above, some people seem to keep the originals at home and carry copies with them, but the law appears to have been written with the assumption that the originals of these documents should be kept in possession, and it is generally interpreted that having copies constitutes a “violation.”
It is generally considered a violation to carry a copy of a vehicle inspection certificate rather than the original.
However, in reality, it doesn’t seem to be that strict. For example, if you are caught for a traffic violation, the police officer will ask you to show your vehicle inspection certificate and automobile liability insurance certificate, but in such cases, it seems that it is okay to show a copy. Perhaps, with the recent increase in motorcycle thefts, police officers are somewhat understanding of the need to carry a copy as a defensive measure. However, since it is actually a violation, it is certainly safer to carry the original.
By the way, if you are caught without carrying the original document, you will not be given penalty points or fines like you would for a traffic violation, but as mentioned above, you may be fined up to 500,000 yen if you have a vehicle inspection certificate, or up to 300,000 yen if you have a compulsory automobile liability insurance certificate.
Regarding the automobile liability insurance certificate, from June 1, 2023, if certain conditions are met and the captured image data can be stored on a smartphone or other device and shown, it will be considered the same as carrying the original.
This appears to be a measure to address the difficulty of loading documents onto electric scooters, and is limited to vehicles that do not have an enclosed storage compartment measuring 210mm x 148mm or larger. In the case of motorcycles, many models have document compartments even if they are small, so it is possible that these conditions may not be met. It may be best to think of this as being aimed solely at electric scooters and electric bicycles.
It is also possible to carry an image of the automobile liability insurance certificate on a smartphone if certain conditions are met. However, this mainly applies to electric scooters.
Be careful about how you carry your IC tagged vehicle inspection certificate
Recently, vehicle inspection certificates, even for motorcycles, have been equipped with IC tags. Therefore, if you carry the original vehicle inspection certificate while driving a motorcycle, you need to be careful about how you carry it.
The IC tagged vehicle inspection certificate only contains information about the vehicle itself, such as the license plate number, chassis number, basic vehicle dimensions and weight, and all other information is stored electronically in an IC chip embedded in the IC tag attached to the back of the vehicle inspection certificate. By simplifying the information written on the paper portion, it has been made more compact, from the previous A4 size to the equivalent of A6. When carrying it while riding a motorcycle, it can now be said to be easier to store under the seat than before.
The IC tag-equipped vehicle inspection certificate has been made more compact, from the previous A4 size to the equivalent of A6.
However, even so, for models with small storage spaces, such as sports bikes, it is often necessary to fold the vehicle inspection certificate to fit it in. In fact, when trying to fit my beloved CBR650R into the storage space under the rear seat, I have to fold even the smaller electronic vehicle inspection certificate, which is equivalent to A6 size.
If you bend the part of the electronic vehicle inspection certificate where the IC tag is attached, it may be damaged. If the IC tag is damaged, the detailed information cannot be read, and you will have to have it reissued, so you need to be careful.
When trying to fit my beloved CBR650R into the storage space under the rear seat, I had to fold the electronic vehicle inspection certificate, which is now A6-sized, to fit it in.
Furthermore, IC tags and IC chips are sensitive to high temperatures, so if you are going on a summer tour and will be away from the vehicle for an extended period of time, it can be a bit worrying to leave them in the storage space under the seat.
When going on a summer tour and leaving the vehicle for a long time, it can be a little worrying to leave the electronic vehicle inspection certificate with IC tag in the storage space under the seat.
Another concern is that if you store your bike in the under-seat storage space, water may get under the seat during heavy rain. Of course, if you store it in a waterproof container such as a zippered vinyl bag, there may not be any problem. However, if the zipper is not closed properly or if you use the same bag for many years, the bag itself may deteriorate, making it easier for water to get inside.
Although the IC chip itself is said to be water resistant, I am a bit of a worrier and don’t put my electronic vehicle inspection certificate in the storage space under the seat, but rather put it in a bag or knapsack when I ride my motorcycle. This is a matter of personal choice, but it’s definitely a good idea to be careful about how you store and carry it.
In any case, it is essential to carry the original vehicle inspection certificate, but as mentioned above, it is an important document for your car, so you need to be careful not to damage or lose it. It is best to be very careful when carrying it with you.
