How to change a motorcycle vehicle registration plate in Japan

In Japan, when you move, you need to change your vehicle registration plate. If you move farther away, the jurisdiction of the Land Transport Office will change. In this page, I will introduce the procedure to change the vehicle registration plate of my motorcycle when I moved from Fuchu to Tokorozawa.

The picture on the left is the Kanto District Transport Bureau Saitama Transport Branch Office Tokorozawa Automobile Inspection & Registration Office. It gets very crowded in March, but there are few people in April. Because march is the fiscal year end in Japan.

There is a signboard at the front entrance of the Land Transport Bureau Tokorozawa Branch Office.

To change the registered address of the motorcycle, go to B building 8th window → B building 9th window → C building 4th window → A building 1st window → A building 2nd window.

First, fill out the application form for address change. To apply for a change of address, use the "1011" OCR sheet. The address code table and an example of how to fill out the application form are available on the reception.

The inside of the bold line must be filled in with a pencil.

Next, fill out the fee payment slip. There is no fee to change the registered address on your motorcycle. You will prepare a fee payment slip with no stamp.

Submit the application form, vehicle verification, fee payment slip, and resident card at the reception desk in Building B No. 8. Wait about 10 minutes and your name will be called. You will receive the new automobile inspection certificate and Notification of grant at the 9th window.

Here is the new automobile inspection certificate and car registration number notification. At this point, you have the number for your new vehicle registration plate.

Next, move to Building C. This procedure is different for motorcycles and automobiles. In case of Tokorozawa office, go to the 4th window at the back of C building.

Here, submit the light vehicle tax return. The light blue application form is for motorcycles. The application form for automobiles is brown.

Once your application form is accepted, you will receive a carbon copy. This must be sent to the municipality before the address change by yourself.

Then remove the motorcycle vehicle registration plate. In the case of a motorcycle, remove the mandatory vehicle liability insurance sticker on the vehicle registration plate. There is a charge to reissue the sticker, so please peel it off carefully.

I removed the motorcycle vehicle registration plate. Unlike a automobiles, the motorcycle vehicle registration plate is not locked and can be easily removed.

The back of the vehicle registration plate was pretty dirty.

Finally move to the A building. Return the old vehicle registration plate to the reception and receive the new vehicle registration plate. In the case of the Tokorozawa office, the first reception will return it and the second reception will receive it.

I received a new vehicle registration plate and fixing bolts and nuts. The vehicle registration plate issuance fee is 540 yen for motorcycles and 1,480 yen for automobiles.

Work is complete by attaching a new vehicle registration plate to the motorcycle and attaching the mandatory vehicle liability insurance sticker.

Separately, you will need to contact your voluntary insurance company and give them your new vehicle registration plate number.

You can easily reissue the tax certificate for the light vehicle tax at the city hall. This is required at the time of vehicle inspection.