Returning Your Driver’s License in Hiroshima (2026): Free to Return, ¥1,150 Certificate and 10% Off Taxis

This page is general information from official sources. It is not legal advice. For your own case, call the Hiroshima Prefectural Police license section (phone number in the FAQ). For your residence card or status of residence, ask the Immigration Services Agency.

If you or an older family member no longer wants to drive, you can give up a driver’s license in Hiroshima Prefecture by your own choice. In Japan this is called voluntary return (自主返納, jishu henno). This guide explains where and when the Hiroshima Prefectural Police take the return, what to bring, the fee for a certificate of driving history, and the taxi fares and other discounts listed for people who returned their license. It applies to people whose current address is in Hiroshima Prefecture. The official pages are in Japanese only.

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1. Where and when can I return my license?

Hiroshima Prefectural Police

The two license centers take returns on weekdays and on Sunday afternoons; police stations take them on weekdays only. All places are closed on holidays and from December 29 to January 3, according to the Hiroshima Prefectural Police (Returning a license only, Hiroshima Prefectural Police). The guide gives no Saturday hours.

Where	Weekdays	Sunday	Parking
Hiroshima center	8:30–12:00, 13:00–16:00	14:00–15:30	About 700
Eastern center	8:30–12:00, 13:00–16:00	14:00–15:30	About 300
Police stations	9:00–12:00, 13:00–16:00	Closed	Not stated

On Sundays, the centers do not take returns from people who have lost their license. If your license is lost, go on a weekday.

1.1 Hiroshima Prefectural Driver’s License Center

The return counter is window 10 on the first floor. Two bus lines, run by Hiroden and Bon-bus, stop at “Menkyo Center” (免許センターバス停), a 2-minute walk away. By car it is about 10 minutes from Itsukaichi IC on the Sanyo Expressway, or about 15 minutes from Numata IC on Hiroshima Expressway Route 4 (Access to the license centers, Hiroshima Prefectural Police). After you return the license, you can no longer drive, so plan a bus or a lift home.

3-1-1 Ishiuchi-minami, Saeki-ku, Hiroshima City. Google Maps. Phone 082-228-0110 (police switchboard; ask for the license center).

Name	Hiroshima Prefectural Driver's License Center
Address	3-1-1 Ishiuchi-minami, Saeki-ku, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima
Hours / Closed	Voluntary return reception: Weekdays 8:30–12:00, 13:00–16:00, Sundays 14:00–15:30 (Sundays not available if the license is lost). Closed national holidays and December 29–January 3
Phone	082-228-0110 (Police Headquarters main line, then extension)
Map	Open in Google Maps ↗
Official site	Open the official site ↗

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1.2 Hiroshima Prefecture Eastern Driver’s License Center

The return counter is window 3 on the first floor. From Bingo-Akasaka Station on the JR Sanyo Line, it is about a 20-minute walk. A Tomotetsu bus (Onomichi line or Hayato line) stops at “Unten Menkyo Center-mae” (運転免許センター前), about a 5-minute walk away. By car it is about 10 minutes from the Fukuyama SA Smart IC (6:00–22:00, ETC cars up to 6 m long) or about 25 minutes from Fukuyama-Nishi IC (Access to the license centers).

54-2 Yamakita, Seto-cho, Fukuyama City. Google Maps. Phone 082-228-0110 (police switchboard; ask for the Eastern center).

Name	Hiroshima Prefecture Eastern Driver's License Center
Address	54-2 Yamakita, Seto-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima
Hours / Closed	Voluntary return reception: Weekdays 8:30–12:00, 13:00–16:00, Sundays 14:00–15:30 (Sundays not available if the license is lost). Closed national holidays and December 29–January 3
Phone	082-228-0110 (Police Headquarters main line, then extension)
Map	Open in Google Maps ↗
Official site	Open the official site ↗

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1.3 Police stations and branch offices

The traffic section (交通課, kotsu-ka) of every police station in the prefecture takes returns. So do six smaller offices: the Osakikamijima branch of Takehara station, the Ondo branch of Kure station, the Innoshima branch of Onomichi station, and the Chiyoda, Yuki and Tojo police boxes. The prefectural police publish an English list of stations by city and ward: Your police station (Hiroshima Prefectural Police).

If you ask for a certificate of driving history at a police station, you receive it 2 to 3 weeks later. Delivery by post costs an extra ¥1,000. The My Number version cannot be posted, and you must go back to the station in person (Returning a license and applying for a certificate, Hiroshima Prefectural Police).

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2. What do I bring, and what does it cost?

Hiroshima Prefectural Police

Returning only is free, and you bring only your license or My Number license (both if you have both). You can return a license that is still valid and is not under a suspension or cancellation. An expired license cannot be returned this way, but the police still ask you to bring it to a station or center.

If you also want a certificate of driving history, the fees below apply. The police say they take cash only, and there is no ATM at the counter.

What you ask for	Fee	Photo
Return only	Free	Not needed
Certificate card	¥1,150	1 (police stations)
On My Number card	¥900	1 (police stations)
Both	¥1,250	1 (police stations)

The photo is 3 cm high by 2.4 cm wide, taken within 6 months, with no hat, facing forward and with a plain background. The license centers do not need a photo. To record the history on your My Number card, bring the card and its signature PIN (署名用電子証明書暗証番号, 6 to 16 letters and numbers).

2.1 Foreign residents

When you apply for the certificate, the police list says foreign nationals also bring one of these (Returning a license and applying for a certificate):

• Your residence card (在留カード, zairyu kado), or
• your special permanent resident certificate (特別永住者証明書), or
• a copy of your residence record (住民票の写し, juminhyo) that lists foreign-resident items such as nationality and status of residence. It must be an original copy, not a photocopy, issued within 6 months.

If the address on your license is not your current address, bring something that shows the current one, such as a residence record, a My Number card or, for foreign nationals, a residence card. The same applies when you return a license without asking for a certificate (Returning a license only). To update your license address first, see Changing your address on a Hiroshima driver’s license.

3. What is a certificate of driving history?

Official rule (Japan)

A certificate of driving history (運転経歴証明書, unten keireki shomeisho) is a card for people who returned their license. According to the National Police Agency, a certificate issued on or after April 1, 2012, can be used as official photo ID in place of a driver’s license. People whose license was cancelled for traffic violations cannot get one (National Police Agency).

You can apply for the certificate later, but only within 5 years of returning your license. Bring the notice of cancellation (運転免許の取消通知書) you received when you returned the license, if you have it, and a document that shows your address, name and date of birth. Foreign nationals bring a residence card, a special permanent resident certificate, or a residence record as listed in section 2.1 (Applying within 5 years of a return, Hiroshima Prefectural Police).

If you returned your license outside Hiroshima Prefecture, only the two license centers accept your later application, and on weekdays only.

Two other documents are different and are not issued at the return counter: a driving record certificate (運転記録証明書), which shows past violations and accidents, and a certificate of license history (運転免許経歴証明書). They come from the Japan Safe Driving Center’s Hiroshima office on the 3rd floor of the Hiroshima license center (082-941-5111).

4. Can a family member return it for me?

Hiroshima Prefectural Police

A family member can apply only when the license holder’s physical or mental condition makes it hard to come to the counter. They bring the following (Returning a license only):

1. Bring the holder’s license. Bring the license or My Number license, or both if the holder has both.
2. Fill in the proxy form. The form (運転免許取消申請等代理手続申込書) is at every center and police station, and you can also download it from the police site.
3. Show your own ID. The proxy shows ID with their own address and name, such as a driver’s license. An adult guardian (成年後見人) also brings the guardianship registration certificate.

To get the certificate of driving history by proxy, also bring one photo of the holder (call first if this is difficult). A proxy cannot apply for the My Number version.

5. What discounts do I get after returning my license?

Depends on the provider

To get a discount, show your certificate of driving history or the notice of cancellation. Hiroshima Prefecture lists the businesses that offer discounts by city and town, as of October 1, 2026 (Support for people who returned their license, Hiroshima Prefecture). The main items for four cities are below.

City	Taxis	Age rule	Other examples
Hiroshima City	14 companies, 10% off	Mixed	Supermarket, glasses
Fukuyama City	16 companies, 10% off	None (1 is 65+)	Ibara Railway 50% off
Kure City	5 companies, 10% off	4 are 65+	Supermarket, glasses
Higashihiroshima City	6 companies, 10% off	3 none, 3 are 65+	Supermarket, glasses

The prefecture lists each business by the city where it is based. It asks you to check the area a taxi serves, and whether an offer still runs, with the business before you use it. Offers can change or end without notice.

5.1 Hiroshima City

Fourteen taxi companies give 10% off the fare. Six have no age limit and eight are for people aged 65 and over (Hiroshima City list, Hiroshima Prefecture). Some private (owner-driver) taxis, including members of two private-taxi associations, also give 10% off; the list asks you to check with each taxi.

Yaguchi Taxi also gives 50% off on its loop route in the Yaguchi and Kuchita areas. In the Misuzugaoka housing estate in Saeki Ward, the “Rinrin Taxi” (りんりんタクシー) shared taxi gives residents aged 70 and over who returned their license on or after April 1, 2019, 30 half-price tickets a year, for up to 3 years.

At Youme Town and Yours supermarkets, show the certificate at the service counter and register your Youme-ka Plus loyalty card number; the discount points on food purchases double, except on 5x point days. Megane Ichiba gives 5% off glasses, sunglasses and hearing aids (7% at its Fukuya Hiroshima Ekimae store).

5.2 Fukuyama City

Sixteen taxi companies give 10% off. Only Tajima Taxi limits it to people aged 65 and over; the other 15 have no age limit (Fukuyama City list, Hiroshima Prefecture).

Ibara Railway gives people aged 65 and over 50% off the fare. At staffed stations, show the certificate when you buy a ticket. At unstaffed stations, take a numbered ticket and show the certificate to the driver when you get off.

Youme Town Zao and Youme Town Fukuyama double the discount points on food, as in Hiroshima City.

5.3 Kure City

Four taxi companies give people aged 65 and over 10% off the fare. A fifth company, Nabe Taxi (Keigoya and Ondo areas), is listed with 10% off, but its entry is dated December 14, 2023 (Kure City list, Hiroshima Prefecture).

Youme Town Kure and two Youme Mart stores double the discount points on food. Megane Ichiba and Megane no Miki stores give 5% off glasses.

5.4 Higashihiroshima City

Six taxi companies give 10% off. Saijo Taxi, Higashihiroshima Taxi and Sumire Taxi have no age limit; Takaya Taxi, Hachihonmatsu Taxi and Daigaku Taxi are for people aged 65 and over (Higashihiroshima City list, Hiroshima Prefecture).

Youme Town Gakuen and other Youme Town stores in the city double the discount points on food. Several glasses shops also give discounts.

6. Do cities and towns give extra support?

City and town offices

The prefecture’s list names five cities and towns with their own support, all for registered residents aged 65 and over. You apply at the city or town office (Support by local governments, Hiroshima Prefecture). Each entry says to check the details with the office.

City or town	Support	How often
Miyoshi City	One of: free city bus pass, ¥10,000 IC card, ¥10,000 taxi tickets	Once
Hatsukaichi City	One of: free city bus pass (2 years), ¥10,000 IC card, ¥10,000 taxi tickets	Once
Kaita Town	¥10,000 IC card or ¥10,000 taxi tickets	Once
Sera Town	Taxi tickets, ¥300 each, up to ¥30,000 a year	Every year
Jinsekikogen Town	50 single-ride tickets for the Fureai Taxi	Within 3 years of return

The IC card is MOBIRY DAYS, Hiroshima’s transit IC card. In Kaita Town it holds a ¥500 deposit and ¥9,500 of credit, with no expiry date. For how to pay on streetcars and buses, see Hiroshima streetcar and bus fares.

The list does not show city support for Hiroshima City, Fukuyama City, Kure City or Higashihiroshima City; their entries are business discounts. Check with your own city or town office as well.

7. How do I choose where and when to go?

Hiroshima Prefectural Police

If your family can only come with you at the weekend, the Sunday 14:00–15:30 window at a license center is the only option. The two centers are in Saeki Ward of Hiroshima City and in Fukuyama City.

If you live on an island or in the north of the prefecture, the branch offices and police boxes in section 1.3 save a long trip. The certificate takes 2 to 3 weeks at a police station, while the license centers need no photo.

Taxi discounts in the same city mix “65 and over” and “no age limit” companies. If you are under 65, choose a company with no age limit. For city and town support, most options are one-time, so decide first between a bus pass, an IC card and taxi tickets.

Common questions

Can I return only a large-vehicle license and keep my regular one?

Yes. The police describe a partial return, where you return a higher class of license and keep a lower one, such as returning a large-vehicle license and keeping a regular license (Voluntary return, Hiroshima Prefectural Police).

Can I return a license whose holder has died?

The police have a separate guide for returning the license of a person who has died. It is linked from the same page.

Can I return it on a Saturday?

The official guides list weekday and Sunday hours only, with no Saturday hours.

Whom do I call with questions?

Call the Hiroshima Prefectural Police switchboard at 082-228-0110 and ask for the license section (免許第三係, extensions 703-226 to 228). Lines are open on weekdays, 8:30–17:00, except holidays and December 29 to January 3.

Next steps

• If your license shows an old address, read Changing your address on a Hiroshima driver’s license.
• Plan how you will get around without a car: Hiroshima streetcar and bus fares.

Sources (checked October 2026)

10 pages we checkedShow

• Hiroshima Prefectural Police: voluntary return of a driver’s license (posted August 26, 2026)
• Hiroshima Prefectural Police: returning a license only
• Hiroshima Prefectural Police: returning a license and applying for a certificate of driving history
• Hiroshima Prefectural Police: applying for a certificate within 5 years of a return
• Hiroshima Prefectural Police: access to the license centers
• Hiroshima Prefectural Police: Your police station (English)
• National Police Agency: voluntary return and the certificate of driving history
• Hiroshima Prefecture: support for people who returned their license (list as of October 1, 2026)
• Hiroshima Prefecture: support by local governments
• Hiroshima Prefecture: Hiroshima City list, Fukuyama City list, Kure City list, Higashihiroshima City list