Returning your driver's license in Ehime
- Returning the license is free, and the License Center is open weekdays 9:30–11:00 and 14:00–16:00, and Sundays 10:00–11:00.
- For Sunday returns, call the License Center to book by 17:15 on the last weekday; all counters close Saturdays.
- The License Center issues driving history certificates the same day, while the four Chuyo stations take 2–3 weeks.
This page is general information from official sources. It is not legal advice. For your own case, call the Ehime Prefectural Driver’s License Center (number in section 1.1). For your residence card or status of residence, ask the Immigration Services Agency.
If you, or an older family member, no longer want to drive, you can give up your Japanese driver’s license. The procedure is called voluntary surrender (自主返納, jishu henno). In legal terms, the license is cancelled at your request. This guide explains where to do it in Ehime Prefecture, what it costs, how a family member can do it for you, and what support cities, towns and companies offer afterward.
In short
- Returning the license itself is free. A driving history certificate, which works as photo ID, costs ¥1,150 (section 2).
- Police stations take returns on weekdays only. On Sundays, only the license center in Matsuyama does, and you must book by phone (section 1).
- A family member can return the license for you with a doctor’s certificate and a signed form, at a police station only (section 4).
- Bus companies, taxi companies and several cities and towns offer discounts or tickets. Most need a document from the return (section 5).
Checked with official pages on October 13, 2026.
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1. Where and when can I return my license?
Ehime Prefectural Police
The license center takes returns on weekdays and Sunday mornings; police stations take them on weekdays only. Weekday hours are the same everywhere: 9:30–11:00 and 14:00–16:00. Saturdays, national holidays, substitute holidays and the New Year holidays are closed (Voluntary surrender, Ehime Prefectural Police).
| Where | Weekdays | Sunday | Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| License Center | 9:30–11:00, 14:00–16:00 | 10:00–11:00, booking needed | Same day |
| 4 Chuyo stations | 9:30–11:00, 14:00–16:00 | Closed | Later, 2–3 weeks |
| Other stations | 9:30–11:00, 14:00–16:00 | Closed | Same day |
“Card” means the driving history certificate explained in section 3. The four Chuyo stations are the Matsuyama Higashi, Matsuyama Nishi, Matsuyama Minami and Iyo police stations.
1.1 Ehime Prefectural Driver’s License Center (Matsuyama)
On weekdays, go to window 9 on the 1st floor. On Sundays, go to window 22 on the 2nd floor. For a Sunday return, call the center by 17:15 on the last weekday before; without a booking, you cannot return your license that day. The center also issues the driving history certificate and the My Number version on the same day (Driving history certificate, Ehime Prefectural Police).
After you return the license, you can no longer drive home. The police ask you to come with someone who can drive you, or by public transport. For car navigation, enter 089-978-4141 or the address. The headquarters number 089-934-0110 leads the navigation to the police headquarters in Minamihoribata-cho, a different place (Location and access, Ehime Prefectural Police).
Ehime Prefectural Driver’s License Center. 1163-7 Katsuoka-cho, Matsuyama-shi. Google Maps. Phone 089-934-0110 (switchboard; ask for extension 351 or 355).
| Name | Ehime Prefectural Driver's License Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 1163-7 Katsuoka-cho, Matsuyama City, Ehime |
| Hours / Closed | Voluntary return reception: Weekdays 9:30–11:00, 14:00–16:00 (1F Window 9); Sundays 10:00–11:00 (2F Window 22, phone booking required by 17:15 on the previous weekday). Closed Saturdays, national holidays, substitute holidays, and the year-end/New Year period |
| Phone | 089-934-0110 (Police Headquarters main line, extensions 351 and 355) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
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1.2 Matsuyama Higashi, Matsuyama Nishi, Matsuyama Minami and Iyo police stations
These four stations take returns at the traffic division (交通課) on the 1st floor, on weekdays. You can also apply for the driving history certificate there, but it is issued later and takes 2–3 weeks. Bring one ID photo, 3 cm tall and 2.4 cm wide, for the application (Voluntary surrender, Ehime Prefectural Police).
You cannot apply for the My Number version of the certificate at these four stations. If you live in their area and want it, apply at the license center.
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1.3 Other police stations and the three large police boxes
All other police stations in Ehime take returns at the traffic division on the 1st floor, on weekdays. So do the three large police boxes (大型交番) in Uchiko, Nomura and Kihoku. At these places, the driving history certificate is issued on the same day (Driving history certificate, Ehime Prefectural Police).
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2. What do I bring, and what does it cost?
Ehime Prefectural Police
Returning the license is free; bring a license that has not expired, or a My Number card with your license recorded on it. The My Number card itself must also be within its expiry date. You do the procedure yourself, unless a family member does it for you as in section 4 (Voluntary surrender, Ehime Prefectural Police).
After the return, you choose what proof of your driving history to keep. The fee depends on your choice (Driving history certificate, Ehime Prefectural Police).
| You keep | Fee |
|---|---|
| Nothing | Free |
| Certificate card | ¥1,150 |
| My Number record | ¥900 |
| Both | ¥1,250 |
You can change your choice later, at any time during reception hours. Changing from the card certificate to the My Number version costs ¥900; changing the other way costs ¥1,150. If the person returning the license is unwell and cannot walk to the photo room at the center, bring one ID photo.
Important
A full return cancels every license you hold. (The police also accept a return of only some license classes.) The proxy form states that to drive again, you must get a new license from the beginning. People who are due for a suspension or cancellation because of a violation, an accident or an illness cannot return their license.
If you lost your license, apply for a reissue first. If the address on your license is not your current address, change it first. For the address change in Ehime, see Changing your address on an Ehime driver’s license.
Note
The Ehime police pages describe Japanese driver’s licenses only. They say nothing specific to foreign nationals, and they do not mention licenses issued in another country or International Driving Permits. If one of these applies to you, call the center before you go.
3. What is the driving history certificate, and can I get it later?
Official rule (Japan), applied in Ehime
The driving history certificate (運転経歴証明書, unten keireki shomeisho) is a card with your photo and the licenses you held. According to the National Police Agency, a certificate issued on or after April 1, 2012 can be used as official ID instead of a driver’s license. It does not let you drive. People whose license was cancelled because of a traffic violation cannot get one (Voluntary surrender, National Police Agency).
You can apply for the certificate up to 5 years after your return, not only on the day. For a later application, the Ehime police ask for a residence record (住民票, juminhyo) or similar. People whose license expired within the last 5 years can also apply, with the fee and a residence record that shows the registered domicile (Driving history certificate, Ehime Prefectural Police). The page does not say what a foreign resident should bring in this case, so ask the center.
4. Can a family member return the license for me?
Ehime Prefectural Police
Yes, if you cannot come in person, for example because you are in hospital. A proxy can return a conventional license card, but not a My Number license. Proxy returns are taken on weekdays, 9:30–11:00 and 14:00–16:00, at the police station for the address on the license, or at the Uchiko, Nomura or Kihoku police box. The license center handles only people who come in person (Proxy surrender, Ehime Prefectural Police).
- Get a doctor’s certificate. It must show that the license holder cannot come to the counter. Bring the original.
- Fill in the proxy form (委任状兼承諾書). The form is on page 2 of the police PDF above. The license holder writes everything, including the proxy’s part. If the holder cannot write, ask the police first.
- Go to the counter with four items. The holder’s license, the doctor’s certificate, the proxy form, and the proxy’s own ID, such as a license.
- Expect a phone call. The police call the license holder to confirm the decision.
Questions about proxy returns: the license center, 089-934-0110, extension 355.
5. What support can I get after returning my license?
Depends on the provider
To get a discount, you show one of three documents: the cancellation notice, your old license with holes punched in it, or the driving history certificate. Which one is accepted depends on the provider. For the My Number version, you show your driving history on your own smartphone, through the government’s Mynaportal app or similar. The police keep a list of supporting businesses by type and by city (List of supporting businesses, Ehime Prefectural Police, as of September 25, 2026).
The list is mainly for people aged 65 or older, but some offers have no age limit. The table shows support from cities and towns that we could check on the municipality’s own page, or on the police list where noted.
| City or town | Support | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Shikokuchuo City | 5 demand-taxi tickets | 65+, registered for the demand taxi, once |
| Niihama City | Demand taxi fare ¥400 instead of ¥600 | Register for the taxi first |
| Iyo City | Community bus or demand taxi tickets, 10 rides | Iyo resident, 65+ |
| Toon City | ¥5,000 IC card charge voucher, or ¥5,000 taxi tickets | 65+ at return, returned on or after Sep 1, 2017, once |
| Masaki Town | ¥10,000 IC card charge voucher, or 20 taxi tickets | Returned after turning 65, apply first |
| Kumakogen Town | Transport tickets for town buses and taxis | Resident under 75 (75+ qualify by age); apply by Mar 31, 2027 |
| Ozu City | Refund of the certificate fee | Once per person |
| Uchiko Town | ¥15,000 in bus and taxi tickets, or fuel tickets | 65+ at return, returned on or after Apr 1, 2022, once |
| Yawatahama City | Taxi and bus tickets (¥5,000 on the police list) | 65+, apply first |
| Ikata Town | ¥15,000 of transport tickets or local gift certificates a year, up to 3 years | 65+, returned on or after Apr 1, 2017 |
| Kihoku Town | Bus and taxi discounts paid with the KIHOCA card | Resident, 65+, no license |
| Ainan Town | Taxi tickets, up to 50 × ¥500 a year, for 3 years | 65+ at return |
Details from each page: Shikokuchuo City (city PDF), Iyo City (city page), Toon City (city page), Masaki Town (town page), Kumakogen Town (town page), Ozu City (city page), Uchiko Town (town page), Ikata Town (town page), Kihoku Town (town page), Ainan Town (town page). For Yawatahama City, the city’s shared-taxi page confirms that tickets from its license-return program can be used; the amount comes from the police list of municipal support.
Some of these come with conditions that are easy to miss. In Masaki Town, the IC card voucher is charged onto a nationwide transit IC card such as ICOCA at a station. The town says it cannot be used directly on Iyotetsu trains and buses, and it cannot be charged to a mobile app. In Kihoku Town, rides on the Uwajima Jidosha bus routes in the town cost ¥200 each with the card, and taxi trips within the town cost 30% of the fare, up to ¥2,000 of your own share. In Kumakogen Town, the police list also shows half fare on town buses with no age limit. Ask the city, town or company before you rely on an offer.
5.1 Matsuyama City
Matsuyama City itself is not on the police list of municipal support. The businesses in Matsuyama on the list are mostly taxi companies with a 10% discount. Iyotetsu Taxi and Shikoku Kotsu have no age limit; several others, such as Matsuyama Daiichi Kotsu and Kintetsu Taxi, are for people 65 or older (Matsuyama list, Ehime Prefectural Police).
Iyo Bank, Ehime Bank and Ehime Shinkin Bank add 0.1% a year to the posted rate of a one-year super time deposit, if you apply. Ehime Air, at Matsuyama Airport, gives 10% off sightseeing flights.
5.2 Imabari City
Imabari City is not on the police list of municipal support. Instead, two local bodies offer support. The Imabari Traffic Safety Association helps with the certificate fee for people registered as Imabari residents. The Imabari City Regional Public Transport Council halves the fare of the demand-type shared taxis in the Asakura, Yoshiumi and Tamagawa areas. Neither has an age limit (Imabari list, Ehime Prefectural Police).
Setouchi Unyu gives 50% off the regular one-way fare on its route buses, except express and limited-express buses, if you show the driving history certificate. Kurhaus Imabari charges people 65 or older ¥410 instead of ¥510.
5.3 Niihama City
Niihama City’s demand taxi, “Odekake Taxi” (おでかけタクシー), costs ¥600 one way for adults. If you show the driving history certificate, or your punched old license together with the cancellation notice, it costs ¥400. The city plans to end this discount at the end of March 2028. To ride, register first with the city’s regional transport division (地域交通課); registration is free (Demand taxi, Niihama City).
The Niihama office of Kintetsu Taxi gives 10% off for people 65 or older (Niihama list, Ehime Prefectural Police).
6. Which counter should I choose?
Ehime Prefectural Police
For a same-day certificate, avoid the four Chuyo stations; they issue it 2–3 weeks later. The license center and all other police stations and police boxes issue it the same day. Ehime has one license center, in Matsuyama, and it is the only place open on Sundays.
Think about the trip home. After the return you cannot drive, so a weekday return at your local police station can mean a shorter ride for whoever takes you.
After the return, buses and taxis become your main way to get around. Uwajima Jidosha, Setouchi Unyu, Setouchi Shuso Bus and Nomura Tourist give 50% off regular one-way route bus fares with the certificate, with no age limit. JR Shikoku Bus gives half fare on its Matsuyama–Kuma route (Transport list, Ehime Prefectural Police). For trams and buses in Matsuyama, see How to pay on Matsuyama’s trams and Iyotetsu buses.
Common questions
Can I return my license on a Saturday?
No. The license center and the police stations do not take returns on Saturdays. On Sundays, only the license center does, and you must book by phone by 17:15 on the last weekday before.
I lost my license. Can I still return it?
Apply for a reissue of the license first, then return it.
Are there delays at the moment?
The police warn that counters may be busy since the My Number license started on March 24, 2025, and that issuing certificates takes longer. Allow extra time.
Whom do I call with questions?
The license center, 089-934-0110, extension 351 or 355. The police also publish a one-page flow from the return to receiving support (From return to support, Ehime Prefectural Police).
Next steps
- If your license shows an old address, change it first: Changing your address on an Ehime driver’s license.
- Plan how you will get around without a car: Matsuyama’s trams and Iyotetsu buses.
- Ask your city or town office about its support before you apply, and bring the document it asks for.
Sources (checked October 2026)
11 pages we checked
- Ehime Prefectural Police: voluntary surrender of a license
- Ehime Prefectural Police: surrender by a proxy (with the proxy form)
- Ehime Prefectural Police: driving history certificate and fees
- Ehime Prefectural Police: from return to support
- Ehime Prefectural Police: list of supporting businesses (as of September 25, 2026)
- Ehime Prefectural Police: list of municipal support
- Ehime Prefectural Police: list of transport support
- Ehime Prefectural Police: location and access of the license center
- National Police Agency: voluntary surrender and the driving history certificate
- Niihama City: demand taxi
- Yawatahama City: shared taxi
