Registering a bicycle costs ¥800 for 10 years in Fukuoka Prefecture and ¥700 for 15 years in Kumamoto Prefecture, and getting a removed bike back costs ¥2,500 in Fukuoka City and ¥1,500 in Kumamoto City. Registration belongs to the prefecture, so if you move to another prefecture you cancel it first and register again. Since April 1, 2026, riders aged 16 and over can also be given a “blue ticket” with a fine. This guide compares registration, parking, removed bikes and fines in the two cities. For rental bikes, see Bike-sharing in Kumamoto City, plus Charichari and LUUP in Fukuoka.
In short
- Register in the prefecture where you ride: ¥800 in Fukuoka (10 years), ¥700 in Kumamoto (15 years). Keep the registration card.
- Moving to another prefecture: cancel the registration before you move. Cancelling is free in both prefectures.
- Parking: ¥100 a day at Fukuoka City lots. In central Kumamoto City, city-run lots charge ¥100 per 12 hours after 2 free hours, and many station lots are listed as free.
- Removed bike: ¥2,500 in Fukuoka City, ¥1,500 cash in Kumamoto City.
- Blue tickets: fines of ¥3,000 to ¥12,000 for the main violations listed by Fukuoka City. Police never collect the fine in cash on the spot.
Checked with official pages on October 11, 2026.
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Fukuoka and Kumamoto bicycle rules side by side
| Item | Fukuoka | Kumamoto |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | ¥800 (prefecture) | ¥700 (prefecture) |
| Registration lasts | 10 years | 15 years |
| Temporary parking | ¥100 a day (city lots) | ¥100 per 12 hours, first 2 hours free (central city lots) |
| Fee to get a removed bike | ¥2,500 | ¥1,500, cash only |
| Kept before disposal | 1 month after public notice | 3 months |
Bicycle registration in Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures
Both prefectures say the law requires you to register your bicycle (防犯登録, bohan toroku). Kumamoto’s association adds that registration is run by each prefecture and owner data is not shared nationwide, and that the law sets no penalty for not registering, but a registered bike is easier to get back if it is stolen. At registration you get a registration card and a sticker for the frame. Keep the card: you need it to report a theft, to cancel the registration and to pass the bike on.
Fukuoka Prefecture: ¥800, valid for 10 years
The Fukuoka Prefectural Crime Prevention Association Federation runs registration. Registrations made on or before March 31, 2017 are valid for 7 years. Police boxes (交番, koban) and residential police boxes (駐在所, chuzaisho) do not keep change, so bring the exact amount.
| Fee | ¥800 per bicycle (tax-exempt) |
|---|---|
| Valid | 10 years from the registration date, then register and pay again |
| New bike | At the shop if it is a registering shop (red “自転車防犯登録所” sign), or a koban, residential police box or the association (防犯協会) office in a police station |
| Used bike | Koban, residential police box or association office only. Bring the bike and papers that show you own it, such as a warranty or receipt |
| Online | Same places and papers. For a used bike, get a transfer certificate (譲渡証明書) from the seller and check that the old registration was cancelled |
| From a person | The old owner’s transfer certificate and, if you have it, the old card. A still-registered bike is cancelled first (free), then registered to you (fee) |
Kumamoto Prefecture: ¥700, valid for 15 years
The Kumamoto Prefectural Crime Prevention Association Federation runs registration in Kumamoto. Registering a bike whose old registration was not cancelled creates a double registration, which can make a return after theft harder and may make you look like the owner of a stolen bike. The registration card cannot be reissued.
| Fee | ¥700 (tax-exempt) |
|---|---|
| Valid | 15 years from the date it is accepted, then register again |
| At the shop | Bought at a designated shop: register on the spot with the bike and ¥700 |
| Elsewhere | Bought at another shop or online: go to a designated shop, or the district crime prevention association office in the nearest police station (contact it in advance). Bring the bike, ID (passport or residence card for non-Japanese nationals), proof of purchase and ¥700 |
| From a person | Check that the old owner cancelled the registration. Bring the bike, ID, ¥700 and the old owner’s cancellation card or a paper showing the transfer |
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Moving, selling or throwing out a bicycle
If you leave the prefecture, cancel your registration before you move, then register again in the new prefecture. Cancelling and changing a registration is free in both prefectures. The owner should do it; Kumamoto also lets a family member who lives with the owner do it.
Fukuoka Prefecture
- Moving within the prefecture: do a free “transfer registration” (異動登録, ido toroku) at the koban, residential police box or association office near your new home. Take the bike, the customer copy of your card (without it, they check the registration details) and ID. An expired registration is registered again for the fee.
- Leaving the prefecture: before you move, cancel (廃車登録, haisha toroku) for free with the bike, the card and ID. You get a cancellation card (廃車カード) to use when you register in the new prefecture. An expired registration does not need cancelling; tell the new office it has expired.
- Already moved without cancelling: try to cancel at the police or crime prevention association near your new home. Some prefectures do not cancel another prefecture’s registration; if yours does not, call the Living Safety General Affairs Division of the Fukuoka Prefectural Police at 092-641-4141.
- Moving in: the Fukuoka page says procedures differ by prefecture and to check with the police or crime prevention association where you will live. Registering in Fukuoka costs ¥800.
- Selling, giving away or throwing out: cancel first. Take the bike (or, if it will not move, photos of the registration number, frame number and the whole bike), the card and ID. Hand the cancellation card and a transfer certificate to the new owner.
To throw out a bike in Fukuoka City, CHARI-AN TOWN lists the oversized garbage center (粗大ごみ受付センター, 092-731-1153), with a ¥300 fee per bicycle paid with a disposal ticket bought at a convenience store.
Kumamoto Prefecture
- Moving within the prefecture: do a free “change registration” (変更登録, henko toroku) when your name, address or phone number changes. Take the customer copy of the card and ID to a designated shop, or to the Living Safety Division of a police station, or a koban or residential police box (call ahead).
- Leaving the prefecture: the Kumamoto Prefectural Police say to cancel at a police station, a koban or residential police box (call first), or the shop where you bought the bike if it handles this. Take ID and the customer copy of the card. Without the card, take a phone photo of the yellow registration sticker on the bike.
- Already moved, or moving in: cancellation differs by prefecture, so ask the shop where you registered first. If that does not solve it, call the Living Safety Planning Division of the Kumamoto Prefectural Police at 096-381-0110 (weekdays 9:00 to 17:00).
- Selling or giving away: the police say that if you hand over a bike without cancelling, the next owner cannot register it.
- Sticker removed or stolen: the same number cannot be issued again, so you register as new. With the card, go to a designated shop or a district crime prevention association office with the card, bike and ID; without it, go to the district office with the bike and ID.
Bicycle parking in Fukuoka City and Kumamoto City
Fukuoka City bicycle lots
At Fukuoka City’s bicycle lots, temporary use is ¥100 per day (per use) for a bicycle, and a book of 11 tickets (回数券, kaisuken) costs ¥1,000. Mopeds cost more. A combined subway and bicycle-lot pass, the Nocchari Pass, is on the Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau website. The city page does not say where to apply for the other passes.
| Pass (定期) | 1 month | 3 months | 6 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | ¥1,900 | ¥5,400 | ¥10,200 |
| Student | ¥1,200 | ¥3,400 | ¥6,400 |
Prices are on the city’s bicycle lots page. Questions go to the city’s Bicycle Division (自転車課) on 092-711-4468.
Kumamoto City bicycle lots
In Kumamoto City, the five city-run lots in the center charge ¥100 per 12 hours for a bicycle, and the first 2 hours are free. The city’s map (updated February 1, 2026) lists them: Kamitori, City Hall North Side, City Hall, Kumamoto City Bicycle Lot and Karashima Park Underground. Privately run lots nearby set their own prices and hours, for example ¥100 per 8 hours at some.
The city lists many station lots as free and open all day, including the Kumamoto Station lots (north, central and south), Shin-Suizenji, Kami-Kumamoto, Nishi-Kumamoto and Kawashiri. The Musashizuka Station-front lot is free but open 5:15 to 24:00. Kumamoto City moves any bike left in a city-run lot for more than 7 days to its storage site and may cut chains and locks without compensation. The city does not take responsibility for accidents, theft or loss in its lots.
| Pass | Karashima Park Underground or Kamitori lot: ¥2,000 a month, ¥5,700 for 3 months |
|---|---|
| Half price | Bicycles: high school students and younger, and people with disabilities. Mopeds: people with disabilities only |
| Mopeds | Passes at Karashima Park Underground only: ¥4,000 a month, ¥11,400 for 3 months |
| Apply | Fill in the form at the lot and give it to the attendant, with ID such as a driver’s license or My Number card. A lost pass costs ¥1,000 to reissue |
| Phone | Central lots: Support Center 096-354-3611 (24 hours). Other lots: Regional Transportation Support Division 096-328-2259 (weekdays 8:30 to 17:15) |
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Getting a removed bike back in Fukuoka City and Kumamoto City
Fukuoka City: ¥2,500 at six storage sites
Fukuoka City removes a bike in a no-parking zone as soon as it is confirmed, and a bike elsewhere 3 days after it puts a warning sticker on it. There are 48 no-parking zones (as of October 1, 2025). A bike locked to a fence or a tree may have its chain cut, and CHARI-AN TOWN, the site the city links, says damage is not compensated.
Search for your bike on the search site linked from the city’s abandoned bicycles page by registration number, or by removal date and place. A bike removed today may take time to show up. You can also call the bicycle section of the ward office where you left it (weekdays 9:00 to 17:00; the numbers are on the same page). If the city can identify you from the registration number, it sends a return notice (返還通知書, henkan tsuchisho). The bike goes to the storage site for the ward where it was left.
| Removed in | Storage site, address and phone |
|---|---|
| Higashi Ward | Kaizuka 7-chome 7, Hakozaki, Higashi Ward 092‑633‑3050 |
| Hakata Ward | Enokida 3-11-14 Higashi-Hie, Hakata Ward (under the expressway) 092‑411‑1706 |
| Chuo Ward | Nanotsu 3-chome 7, Nanotsu, Chuo Ward 092‑781‑6542 |
| Minami Ward | Hirao 2-chome 18, Ogusu, Minami Ward 092‑524‑0415 |
| Jonan, Sawara | Nishijin 14 Sohara, Sawara Ward 092‑851‑6878 |
| Nishi Ward | Meinohama 4-26-3 Odo, Nishi Ward 092‑881‑8848 |
| Fee | ¥2,500 |
|---|---|
| Bring | Proof the bike is yours (the key or the return notice), ID such as a driver’s license or My Number card, and the fee |
| Hours | Enokida: Mon–Fri 11:00–19:00, Sat, Sun and holidays 13:00–17:00. Nanotsu: Mon–Fri 11:00–22:00, Sat, Sun and holidays 13:00–22:00. Other four sites: Mon–Fri 15:00–19:00, Sat 13:00–17:00, closed Sundays and holidays (CHARI-AN TOWN) |
| Closed | All sites, December 29 to January 3 |
| Kept | A bike nobody claims within one month of the notice in the city gazette may be sold or disposed of |
Kumamoto City: ¥1,500 at two storage sites
Kumamoto City removes a bike in a no-parking zone at once, and a bike outside a zone one week after it attaches a notice tag. The zones are marked with signs and road markings; in the central area, the zone is the red-outlined area on the city’s map. Removed bikes go to the Heisei Bicycle Storage Site or the Heisei No. 2 Bicycle Storage Site, depending on the removal date.
After the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake, the city waives the ¥1,500 fee for bikes removed from city-run lots since the quake, if official papers such as a disaster certificate (り災証明書) show the disaster affected you. Ask the Regional Transportation Support Division on 096-328-2259.
| Fee | ¥1,500, cash only |
|---|---|
| Bring | ID (My Number card, student ID, driver’s license or residence card, 在留カード), the key, and the return notice postcard (返還通知書) if it has arrived |
| Hours | Mon–Sat 10:00–16:30; closed Sundays, holidays and December 29 to January 3 |
| Kept | 3 months, then the city disposes of it |
| Phone | Heisei 096-364-3910, Heisei No. 2 096-370-5606 |
| Access | JR Hohi Line Heisei Station, 0 minutes on foot. Or Kumamoto City Bus P2-1 Ryutsu Danchi line (for Nogoe Danchi) from stop 2 at Sakuramachi Bus Terminal: Danchi Iriguchi for Heisei, Heisei-machi for Heisei No. 2 |
| Map | Heisei, Heisei No. 2 (the city page gives no street address) |
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Bicycle blue-ticket fines in Japan since April 2026
Since April 1, 2026, a rider aged 16 or older who commits certain traffic violations can be given a blue ticket (青切符, ao-kippu), and paying the fine ends the case. The National Police Agency says police still usually give a warning on the spot and act when a violation is dangerous or bothers pedestrians and other vehicles. Serious violations, such as riding after drinking or causing an accident, are still criminal cases (a red ticket). Riders under 16 are handled as before, mostly with a warning.
Fukuoka City lists these main violations and fines. The list is not complete, and the same national system applies in Kumamoto.
| Fine | Violation |
|---|---|
| ¥12,000 | Holding a phone to talk, or watching its screen, while riding |
| ¥7,000 | Entering a railway crossing with the barrier down |
| ¥6,000 | Running a red light |
| ¥6,000 | Riding on the right side of the roadway |
| ¥6,000 | Riding on a sidewalk where it is not allowed |
| ¥5,000 | Ignoring a no-entry or one-way sign |
| ¥5,000 | Not stopping at a stop sign |
| ¥5,000 | Faulty brakes |
| ¥5,000 | No light at night |
| ¥5,000 | Riding with an umbrella |
| ¥5,000 | Using earphones while riding (see the Kumamoto City note below) |
| ¥3,000 | Riding side by side |
| ¥3,000 | Wrong way to turn at an intersection |
| ¥3,000 | Not riding slowly or giving way to pedestrians on a sidewalk |
| ¥3,000 | Carrying a passenger |
Kumamoto City lists when a bicycle may use the sidewalk: a sign allows it, the rider is under 13 or 70 or older (or has a certain physical disability), or the roadway is unsafe, for example because of road works. It also says one earphone, or open-ear and bone-conduction earphones, are not a violation as long as you can hear the sounds needed to ride safely, but an officer may check.
How to pay a blue ticket
- The officer gives you the ticket and a payment slip. Take the slip to a bank or post office counter.
- Pay within 7 days from the day after the stop (National Police Agency; the Kumamoto Prefectural Police count the same deadline as 8 days including the day of the stop). If you pay, the case does not go to criminal court.
- If you miss it, go to the Traffic Violation Notification Center on the date on the ticket. You get a notice and a new slip, and pay within 10 days after the notice day (11 days counting the notice day, per the Kumamoto police). If you still do not pay, the case moves to criminal procedure.
Police officers never take the fine in cash on the spot. Fukuoka City and the Kumamoto Prefectural Police warn about people posing as officers; if someone asks you to pay on the spot, do not pay, and call 110.
Help in English with bicycle procedures
The registration, parking and removal pages above are in Japanese, and they do not say whether staff at police boxes, shops, lots or storage sites speak English. Kumamoto’s registration page lists a passport or residence card as ID for non-Japanese nationals. The National Police Agency’s bicycle page links an English version of its five rules for safe cycling.
Useful words: bicycle registration (防犯登録, bohan toroku), registration card (防犯登録カード), cancellation (廃車登録, haisha toroku), storage site (保管所, hokanjo), no-parking zone (放置禁止区域, hochi kinshi kuiki) and blue ticket (青切符, ao-kippu). For general help, see Help in your language in Fukuoka City. For the other steps after you move, see Moving to Fukuoka City: a checklist for foreign residents (2026) or Moving to Kumamoto: a checklist for foreign residents (2026).
Sources
7 pages we checked
- Fukuoka Prefectural Crime Prevention Association Federation: Bicycle anti-theft registration, Q&A (Japanese) and how to register (Japanese), no update date shown; checked October 2026
- Kumamoto Prefectural Crime Prevention Association Federation: New registration, change and cancellation (Japanese) and Q&A (Japanese), no update date shown; checked October 2026
- Kumamoto Prefectural Police: Do not forget to cancel your bicycle registration (Japanese), updated March 4, 2022; checked October 2026
- Fukuoka City: Bicycle lots (Japanese), updated November 7, 2023; Fukuoka City: Abandoned bicycles (Japanese), updated September 24, 2026; CHARI-AN TOWN: About abandoned bicycles (Japanese), the site the city links for storage sites; checked October 2026
- Kumamoto City: Bicycle lots and abandoned bicycles (Japanese), updated August 5, 2026; map of central lots (Japanese), updated February 1, 2026; checked October 2026
- National Police Agency: Bicycle portal, the new system (Japanese); Bicycle Rulebook summary (Japanese, PDF); checked October 2026
- Fukuoka City: Traffic violation notification system for bicycles (Japanese), updated May 14, 2026; Kumamoto Prefectural Police: Traffic violation notification system (Japanese), updated February 27, 2026; Kumamoto City: Blue ticket (Japanese), updated June 2, 2026; checked October 2026
