Driver's license renewal counters in Yamaguchi Prefecture
- Three places renew licenses on Sundays: the General Traffic Center in Ogori, Yamaguchi City, the Shunan Driver's License Center, and the Hagi Driver's License Center.
- Shimonoseki and Iwakuni police stations require a reservation for same-day issue, while other police stations need no reservation and issue cards about three weeks later.
- The renewal fee is ¥2,850 for a driver's license card or ¥2,100 for a My Number license, plus ¥500 in person for the good driver course.
In Yamaguchi Prefecture, you can renew a driver’s license on a Sunday at only three places: the General Traffic Center in Ogori, Yamaguchi City, the Shunan Driver’s License Center and the Hagi Driver’s License Center. The General Traffic Center takes renewals without a reservation, but reception on Monday to Thursday is only 9:00–9:30 and 13:00–13:30. Sunday mornings there are by reservation; good driver and general course holders need no reservation on Sunday afternoons (reception 13:00–14:00) (Yamaguchi Prefectural Police: reservations at the General Traffic Center, Japanese). People in the elderly course and people who finished the online course need no reservation on Sunday mornings either. Police stations work on weekdays only: Shimonoseki and Iwakuni take reservations and give the new card the same day, and the other stations need no reservation but issue the card about three weeks later (Yamaguchi Prefectural Police: reception places and hours, Japanese).
In short
- Sundays: the General Traffic Center (Yamaguchi City), the Shunan Center and the Hagi Center only. Police stations are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
- Reservation needed: Sunday mornings at the General Traffic Center, the Shunan and Hagi centers, and the Shimonoseki and Iwakuni police stations.
- Fee: ¥2,850 to renew a driver’s license card, or ¥3,350 with the 30-minute good driver course in person.
- Foreign residents also show a residence card, a special permanent resident certificate or a residence record that states the period of stay.
Checked with official pages on October 22, 2026.
To change only the address on your license, see changing your address on a Yamaguchi driver’s license.
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Where to renew a driver’s license in Yamaguchi: Sundays and reservations
Only the three centers in Yamaguchi City, Shunan City and Hagi City renew licenses on Sundays. No police station handles any license procedure on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. Five places need a reservation for renewal: the General Traffic Center on Sunday mornings, the Shunan and Hagi centers, and the Shimonoseki and Iwakuni police stations (Yamaguchi Prefectural Police: license renewal, Japanese).
| Place (city) | Sunday renewal | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| General Traffic Center Yamaguchi | Yes (good driver, general, violator, first renewal) | Sunday mornings only |
| Shunan Center Shunan | Yes (good driver, general, violator, first renewal) | Required |
| Hagi Center Hagi | Yes (good driver, general) | Required |
| Shimonoseki, Iwakuni stations Shimonoseki, Iwakuni | Closed | Required |
| Other police stations Yamaguchi, Ube and others | Closed | Not needed |
You get the new card the same day at the three centers and at the Shimonoseki and Iwakuni stations. At the other police stations and main police boxes (幹部交番, kanbu koban), the card is issued about three weeks after you apply, and you collect it where you applied.
Yamaguchi license renewal fee and course fee
You pay the renewal fee plus the course fee (Yamaguchi Prefectural Police: license renewal, Japanese). Renewing a driver’s license card costs ¥2,850, or ¥3,350 in total with the good driver course in person. The renewal fee depends on the card you receive.
| Card you receive | Renewal fee |
|---|---|
| Driver’s license card | ¥2,850 |
| My Number license | ¥2,100 |
| Both | ¥2,950 |
The course fee depends on your course type. The good driver course (優良, yuryo) is for people who have held a license for five years or more with no accidents or violations in the past five years. The general course (一般, ippan) is for people who have held a license for five years or more with one minor violation or accident in the past five years. The violator and first-renewal courses take two hours.
| Course | Length | In person | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good driver | 30 minutes | ¥500 | ¥200 |
| General | 1 hour | ¥800 | ¥200 |
| Violator, first renewal | 2 hours | ¥1,400 | Not offered |
With the ¥2,850 renewal fee for a driver’s license card, the total is ¥3,350 for good driver, ¥3,650 for general and ¥4,250 for violator or first renewal (our sum of the two tables). People aged 70 or over take an elderly driver course first, with its own fee; see Yamaguchi Prefectural Police: renewal at age 70 or over (Japanese).
Yamaguchi Prefectural General Traffic Center, Yamaguchi City
On weekdays, you can renew Monday to Thursday without a reservation; there is no renewal counter on Fridays. On Sunday mornings the good driver, general, violator and first-renewal courses need a reservation; good driver and general course holders without one can come on Sunday afternoon, 13:00–14:00. Violator and first-renewal holders without a reservation come Monday to Thursday instead, because there is no lecture for them on Sunday afternoons. The elderly course and people who finished the online course need no reservation (Sunday reception 10:00–10:30 and 13:00–14:00) (reservations at the General Traffic Center, Japanese).
On weekdays, courses start at 10:20, 10:50 and 14:30 (good driver), 10:30 and 14:30 (general), and 10:40 and 14:30 (violator and first renewal). On Sunday afternoons, good driver courses start at 14:00 and 14:30 and general at 14:30; there is no violator or first-renewal course. Sunday morning courses are for people with a reservation (course dates and times, Japanese).
People aged 70 or over in the elderly course, and people who finished the online course, need no reservation even on Sunday mornings. Pregnant people and people with small children can use the “Kids Fast Track” (こどもファスト・トラック) Monday to Thursday and on Sundays (support for parents at renewal, Japanese).
| Renewal | Mon–Thu 9:00–9:30, 13:00–13:30 (no reservation). Sun morning (reservation), 13:00–14:00 (no reservation). No renewal on Fri; closed Sat and holidays |
|---|
| Name | Yamaguchi Prefectural General Traffic Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 3560-2 Ogori Shimogo, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi |
| Hours / Closed | Renewal: Mon–Thu 9:00–9:30, 13:00–13:30 (no reservation required); Sun morning (by reservation), 13:00–14:00 (no reservation required). No renewal counter on Fridays. Closed Saturdays and holidays |
| Phone | 083-973-2900 (automated answering service) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
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Shunan Driver’s License Center, Shunan City
The center is on the 4th floor of the Shunan General Government Building, not at Shunan City Hall (Shunan Driver’s License Center, Japanese). Good driver, general, violator and first renewals are not accepted without a reservation, including on Sundays. Good driver renewals are on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, general on Tuesday and Sunday, and violator and first renewal on Thursday and Sunday (Shunan Center reception hours, Japanese).
Reserve by 16:00 on the day before. No reservation is needed if you are 70 or over and have finished the elderly course (people with a reservation go first), or if you finished the online course (Shunan Center reservations, Japanese).
Entry opens at 8:30 in the morning and 12:30 in the afternoon, and you wait in your car until then. The center takes your photo on the day, so you do not bring one.
| Renewal | By reservation. Good driver Mon, Tue, Thu, Sun; general Tue, Sun; violator and first renewal Thu, Sun. Closed Sat and holidays |
|---|
| Name | Shunan Driver's License Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-38 Mori-machi, Shunan City, Yamaguchi (Shunan General Government Building, 4F) |
| Hours / Closed | Renewal (by reservation): Good driver Mon, Tue, Thu, Sun; general Tue, Sun; violator and first renewal Thu, Sun. Elderly and online course completed Mon, Tue, Thu, Sun 13:00–13:30. Closed Saturdays and holidays |
| Phone | 0834-22-5310 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Hagi Driver’s License Center, Hagi City
The center is in front of JR Hagi Station. Good driver and general renewals are on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Violator and first renewals are on Thursday and Friday only, not on Sunday. Renewal is by reservation, and people without one are not accepted. People aged 70 or over and people who finished the online course come at 13:00–13:30, and elderly visitors with a reservation go first (Hagi Center reception hours, August 1, 2026, Japanese).
Parking is limited, and the police suggest Hagi City’s circular “Maaru Bus” (まぁーるバス) to avoid busy times (Hagi Driver’s License Center, Japanese).
| Renewal | By reservation. Good driver and general Mon, Thu, Fri, Sun; violator and first renewal Thu, Fri. Closed Sat and holidays |
|---|
| Name | Hagi Driver's License Center |
|---|---|
| Address | Oaza Tsubaki, Hagi City, Yamaguchi (in front of JR Hagi Station) |
| Hours / Closed | Renewal (by reservation): Good driver and general Mon, Thu, Fri, Sun; violator and first renewal Thu, Fri. Elderly and online course completed Mon, Thu, Fri, Sun 13:00–13:30. Closed Saturdays and holidays |
| Phone | 083-973-2900 (Driver's License Division, automated answering service) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Renewing at a Yamaguchi police station (Shimonoseki and Iwakuni by reservation)
Shimonoseki and Iwakuni police stations
Shimonoseki and Iwakuni police stations renew by reservation only, and people without one are not accepted. Good driver renewals are Monday to Friday, general on Tuesday and Thursday, and violator and first renewal on Tuesday only at Shimonoseki and Thursday only at Iwakuni. Your reception time is the time you choose when you reserve. The card is issued the same day, and no photo is needed (Shimonoseki station hours, April 1, 2026; Iwakuni station hours, April 1, 2026, Japanese).
No reservation is needed if you finished the online course (Monday to Friday, 10:00–16:00) or are in the elderly course (10:00–11:00 and 14:00–15:00; people with a reservation go first).
Other police stations and main police boxes
Yanai, Hikari, Hofu, Yamaguchi, Ube, Sanyo-Onoda, Kogushi and Chofu stations take renewals Monday to Friday, 9:00–16:00. Mine takes them on Tuesday only and Nagato on Monday and Wednesday only. Each station holds courses on a fixed day, at the start times below. The card is not issued the same day (police stations and main police boxes, May 21, 2026, Japanese).
| Station | Course day | Good driver (30 min) | General (1 hour) | Violator, first (2 hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yanai | Tuesday | 10:00, 13:00 | 11:00 | 14:00 |
| Hikari | Wednesday | 10:00, 13:00 | 10:50 | 14:00 |
| Hofu | Wednesday | 9:50, 13:20 | 10:50 | 14:00 |
| Yamaguchi | Tuesday | 10:00, 13:15 | 10:50 | 14:00 |
| Ube | Tuesday | 10:00, 13:15 | 10:50 | 14:00 |
| Sanyo-Onoda | Thursday | 11:20 | 9:50 | 14:00 |
| Kogushi | Wednesday | 10:00 | 10:50 | 14:00 |
| Mine | Tuesday | 10:00, 13:15 | 10:45 | 14:00 |
| Nagato | Wednesday | 10:00, 13:20 | 10:50 | 14:00 |
| Chofu | Thursday | 10:00 | 10:50 | 14:00 |
To take a course the same day, apply at least one hour before it starts. Kudamatsu, Shunan, Yamaguchi-Minami and Hagi police stations take no license procedures. The Suo-Oshima main police box renews on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and the Asa main police box on Wednesday only. Once a month, a traveling renewal service, “Ikiiki Menkyo Tetsuzuki Plaza” (いきいき免許手続プラザ, 10:00–13:00, reception until 12:30), visits the Hirose and Toyota main police boxes, the Shunan City Kano branch office and the Ato Community Center.
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What to bring to renew a Yamaguchi license
The police list these items (Yamaguchi Prefectural Police: license renewal, Japanese).
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| License, My Number license | Bring both if you have both |
| Renewal notice postcard | You can renew without it |
| Fee | Renewal fee plus course fee |
| One license photo | Not needed at the 3 centers or at Shimonoseki and Iwakuni |
| Papers for age 70 or over | Elderly course certificate and others |
You can renew from one month before to one month after your birthday, and a notice postcard arrives about one month before your birthday. After the license expires, it cannot be renewed and a different procedure applies. To change your address or name at the same time, also bring a residence record (住民票, juminhyo) or other papers.
Foreign residents also show a residence card (在留カード), a special permanent resident certificate or a residence record that lists the period of stay; the application is not accepted without one. Holders of a My Number license do not need these. The notice adds that while your residence card is being renewed, a holding receipt from an administrative scrivener (行政書士) or a copy of the card is not accepted; a residence record whose period of stay has passed is not accepted; and a My Number card that is not a My Number license is not enough by itself. Foreign nationals on a US military base show the ID card under the Status of Forces Agreement, plus an official document with their address (Yamaguchi Prefectural Police: notice for foreign nationals, Japanese).
How to reserve a renewal in Yamaguchi
Reserve on the National Police Agency’s portal (pcf.npa.go.jp) by 16:00 on the day before. If that day is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, reserve by 16:00 on the weekday before it (Shunan Center reservations, Japanese).
You need the ID and password printed on the renewal notice postcard, so you cannot reserve before it arrives. The course time shown on the reservation screen is your reception time; arrive within it (reservations at the General Traffic Center, Japanese).
If you cannot get a reservation, the General Traffic Center takes walk-ins Monday to Thursday and on Sunday afternoons. Sunday afternoons have no violator or first-renewal course, so people in those groups go Monday to Thursday. Reservation slots are limited.
Renewing a My Number license in Yamaguchi
My Number licenses (マイナ免許証) are renewed at the three centers and at the Shimonoseki and Iwakuni police stations; the other stations do not handle them (My Number card and driver’s license integration, Japanese).
Good driver and general course holders with a My Number license can take the course online for ¥200, then finish the renewal, including the eyesight test, at a center or at the Shimonoseki or Iwakuni station.
When you renew the My Number card itself, choose “continued use as a My Number license” (マイナ免許証等継続利用) in the online application so the license data carries over to the new card; this has been possible since September 1, 2025. If the data is not carried over, you cannot drive until it is recorded again; driving counts as not carrying a license (National Police Agency: My Number license, Japanese). The renewal fee for a My Number license is ¥2,100.
Choosing where to renew in Yamaguchi
The places are far apart, so a few points decide it. If you cannot take a weekday off, your choice is Yamaguchi City, Shunan City or Hagi City; people in Shimonoseki, Iwakuni and Ube who want a Sunday travel to one of these three.
People in Shunan City and Hagi City cannot renew at a police station, because the Shunan and Hagi stations take no license procedures; reserve at the Shunan or Hagi center.
The place also decides whether you get the card the same day or about three weeks later. If you need it quickly, go to a center or to the Shimonoseki or Iwakuni station; if you have time, the nearest police station is fine. Places and hours can change, so check the latest reception places and hours (Japanese) before you go.
Common questions
Can I renew on a Sunday? Yes, at the General Traffic Center in Yamaguchi City, the Shunan Center and the Hagi Center. Police stations are closed.
Do I need a reservation? Not at the General Traffic Center on Monday to Thursday (reception 9:00–9:30 and 13:00–13:30), or on Sunday afternoons for good driver and general. Sunday mornings, the Shunan and Hagi centers, and the Shimonoseki and Iwakuni stations need one. Other police stations do not.
How long is the course? Good driver 30 minutes, general 1 hour, violator and first renewal 2 hours.
I lost the renewal postcard. You can still renew, but the reservation needs the ID and password on the postcard.
Whom do I call? The Yamaguchi Prefectural Police license division, 083-973-2900 (AI automatic phone answering, in Japanese).
Sources (checked October 2026)
6 pages we checked
- Yamaguchi Prefectural Police: license renewal, reception places and hours, renewal at age 70 or over and notice for foreign nationals (Japanese)
- General Traffic Center: reservations, course dates and times and support for parents (Japanese)
- Shunan Center: center page, reservations and reception hours (PDF) (Japanese)
- Hagi Center: center page and reception hours (PDF) (Japanese)
- Police stations: Shimonoseki (PDF), Iwakuni (PDF) and other stations and main police boxes (PDF) (Japanese)
- My Number card and driver’s license integration (Japanese)
