Japan's beginner driver mark (初心者マーク) and your first year
For the first year after you get a Japanese ordinary licence you must display the green and yellow beginner mark (初心運転者標識) on your car. The same year is the novice driver period: pick up 3 points and you are sent on a compulsory course; skip it or get more points and you face a re-examination whose written part is the 95-question full-licence paper. These are Tokyo's (Keishicho) rules.
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The four driver marks
| Beginner mark (初心運転者標識) | Required for one year after an ordinary licence is first issued, plus any time the licence was suspended. Not displaying it: 1 point and ¥4,000. |
|---|---|
| Senior driver mark | For drivers aged 70 or over whose driving may be affected by age. Strongly recommended, no penalty for not displaying it. |
| Hearing-impaired driver mark | Required for drivers whose licence carries the hearing condition. Not displaying it: 1 point and ¥4,000. |
| Physically challenged driver mark | For drivers whose licence carries a physical condition. Strongly recommended, no penalty. |
Other drivers must not pull alongside or cut in front of a car showing any of these marks unless it is the only way to avoid danger. For an ordinary car that is 1 point and ¥6,000 (¥7,000 for medium or larger trucks and buses).
Keishicho's rule is framed around the date your Japanese licence was first issued. If you converted a foreign licence, ask your licence centre whether the beginner mark applies to you.
The novice driver period
The first year after you get a semi-medium, ordinary, motorcycle or moped licence (not counting suspension time) is the novice driver period. If your violations and accidents with that kind of vehicle reach 3 points in that year (4 if a single violation is worth 3), you receive a novice driver course notice (初心運転者講習通知書) by certified mail.
| Deadline | Within one month of receiving the notice. Time abroad or a disaster is excluded; bring a passport with entry and exit stamps, or entry and exit records from the Immigration Services Agency if you used automated gates. |
|---|---|
| Where | One of 21 designated driving schools in Tokyo, on the date named in the notice |
| Length (ordinary licence) | 7 hours: aptitude test, driving on the course and on public roads, hazard prediction training and a final assessment |
| Fee | ¥16,050 for an ordinary licence, ¥17,100 for semi-medium, ¥11,200 for a moped, including a ¥1,000 notice fee |
The re-examination
If you skip the course, or get another 3 points (4 for a single 3-point violation) after taking it, you sit a re-examination (再試験) after the novice period ends. The notice arrives by post about a year after you got the licence.
| Ordinary licence | Written test of 95 questions, 90 to pass, then a practical test on public roads and the test course. Fee ¥2,750. |
|---|---|
| Moped licence | Written test of 48 questions, 45 to pass. Fee ¥1,100. |
| If you fail or do not sit it | The licence it applies to is revoked. |
| Languages | 20 languages. English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Burmese and Nepali are available on the day; for any other language, call the re-examination desk (03-6717-5815) in advance or you may be refused on the day. |
The ordinary-licence written part is the same format as the honmen (full licence) test: 90 true-or-false statements and 5 illustrated questions. See the honmen test format and try the free 50-question mock test.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to display the beginner mark in Japan?
For one year after your ordinary licence is first issued, plus any period the licence was suspended.
What is the fine for not displaying the beginner mark?
1 point and ¥4,000 for an ordinary car.
What happens if I get points in my first year of driving in Japan?
At 3 points (4 if a single violation is worth 3) you receive a notice for a 7-hour novice driver course, ¥16,050 for an ordinary licence, to take within one month.
What if I skip the novice driver course?
You sit a re-examination after the novice period: for an ordinary licence, a 95-question written test with 90 to pass and a practical test. Failing it, or not sitting it, revokes the licence.
Can I take the novice re-examination in English?
Yes. It is offered in 20 languages. English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Burmese and Nepali are available on the day; other languages need a call to the re-examination desk in advance.
Do I need the beginner mark if I converted a foreign licence?
Keishicho's rule is framed around the date your Japanese licence was first issued, so ask your licence centre whether it applies to you.
Related guides
- Take the test in English
- Karimen test format
- Honmen test format
- October 2025 rule change
- Test centres by prefecture
- Free online mock test (50 questions, 30 minutes)
- Conversion guide
- Driving in Japan on an International Driving Permit
- Getting a Japanese licence from scratch
- The My Number card driving licence
- What to do if your Japanese licence has expired
- Renewing your licence as a foreign resident
- The traffic points system and fines
- Retaking the written test after failing
- 10 free sample questions with answers
- All driving licence guides
Practice papers written for this exam, in English
Ten topic papers, 500 true-or-false questions with answers, explanations and a Japanese term glossary. ¥500 per paper, or ¥4,000 for all ten plus ten full 50-question mock tests. Paper 07 is free.
Get the free paper Try 10 sample questionsThis page was last checked in September 2026 against the Tokyo Metropolitan Police (Keishicho) English leaflet on drivers' signs and its pages on the novice driver course, the novice re-examination, the list of violation points and the table of fixed fines. Rules, fees and formats are set prefecture by prefecture and change with little notice, so always confirm the current requirements with your local licence centre before you book. Independent study material; not affiliated with any prefectural police, licence centre or driving school.