My Number licence · Updated September 2026

The My Number card driving licence (マイナ免許証), explained

Q: How do I check my licence expiry if nothing is printed on the card?

Log in to Mynaportal, or use the police's My Number licence reader app.

Since 24 March 2025 you can store your driving licence on your My Number card, known as the マイナ免許証 (My Number licence). It is optional. You can keep the plastic licence card, switch to the My Number licence only, or hold both. The choice changes your fees and which services you can use, and it adds one trap: the My Number card has its own expiry date. The fees and procedures below are Tokyo's.

Short answer: it is optional. The My Number licence is cheaper to renew (¥2,100 against ¥2,850) and unlocks an online renewal lecture, but the card shows none of your licence details, and a lapsed My Number card can take your licence data with it.

The three options

Licence card only	Nothing changes. You renew and use the plastic card as before.
My Number licence only	Your licence data is recorded on your My Number card and you hand in the plastic licence.
Both	Licence data on the My Number card, and you keep the plastic licence too.

You must carry either one when you drive. You need a My Number card to choose the second or third option. The My Number card on a smartphone cannot be used as a licence; bring the physical card to every licence procedure.

Fees in Tokyo

Renewal	Licence card only ¥2,850 · My Number licence only ¥2,100 · both ¥2,950, plus the lecture fee
Renewal lecture	At the venue: ¥500 (excellent driver), ¥800 (general), ¥1,400 (violator or first renewal). Online: ¥200, for excellent and general drivers holding a My Number licence.
New ordinary licence	Driving-school graduates ¥4,250 / ¥3,450 / ¥4,350; direct test ¥5,650 / ¥4,850 / ¥5,750 (card only / My Number only / both)
Switching outside renewal	From card only to My Number only or both: ¥1,500. From My Number only to card only or both: ¥2,550. Dropping one of the two when you hold both: free.

Example: an excellent driver who renews with the online lecture and keeps only the My Number licence pays ¥2,100 + ¥200 = ¥2,300.

What you gain

Online renewal lecture for excellent and general drivers, taken at home on a phone or computer.
One-stop address changes (My Number licence only). After you link your signature certificate with the police and Mynaportal, reporting a new address, name or date of birth at your city office updates your licence record too, normally two days later. No separate police visit.

What to watch

Nothing is printed on the card. Licence class and expiry are not on the My Number card. Check them in Mynaportal or the police's My Number licence reader app, and keep an eye on the expiry date yourself.
Two expiry dates. The My Number card, its signature certificate and the licence all expire separately. Procedures cannot be done on an expired My Number card, and the police do not issue My Number cards: that is your city office.
Renewing the My Number card. Since 1 September 2025 your licence data carries over to the new card, but only if the card is being renewed because it is expiring (or its remarks field is full), you asked for the licence to carry over, you entered the licence data record number correctly, you requested a signature certificate, and you had already given the police your signature certificate. A card replaced after loss, damage or lapse does not carry the data over. Look for 記録：有 (recorded) on the collection notice; if it is missing, re-record at a licence centre, renewal centre or designated police station (free if the notice says 記録：無). Apply early: a new card takes one to two months.
Same-year renewals. Renew the My Number card first, then the licence. The card can be renewed from three months before its expiry; the licence window is one month either side of your birthday.
Driving abroad. Some countries require the plastic licence alongside an International Driving Permit. If you hold only the My Number licence, switch to holding both at a licence test centre before you apply.

Booking

Switching at renewal (under 70) is booked through the Keishicho licence reservation site. Switching at any other time, or alongside an address change, reissue or expired-licence procedure, is booked through Keishicho's online administrative procedures site. Over-70s need no booking.

Frequently asked questions

Is the My Number card driving licence mandatory?

No. It is optional. You can keep using the plastic licence card only, switch to the My Number licence only, or hold both.

Is it cheaper to renew with the My Number licence?

Yes. In Tokyo a renewal costs ¥2,100 with the My Number licence only, ¥2,850 with the licence card only and ¥2,950 for both, plus the lecture fee. Excellent and general drivers with a My Number licence can take the lecture online for ¥200.

Can I use the My Number card on my phone as a driving licence?

No. Only the physical My Number card can hold the licence, and you must carry it (or the plastic licence) when you drive.

Does my licence transfer when I renew my My Number card?

Since 1 September 2025 it can, if the card is renewed because it is expiring, you asked for the licence to carry over, entered the licence data record number correctly and requested a signature certificate. Check for 記録：有 on the collection notice; otherwise re-record at a police facility.

How do I check my licence expiry if nothing is printed on the card?

Can I drive abroad with only the My Number licence?

Some countries require the plastic licence with an International Driving Permit. If you hold only the My Number licence, switch to holding both at a licence test centre before applying for the IDP.

Related 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 questions

This page was last checked in September 2026 against the Tokyo Metropolitan Police (Keishicho) pages on the My Number licence, its fee schedule and My Number card renewal. 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.