Transferring Ownership of a Car

Selling or purchasing a car requires more than just an agreement between you and the purchaser. You’ll have to officially transfer the ownership, which requires getting hold of the below items, so be sure that the purchaser of your car is aware of them. Please note that the forms may vary by municipality, so check if you must follow any local additional local regulations.

Required paperwork

Some general paperwork is required. There are additional requirements for buyers and sellers.

• OCR #2 Sheet. The car ownership transfer application form.
• ¥500.

From the seller

• Car registration payment receipt.
• Proof of the transfer of car ownership.
• Certificate of inkan impression. Received within 3 months of transfer application.
• Inkan. For stamping forms.
• Certificate proving your address. Might not be needed.
• Certificate of compulsory car insurance. Might not be needed.

From the buyer

• Certificate proving you have a parking space. Dated within 40 days of transfer application.
• Certificate proving your address.
• Certificate of compulsory car insurance.
• Receipt for automobile tax. Might not be needed.

Certificate for parking

The buyer must get a certificate showing they have a parking space. There are some required items which need to be taken to the police station (or perhaps the municipal office).

• Application form.
• Map showing the parking space location relative to your residence.
• Map showing the layout of the parking space.
• Document showing that you have the parking space owner's consent.
• ¥2,700 for white plate cards, or ¥500 for yellow plate cars.

Offices

• Akita Land Transport Branch Office　(秋田運輸支局 Akita Unyushikyoku).

• Address: 〒010-0816 秋田市泉字登木74-3.
• Telephone: 050-5540-2012.
• Hours: 8:45-12:00, 13:00-16:00.

• Akita Prefectural Police Headquarters.

• Address 010-09511-5 Sanno yon-chome, Akita City.
• Telephone: 018-863-1111.
• Website: [1].

City	Romaji Address	Kanji Address	Phone Number
Kazuno	100 Hanawa aza Mukouhata,	花輪字向畑１００	0186-23-3321
Odate	1-70 Shinmachi	大館市根下戸新町１番７０号	0186-42-4111
Kita Akita	1 Takanosuaza Shimoieshita	鷹巣字下家下１番地	0186-62-1245
Noshiro	1-23 Hiyoshi-cho	日吉町１番２３号	0185-52-4311
Gojome	178-4 Aza Nanakura, Gojome-machi	五城目町字七倉１７８番地４	018-852-4100
Oga	1-4 Funakawa aza Shinhama-cho, Funakawa minato	船川港船川字新浜町１－４	0185-23-2233
Akita Rinko	1-8 Nishi sancho me, Tsuchizaki minato	土崎港西3-1-8	018-845-0141
Akita Chuo	1-9 Senshu meitoku-cho,	千秋明徳町１番９号	018-835-1111
Akita East	60-2 Kamikitade momosaki azauchiyama	上北手百崎字内山６０番地２	018-825-5110
Yurihonjo	27 Naka-cho	中町２７	0184-23-4111
Nikaho	Kisakata Nyudoujima 15-8	象潟町字入道島１５番地８	0184-43-2935
Daisen	Omagari 1-1-30 Hinodecho	大曲日の出町一丁目１-３０号	0187-63-3355
Senboku	34-6 Nishinokawahara, Kakunodate	角館町西野川原34-6	0187-53-2111
Yokote	71 Yasuda aza Koshimawari	安田字越廻７１番地	0182-32-2250
Yuzawa	3-5 Icchome, Sengoku-machi	千石町一丁目３－５	0183-73-2127

Registering your seal

For various official paperwork, you need to register your personal seal. If you don't have it registered, technically it's just a stamp without official legal meaning. Once you get it registered, you can get a certificate showing this. The certificate is called 印鑑証明書 (inkan shomeisho). The process takes a short amount of time at your local public office. Bring your seal, your Alien Registration Card, and a small amount of money. Once you register your seal, you'll probably get a card, which is needed when obtaining subsequent certificates. Each certificate costs ¥250.

Note: If your name on the seal is not in the same characters as your Alien Registration Card (i.e., it is in katakana not romaji) you may have to register your name as shown on the seal on your Alien Registration Card record as well. The office employees are familiar with the process, and they will handle any difficult points.

Cancelling insurance

Depending on your insurance policy, if you cancel mid-year, you can get a refund for the months you haven't used. Some insurance policies do not allow this, though. Contact your company to find out.

Car Disposal

Main page: Disposing of a Car

If you have an old car, maybe nobody will buy it, so the only thing left to do is get it crushed. Failure to do so leads to badness in the long run. There are car disposal companies that you can hire, or if you're buying a new car, the car shop will handle disposing of the old one. In most cases, the disposal company or car shop will handle all of the confusing paperwork, so all you need to do is give them the right papers, the car and car keys, and stamp some forms. They will need several things.

• Vehicle Inspection Certificate. You should give this to them.
• Front and back license plates. These are on the car.
• Certificate of disposal. They should get this on their own.
• Automobile tax certificate. A receipt showing you paid annual car tax.
• Disposal authorization letter. They may ask you to sign and stamp a form authorizing them to dispose of the car.
• Certificate of inkan impression. Can be obtained at your town office.
• Inkan. So you can stamp the relevant forms.

Once they have all the appropriate forms signed and stamped, they'll crush your car, finish the extra paperwork, take the paperwork to the appropriate municipal office, and your car will be history.

Useful vocabulary

Japanese	Romaji	English
自動車を廃車する	jidousha wo haisha suru	Dispose of a car
OCRシート	OCR shiito	Application Form (OCR #2 sheet)
手数料納付書	tesuutyou noufusho	Receipt for payment of registration fee
譲渡証明書	jyouto shoumeisho	Proof of the transfer in ownership of the car
印鑑証明書	inkan shoumeisho	Certificate of inkan impression
使用者の住所を証する書面	shiyousha wo shousuru shoumen	Certificate of proof of address
自動車保管場所証明書	jidousha hokan basho shoumeisho	Automobile storage certificate
車庫証明	shako shoumei	Certificate of proof of parking space
委任状	ininjyou	Letter of attorney
自動車税納付証明書	jidousha zei noufu shoumeisho	Receipt of automobile tax payment
車検書	shaken sho	Vehicle Inspection Certificate
任意保険	nin i hoken	Voluntary Insurance

See also

• Driving