Buying a car (as an individual)
Since buying and selling cars between individuals is often complicated (and sometimes troublesome), some things are not required but merely recommended. The necessary procedure is outlined below.
Procedure (Method, Place, What You Need)
Procedure
| Procedure name, | Main body |
| Change the name of the vehicle | Buyer or seller |
| Liability Insurance Name Change | Buyer or seller |
| Obtaining Parking Space Certificate | Buyer |
| Voluntary insurance Contracts and Cancellations | Buyers and seller |
| Sales Contract | Buyer and seller |
Where to complete a vehicle name change procedure
It will be one of the following depending on the type of car bought and sold.
- Regular cars and motorcycles over 125CC: Transport Bureau
- Kei car: Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization
- Motorcycles of 125CC or less: Municipal office where the new owner lives
Things you will need to change into a new owners name
Regular car
・ License plate
・ Transfer certificate
・ Old and new owner's seal registration certificate
・ Resident's card of new user
・ Automobile inspection certificate / Shaken-sho
・ Power of attorney
・ Several thousand yen in cash
Kei car
・ License plate
・ Old and new owner's seal registration certificate (Affix both seals on an application form)
・ Resident's card of new owner
・ Automobile inspection certificate / Shaken-sho
・ Power of attorney
・ Several thousand yen in cash
Motorbikes of 125CC or less
・ Scrap car certificate (necessary if the address of the old owner is different from the new owner's)
・ Transfer certificate
・ Vehicle liability insurance certificate (necessary if it hasn't expired yet)
・ Application form
・ Seal
Name change on Compulsory Automobile Liability Insurance(CALI) / Compulsory Car Insurance
Apply to an insurance company
- Vehicle liability insurance (mutual) approval claim, sealed by both the seller and the buyer (Seal must be a seal registered)
- Vehicle liability insurance certificate
- A copy of the sales contract
- Seller's Certificate of Seal Registration etc.
It is recommended that you inquire with your insurance company about the required documents, as they may differ from one company to another.