The integration of driver's licenses and My Number cards will soon become a reality, a groundbreaking change that has the potential to have a major impact on our daily lives.
According to a new policy announced by the National Police Agency on September 9th, a "My Number License" will be introduced from March 12. This is a groundbreaking initiative that will integrate the functions of the current driver's license into a My Number card.
Overview of the Minority License System
The My Number Card is an identification card issued as part of the Personal Number System introduced in 2016. This card already has various personal information recorded on its IC chip, but driver's license information will now also be added.
Specifically, information such as the license holder's photo, the validity period of the license, the type of license held, and conditions such as wearing glasses will be recorded on the IC chip of the My Number card. This will make it possible to prove identity and driving qualifications with a single card.
The procedure to combine the My Number card and driver's license is being adjusted so that it can be done at driver's license centers and police stations that handle license renewals. This means that people who remember their driver's license PIN numbers would like to be able to do it on their smartphones.
In addition, under the current law, if a police officer finds a person whose license has been revoked or suspended and is unable to take action because the person's whereabouts are unknown, the police officer will take custody of the person's license. After March 2025, 3, this system will be abolished and replaced by a system in which a "summons" is issued.
Benefits of a minor driver's license
There are many benefits to this integration. One particularly noteworthy feature is the simplification of procedures for changing one's address. Currently, when moving, one must notify both the local government and the police separately, but with a Minority Driver's License, the procedure can be completed only with the local government.
In addition, it will also improve convenience when renewing licenses. Good drivers and general drivers will be considered to have received the training at renewal simply by watching the training video on the personal website called My Number Portal. This will significantly reduce the time and effort required for renewal procedures. However, not all procedures will be completed online. Photographs and vision tests will continue to be conducted at license centers as usual. This is because these are important processes to confirm the basic physical abilities required for safe driving.
The introduction of the Minor Driver's License is optional, and existing driver's licenses can be used in conjunction with the Minor Driver's License. However, there is also the economic benefit of only having a Minor Driver's License, as the fees for obtaining or renewing the license are relatively low.
| License acquisition | License renewal | |
| Current driver's license | 2350 yen | 2850 yen |
| Minor driver's license | 1550 yen | 2100 yen |
| Current + Minor | 2450 yen | 2950 yen |
Resolving concerns
This change can be seen as part of an effort to streamline government services in today's digitalized society. Efforts are already underway to integrate the functions of health insurance cards into the "My Number Health Insurance Card," and as of the end of July 2024, 7% of My Number card holders have completed registration.
Regarding incorrect linking
However, concerns have also been raised about this rapid progress in digitalization. In particular, there are persistent concerns about the management of personal information and information security. The government will need to provide detailed explanations and take sufficient measures to address these concerns. For example, there was a previous mistake in linking the My Number card with the health insurance card. It will be necessary to appeal to the public that measures have been taken with the My Number driver's license to prevent a recurrence of this kind of mistake. What is currently being considered is for the person to bring both their My Number card and driver's license when applying, and for an official to check in front of the applicant that the photographs on both cards match. It remains to be seen whether this is enough to properly counter threats, though.
It takes time to reissue your card if you lose it.
Another concern is the time it will take to reissue a My Number card if you lose it. You need to carry your driver's license to drive a car, and to deal with this, the current driver's license can be reissued on the same day if you lose it, but the My Number card can take up to a month and a half to be reissued. It would be a problem if you couldn't drive during that time.
This can actually be avoided by having your current driver's license reissued, although you will end up with two licenses again.
Upcoming
In preparation for the start of operation of this new system (Minor License), the National Police Agency plans to amend the Road Traffic Act on March 2025, 3. In addition, the Agency will be inviting public comments on this new operating method for 24 days starting September 2024, 9.
The introduction of the Minority Driver's License will be an important milestone in the digitalization of Japanese society. How this change will affect our lives is of great interest to many.