In Japan a car must have a registered parking place. For a registered (white-plate) car the police confirm this with a parking certificate, 自動車保管場所証明書, usually called 車庫証明 (shako shōmei), before the ownership transfer. For a kei car only some cities require a lighter notification afterwards. This page explains what the police check, which proof you need for your kind of parking, and what the two maps are.
What the police check
- The parking place is off the public road.
- It is within 2 km of your place of use (usually your home address, or the business address for a company car).
- The whole car fits inside the space and can enter and leave without blocking anything.
- You have the legal right to use the space: you own it, rent it, or it comes with your apartment.
The application goes to the police station that covers the parking place, not your home if they differ. Fees and processing days are set by each prefecture, for example ¥2,400 and 3 to 7 days in Tokyo; Gunma sets its own fee. A few rural areas are exempt from the certificate altogether. An online route (OSS) exists in most prefectures; we tell you which applies to you.
Choose your situation
I own the parking place
Your house has a driveway or garage on land you own, or you own the parking lot.
- Self-declaration 保管場所使用権原疎明書面, called 自認書. You state that you own the land. Signed by you; no landlord, no stamp from anyone else.
- Location map and layout map (below).
- Application form (we prepare it for your signature).
Jointly owned land (for example with a spouse) needs the self-declaration from each owner or a consent from the other owner.
I rent a parking space
A monthly parking lot (月極駐車場) or a space rented from a neighbour or company.
- Parking-use consent certificate 保管場所使用承諾証明書, filled in and stamped by the lot owner or management company. Ask them; most issue it within a few days, sometimes for a small fee.
- Some prefectures accept a copy of the parking contract or recent payment receipts instead of the certificate, if they show the address, the space number, the period and both names. We check the rule for your police station before you pay anyone for a certificate.
- Location map and layout map.
Parking comes with my apartment
Your building has a resident car park and your lease includes a space.
- Parking-use consent certificate from the building owner or the management company (管理会社). Contact the company named on your lease; they know the form.
- If the space is part of your apartment lease, a copy of the lease showing the space can be accepted in some prefectures.
- Location map and layout map. The layout must show your exact space number.
I do not have parking yet
You can reserve the car first, but the parking place must exist before the name transfer.
- Search for 月極駐車場 near your address and sign a contract; ask for the consent certificate at the same time.
- Keep to the 2 km rule from your home.
- Tell us the address as soon as you have it; we hold the car within the reservation period.
The two maps
Location map 所在図
Shows where the parking place is in relation to your home (or business), the surrounding roads and a landmark such as a station, school or convenience store. A printed map with the two points marked is accepted at most stations; we can prepare it from the addresses you give us.
Layout map 配置図
A simple drawing of the parking place itself: the space you will use, its length and width in metres, the entrance, the road in front with its width, and nearby buildings or other spaces. It shows the police that the car fits and can get in and out. A hand drawing is fine; we send an example with your document package.
Step by step
- Tell us your parking address and which situation above applies.
- Obtain the proof: sign the self-declaration, or ask the owner or management company for the consent certificate.
- We prepare the application form and the two maps for you to check and sign.
- The application is filed at the police station covering the parking place: by you, by us where our service covers your area, or online where available. Yamaguchi Motors assistance: guidance is always included; filing on your behalf depends on your prefecture and is quoted case by case.
- After the processing days the certificate and the parking sticker (保管場所標章) are issued. The certificate is valid for about one month for registration.
- We file the name transfer with it.
Kei cars: notification, not certificate
A kei car does not need a certificate before registration. In designated cities a parking notification (自動車保管場所届出) is filed with the police station covering the parking place after the car is registered, using the same maps and the same proof of right to use. Outside designated areas nothing is needed. In Gunma the designated areas are the city areas of Maebashi, Takasaki, Isesaki, Ota and Kiryu as they were on 1 June 2000; Tokyo’s 23 wards and most cities of similar size elsewhere are also designated. Gunma charges no fee for the notification. We check your address and tell you whether it applies.
Common mistakes we help you avoid
- Applying at the police station for your home when the parking place is in another station’s area.
- Choosing a space more than 2 km away.
- Layout map without dimensions or without the road width.
- Consent certificate signed by the tenant instead of the owner or manager.
- Using an old certificate: it must be recent when the transfer is filed.
Generate my document checklist Parking documents explained
Sources: National Police Agency, Tokyo Metropolitan Police and Gunma Prefectural Police parking pages, checked September 2026. Fees, exempt areas and accepted proofs differ by prefecture; Yamaguchi Motors confirms the rule for your police station.