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Electric Kick Scooters in Japan: Rules, Ownership, and LUUP
Since 2023-07-01, most electric kick scooters in Japan built for road use fall into a new vehicle class that riders aged 16 and over can use without a driver's license.1 Owning one still means a municipal number plate, compulsory insurance, and an annual tax, while shared scooters such as LUUP's come with their own sign-up rules and violation-point system.234
Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the National Police Agency site. This article is general information, not legal advice; for your specific case, such as an injury accident, a criminal (red-ticket) case like drunk riding, or a disputed liability claim, consult a licensed lawyer (弁護士, bengoshi).
Overview
The Road Traffic Act revision that took effect on 2023-07-01 created a vehicle class called the 特定小型原動機付自転車 (tokutei kogata gendōki-tsuki jitensha, "specified small motorized bicycle").15 It is a sub-type of the motorized bicycle (moped) class, and riders aged 16 and over need no driver's license.56
The law is national, so the vehicle class, rider rules, fines, and criminal penalties are the same everywhere in Japan.12 Two things are local: the number plate and its paperwork come from your city or ward, and enforcement details such as the safety-course fee are set at prefectural level.3785
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 特定小型原動機付自転車 | tokutei kogata gendōki-tsuki jitensha | The official name of the no-license e-scooter class; short form 特定原付 (tokutei gentsuki)15 |
| 特例特定小型原動機付自転車 | tokurei tokutei kogata gendōki-tsuki jitensha | The sidewalk-capable mode or sub-type, limited to 6 km/h with a flashing lamp25 |
| 最高速度表示灯 | saikō sokudo hyōjitō | The green top-speed indicator lamp5 |
| 電動キックボード | dendō kikkubōdo | "Electric kick board", the everyday word for a stand-up e-scooter9 |
What counts as a specified small motorized bicycle
A vehicle belongs to the class only if it meets every one of the following criteria (as of 2026-10; confirm current figures with the National Police Agency).15
- Length 190 cm or less and width 60 cm or less
- Electric motor with a rated output (定格出力, teikaku shutsuryoku) of 0.60 kW or less
- Cannot exceed 20 km/h
- Top-speed setting cannot be changed while moving
- Automatic, with no gear-shifting operation
- Fitted with a green top-speed indicator lamp
The vehicle must also meet the safety standards of the Road Transport Vehicle Act, be covered by compulsory insurance, and carry a number plate.2 Aichi police list the required equipment as a top-speed lamp, brakes, headlight, tail lamp, brake lamp, horn, turn signals, and a rear reflector.6
Older scooters made on or before 2023-06-30 were allowed to run without the top-speed lamp until 2024-12-22, provided they showed a type-approval plate, a performance-confirmation sticker, or the small class plate.15 That grace period has expired.
Scooters that still count as mopeds
An e-scooter that misses any one of the criteria stays in the 一般原動機付自転車 (ippan gendōki-tsuki jitensha, "general motorized bicycle") class, or a motor-vehicle class, and the rider needs the matching driver's license.2 For those vehicles the moped rules apply: license required, helmet mandatory, no sidewalk riding, and no bicycle lanes.56
Aichi Prefectural Police compare the classes as follows (as of 2024-01).6
| Item | General moped (一般原付) | Specified small, road mode | Specified small, sidewalk mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output | 50cc or less, or 0.6 kW rated | 0.6 kW rated or less | Same |
| Size | L 2.5 m, W 1.3 m, H 2.0 m | L 1.9 m, W 0.6 m | Same |
| License | Moped-capable license | None (16+) | None (16+) |
| Top speed | 30 km/h | 20 km/h | 6 km/h |
| Green lamp | n/a | Steady | Flashing |
| Helmet | Required | Effort obligation | Effort obligation |
| Plate and jibaiseki | Required | Required | Required |
| Sidewalk signed for bicycles | No | No | Yes |
| Bicycle path or bicycle lane | No | Yes | n/a |
The 2025-04-01 新基準原付 (shin-kijun gentsuki, "new-standard moped") change, which lets a moped license cover two-wheelers up to 125cc limited to 4.0 kW, does not change the e-scooter class; MLIT's page still sets the electric general-moped criterion at a rated output of 0.60 kW or less (as of 2026-10).1011
Rider rules
The rules below apply to every rider of a specified small motorized bicycle, whether the scooter is privately owned or shared.12
Age 16 and over, no license
Riders under 16 are prohibited, and riders aged 16 and over need no driver's license.15
Supplying a scooter to someone under 16 who may ride it is also prohibited, and this applies to sellers and lenders.15 The penalty is up to 6 months' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥100,000.95 Sellers and lenders also have a duty to make efforts to give buyers and users traffic-safety education.1
Road mode and sidewalk mode
In road mode, the scooter is limited to 20 km/h with the green lamp lit steadily. It may use the roadway, bicycle paths, and bicycle lanes.56
In sidewalk mode, the scooter must be unable to exceed 6 km/h and the green lamp must flash.25 It may then use only sidewalks signed or marked as bicycle-permitted (自転車歩道通行可, jitensha hodō tsūkō ka).25 A scooter that can exceed 6 km/h by throttle does not qualify.2
Bicycles may use sidewalks in more situations, for example when the rider is under 13, aged 70 or over, or disabled, or when roadway riding is unavoidable. A scooter in sidewalk mode may use only sidewalks signed for bicycles, whoever is riding it.5
On a sidewalk, ride slowly on the roadway-side portion, give pedestrians priority, and stop if you would obstruct them.25 Sidewalk mode may also use the left-side 路側帯 (rosokutai, "roadside strip"), the painted edge strip on roads without a sidewalk, except strips reserved for pedestrians.56
LUUP's newer scooters have a 6 km/h mode button, and the mode can be switched only while the scooter is stopped (as of 2023-06; confirm current details with LUUP).12
Where you can and cannot ride
Ride on the roadway, keeping to the left edge. Bicycle paths and lanes for "standard bicycles only" are also open to you, and riding on the right side is not allowed.25
Right turns use the 二段階右折 (nidankai usetsu, "two-stage right turn") at every intersection, not only at large ones.25 Follow vehicle signals, except where a pedestrian signal is marked 「歩行者・自転車専用」 (pedestrians and bicycles only), in which case follow the pedestrian signal.5
Signs that close a road to bicycles also close it to e-scooters. Supplementary signs (補助標識, hojo hyōshiki) reading 軽車両 (light vehicles) or 自転車 (bicycles) include this class.25 The bicycle-side equivalent of these rules is covered in Rules of the Road for Bicyclists.
Helmets
Wearing a helmet is a 努力義務 (doryoku gimu, "duty to make efforts"), a legal duty with no penalty attached.156 If the scooter is actually a general moped because it misses the class criteria, a helmet is mandatory.6
LUUP treats helmets as an effort obligation, the same as for bicycles, and urges riders to wear one whenever possible (as of 2026-10).13 Its article points riders to a LUUP-branded helmet sold through Amazon and does not mention helmets supplied with rides.13
Banned behaviors, including drunk riding and lending
The statutory maximum penalties below are fixed in law. The fixed fines that apply to the same acts are set out under "Fines and enforcement".
- Tandem riding. Capacity is one person; the maximum penalty is a fine of up to ¥50,000.15
- Phone use while riding. Holding a phone or watching its screen is prohibited; the maximum is 6 months' imprisonment or ¥100,000.25
- Earphones. Banned by prefectural public safety commission rules, so the rule varies by prefecture. In Osaka the maximum is a ¥50,000 fine with a fixed fine of ¥5,000 (as of 2023-12).5
- Drunk riding. Prohibited for all vehicles under Article 65 of the Road Traffic Act.14
Drunk-riding penalties come in two tiers, and both have applied to e-scooters since the class began on 2023-07-01.151614
Riding while intoxicated (酒酔い運転, sakeyoi unten) carries up to 5 years' imprisonment or a ¥1,000,000 fine.159 Riding with alcohol above the legal limit (酒気帯び運転, shuki-obi unten) carries up to 3 years or ¥500,000.169 Lending your scooter to someone who has been drinking exposes you to the same tiers: up to 5 years or ¥1,000,000 if the borrower rides intoxicated, and up to 3 years or ¥500,000 if the borrower rides over the limit.1516
Supplying alcohol to a rider, or riding along with a rider you know has been drinking, carries up to 3 years' imprisonment or ¥500,000 where the rider then rides intoxicated.1614 The statute now uses the term 拘禁刑 (kōkinkei, imprisonment); older handbooks say 懲役 (chōeki), and both mean imprisonment here.155
Fines and enforcement
E-scooter riders are subject to the 交通反則通告制度 (kōtsū hansoku tsūkoku seido), the blue-ticket (青切符, ao-kippu) system of fixed fines called 反則金 (hansokukin).95 The amounts are the same as for mopeds.95
Under this system generally, paying the fixed fine ends the matter without prosecution or a criminal record.17 The NPA states this on its bicycle portal; no e-scooter-specific statement was found on the NPA pages reviewed.
The blue-ticket fixed fines for e-scooters
The table below lists common violations (as of the dates shown; confirm current figures with your prefectural police). Rows dated 2026-10 reflect the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department page; rows dated 2023-12 come from Osaka police's handbook and may be stale.95
| Violation | Fixed fine | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signal violation (信号無視) | ¥6,000 | 2026-10 | 95 |
| No-entry violation (通行禁止違反) | ¥5,000 | 2026-10 | 95 |
| Lane or side violation, including riding on a sidewalk outside sidewalk mode or on the right side (通行区分違反) | ¥6,000 | 2026-10 | 95 |
| Lane-use violation (通行帯違反) | ¥5,000 | 2026-10 | 9 |
| Sidewalk slow-riding duty, sidewalk mode (歩道徐行等義務違反) | ¥3,000 | 2026-10 | 95 |
| Failure to stop at a stop sign (指定場所一時不停止等) | ¥5,000 | 2026-10 | 95 |
| Obstructing crossing pedestrians (横断歩行者等妨害等違反) | ¥6,000 | 2026-10 | 9 |
| Phone use, holding (携帯電話使用等) | ¥12,000 | 2026-10 | 95 |
| Improper right or left turn (交差点右左折方法違反) | ¥3,000 | 2026-10 | 95 |
| Carrying a passenger (定員外乗車) | ¥5,000 | 2026-10 | 95 |
| Defective equipment (整備不良) | ¥6,000 (brakes) / ¥5,000 (tail lamp etc.) | 2023-12 | 5 |
| Plate not displayed (Osaka public safety commission rule) | ¥5,000 | 2023-12 | 5 |
| Roadside-strip riding method, sidewalk mode (路側帯進行方法違反) | ¥3,000 | 2023-12 | 5 |
Whether violations on an e-scooter affect a separately held driver's license is not stated on the NPA and Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department pages reviewed; check with your prefectural police.
How this compares with the April 2026 bicycle blue ticket
Bicycles joined the same fixed-fine system on 2026-04-01 for riders aged 16 and over, while under-16s continue to receive guidance and warnings.17 E-scooters have been in the system since the class began on 2023-07-01.95 The wider ticket-and-points system for drivers is covered in Traffic Violations and Accidents in Japan: Tickets, Points, and Next Steps, and the bicycle rules in Rules of the Road for Bicyclists.
Repeat violations and the mandatory safety course
Committing specified 危険行為 (kiken kōi, "dangerous acts") 2 or more times within 3 years, counting violations and accidents together, allows the prefectural public safety commission to order you to take the e-scooter rider course (as of 2026-09).85 The course runs 3 hours (as of 2026-09).85
The order follows this path.18
Osaka police list 17 types of dangerous act.5
- Signal violation, no-entry violation, and lane or side violation (通行区分違反)
- Failure to go slowly on pedestrian roads
- Entering a closed level crossing
- Obstructing traffic on a priority road, traffic with priority at an intersection, or roundabout traffic
- Failure to stop at a stop sign
- Riding a defective vehicle
- Riding over the alcohol limit and related acts
- Joint dangerous riding, and breach of the safe-driving duty
- Phone use
- Obstructive (road-rage) riding
- Breach of the sidewalk slow-riding duty, and of the roadside-strip method (sidewalk mode only)
The course fee is set by each prefecture. Tokyo charges ¥6,300 (as of 2026-09-15), and Osaka's handbook gives ¥6,000 (as of 2023-12), a figure that may be stale.85 Ignoring the order is itself an offense, with a fine of up to ¥50,000.18
Red tickets and criminal cases
Drunk riding and failures of accident duties are criminal matters with imprisonment or fines; they are not settled through the fixed-fine tables.951516 After an accident you must help anyone injured, prevent further danger, and report to the police, and failing to do so is treated as hit-and-run.25
| Offense | Maximum penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Failure to aid the injured (救護義務違反) | Up to 10 years' imprisonment or ¥1,000,000 | 5 |
| Failure to report an accident (報告義務違反) | Up to 3 months' imprisonment or ¥50,000 | 5 |
| Riding without jibaiseki compulsory insurance | Up to 1 year's imprisonment or ¥500,000 | 518 |
| Riding intoxicated (酒酔い運転) | Up to 5 years' imprisonment or ¥1,000,000 | 15 |
| Riding over the alcohol limit (酒気帯び運転) | Up to 3 years' imprisonment or ¥500,000 | 16 |
If you are involved in an injury accident, face a criminal case such as drunk riding, or are disputing a liability claim, a lawyer (弁護士, bengoshi) can advise on your specific situation. This article describes only the general rules.
Owning a private e-scooter
Putting a private scooter on the road is a chain of four steps, each handled by a different body.53
Buying a compliant model
Compliance is shown either by a 型式認定番号標 (katashiki nintei bangōhyō, a green "type-approval number plate") or by a 性能等確認済シール (seinō-tō kakunin-zumi shīru, "performance-confirmed sticker").57 Under MLIT's performance-confirmation system, approved private bodies check a manufacturer's model against the safety standards, and confirmed scooters carry a sticker naming the maker and the confirming body.19
MLIT publishes the list of confirmed models (last updated 2026-10-01; confirm current lists with MLIT).19 It also publishes a list of models found not to meet the safety standards, which held 11 entries when updated (as of 2026-08-31).1920 The defects cited include missing or faulty top-speed lamps, turn signals, brakes, and speed limiters, and bodies that are too wide.20
Osaka police's handbook also advises checking that the battery conforms to PSE-mark standards.5
Getting a number plate from your municipality
You must apply to your city or ward for a plate (標識, hyōshiki) and fix it where it is easy to see; plates are issued under each municipality's ordinance.35 This class uses a small 10 cm by 10 cm plate, and owners holding an older, larger plate may apply to switch.5212
Paperwork and channels differ by municipality. The two cities below are examples, not a nationwide procedure, so check your own city or ward's page.
Setagaya City (Tokyo)
Registration is at the counter only, at the tax section (課税課, kazeika) or the five branch-office citizen windows on weekdays, 8:30–17:00, and cannot be done by mail (as of 2026-07-01).722 Bring ID such as a My Number Card or driver's license, along with the sales or transfer papers.7
Extra proof is needed only if the sales or transfer papers do not show the model is in this class, or if you are switching an existing general-moped registration.7 In that case, provide one of the following and complete a 念書 (nensho, "written undertaking") at the counter.7
- Documents showing the vehicle model
- A photo of the green type-approval plate or the performance-confirmation sticker
- Documents showing the criteria, such as the manual or product page listing top speed, rated output, length, and width
Setagaya states that it does not check Road Traffic Act requirements or safety-standard compliance when issuing a plate.7
Fukuoka City
Fukuoka handles this class the same way as an ordinary moped, and accepts applications online, by mail, or at the counter of its light-vehicle tax section (as of 2026-04-01).2123 A new registration needs the combined tax declaration and plate application form (軽自動車税申告書兼標識交付申請書), the dealer's sale certificate, and ID for mail or online applications.23
Compulsory insurance (jibaiseki) and voluntary cover
自賠責保険 (jibaiseki hoken, "compulsory automobile liability insurance"), or the equivalent mutual-aid cover, is mandatory before riding.15 Display the insurance sticker (保険標章, hoken hyōshō) on the plate.518
Jibaiseki pays only for bodily injury to other people, not for property damage or your own injuries.18 The limits per victim are ¥30 million for death, ¥0.75 million to ¥40 million for after-effects depending on grade, and ¥1.2 million for injury (as of 2026-10).18 Voluntary insurance is needed for anything beyond that; the car-side picture is covered in Compulsory and Voluntary Auto Insurance.
A dedicated base rate for this class took effect on 2024-04-01; before then the general moped rate applied.124 A rate rise filed on 2026-04-30 and cleared on 2026-05-21 applies to policies starting on or after 2026-11-01, so the rate you pay follows your policy's start date (as of 2026-05-21).2526
| Term | Policies starting before 2026-11-01 | Policies starting on or after 2026-11-01 | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months | ¥6,650 | ¥7,430 | 2024-04-01 / 2026-05-21 | 24, 26 |
| 24 months | ¥8,040 | ¥9,040 | 2024-04-01 / 2026-05-21 | 24, 26 |
| 36 months | ¥9,400 | ¥10,610 | 2024-04-01 / 2026-05-21 | 24, 26 |
| 48 months | ¥10,730 | ¥12,130 | 2024-04-01 / 2026-05-21 | 24, 27 |
| 60 months | ¥12,040 | ¥13,620 | 2024-04-01 / 2026-05-21 | 24, 27 |
These are mainland base rates excluding Okinawa and remote islands (left column as of 2024-04-01; right column as of 2026-05-21).242627 Okinawa and remote islands have separate, lower rates, for example ¥5,400 for 12 months, rising to ¥5,950 from 2026-11-01 (as of 2026-04).26
Light-vehicle tax
Anyone who owns a scooter of this class on April 1 of a year owes 軽自動車税種別割 (kei-jidōsha-zei shubetsuwari, "light-vehicle tax, type-based levy"), a rule in force since 2024-04-01.3 The standard rate is ¥2,000 a year (as of 2026-10).3 Setagaya and Fukuoka both state ¥2,000.721
The tax is levied by the municipality where the scooter is registered, the same one that issued the plate.321 The car-side equivalent is covered in Annual Auto Tax (Jidosha-zei).
Moving, selling, or scrapping the scooter
To deregister (廃車申告, haisha shinkoku), return the plate and file a deregistration form at the municipality that issued it.22 Setagaya also asks for the plate-issuance certificate (標識交付証明書, hyōshiki kōfu shōmeisho) and ID (as of 2026-07-01).22
Fukuoka accepts deregistration at the counter, online, or by mail, and asks for a statement of reason (理由書, riyūsho) if the plate cannot be returned (as of 2026-04-01).23 When you move in from elsewhere, the documents depend on whether you deregistered at your old municipality; moves within Fukuoka City need no plate procedure once your residence record is updated.23
Because tax is billed to whoever owns the scooter on April 1, completing deregistration or a name transfer before that date avoids a bill for a scooter you no longer have.3
Using LUUP and other shared services
LUUP is an app-based e-scooter sharing service; riders pick up and return scooters at fixed points called ports.1228
Sign-up requirements
LUUP requires riders to be 16 or over (as of 2026-10; confirm current terms with LUUP).29 You submit age-verification documents through the app; at launch LUUP accepted a My Number Card, driver's license, residence card, or passport (as of 2023-06).2912
You must also pass an in-app traffic-rules test by answering every question correctly in a row (as of 2026-10).29 The test was offered in English and Japanese at launch (as of 2023-06).12
A credit card must be registered, and some debit cards, prepaid cards, and overseas-issued credit cards may not register (as of 2026-10).30 Since 2025-11-07, consent to police violation-data sharing is also a precondition for riding, as described below.4
Ports, coverage, and fares
Rides must end at the designated return port, with a photo showing the scooter correctly placed (as of 2026-10).28 LUUP reported more than 17,900 ports and more than 6 million app downloads (as of 2026-07-01).31
The same release named these service areas (as of 2026-07-01).31
- Tokyo, Osaka (all wards), Yokohama, Kawasaki, Sapporo, Sendai, Utsunomiya
- Nagoya, Okazaki, Hamamatsu, Tsu, Kyoto, Kobe
- Hiroshima, Takamatsu, Kitakyushu, Onojo, Fukuoka, Naha
Fares vary by area. In Tokyo a ride costs ¥50 to start plus ¥25 per minute (as of 2026-09-14).32 Tokyo also offers time-charge passes: 30 minutes for ¥580 valid 3 days, 120 minutes for ¥1,980 valid 7 days, and 300 minutes for ¥3,980 valid 30 days (as of 2026-09-14).32
Insurance is included in the fare at no extra charge (as of 2026-10).33
| Cover | Benefit | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Personal accident, death or disability | ¥5,000,000 | 2026-1033 |
| Personal accident, hospitalization | ¥3,000 a day, up to 180 days | 2026-1033 |
| Personal accident, outpatient | ¥1,500 a day, up to 90 days | 2026-1033 |
| Liability, bodily injury and property damage | Unlimited | 2026-1033 |
Injuries caused by the user's intentional acts or gross negligence are not covered.33
Violation points and police data sharing
Since 12:00 on 2025-11-07, you must consent to prefectural police passing your violation details to LUUP before you can ride its e-scooters.4 The data covers date and time, place, violation type, and the scooter's plate number; before this change, police asked for consent individually at each stop.4
LUUP adds points to your account for each violation, with escalating consequences (as of 2025-10-08).434 The thresholds per violation are not stated on the LUUP pages reviewed.434
LUUP says access to violation data is limited to the minimum necessary staff, and that it notifies users of points through the app or by email (as of 2026-10).34
Other operators
As of October 2026, LUUP is the only operator found still offering stand-up kick-scooter sharing. Lime has consolidated its Japan fleet on the seated Lime Rakumo (Limeラクモ), with the switch complete in the Tokyo area and due in Okinawa by spring 2026 (as of 2026-03-13).35
HELLO CYCLING, run by OpenStreet, operates seated "electric cycles" (電動サイクル) in this vehicle class, which are fully electric and ridden seated without pedaling rather than on a stand-up deck (as of 2025-03-07).36 That status is confirmed only through the operator's 2025 release.36
Bike-share services that offer only e-assist bicycles are a different category: those are bicycles, not specified small motorized bicycles.
Costs at a glance
The table collects the recurring costs sourced above (as of the dates shown; confirm current figures with the issuing agency, insurer, or LUUP). Purchase prices and plate fees are not included.
| Item | Amount | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jibaiseki, 12 months | ¥6,650 (policies starting on or after 2026-11-01: ¥7,430) | 2024-04-01 / 2026-05-21 | 2426 |
| Jibaiseki, 24 months | ¥8,040 (policies starting on or after 2026-11-01: ¥9,040) | 2024-04-01 / 2026-05-21 | 2426 |
| Jibaiseki, 60 months | ¥12,040 (policies starting on or after 2026-11-01: ¥13,620) | 2024-04-01 / 2026-05-21 | 2427 |
| Light-vehicle tax | ¥2,000 per year | 2026-10 | 3 |
| LUUP ride, Tokyo | ¥50 + ¥25 per minute (a 10-minute ride is ¥300) | 2026-09-14 | 32 |
| Safety course, if ordered | ¥6,300 (Tokyo; set by prefecture) | 2026-09-15 | 8 |
Good to know
Bicycle insurance may not cover an e-scooter
Personal liability insurance (個人賠償責任保険, kojin baishō sekinin hoken), often sold as a rider on other policies, may exclude e-scooters. One insurer's example: au損保's FAQ says its personal liability rider does not cover accidents on e-kick-scooters or pedal mopeds (as of 2026-10; confirm with your own insurer).37
Check your own policy wording before relying on it. Jibaiseki pays only for bodily injury to others, so property damage and your own injuries need separate cover.18 Bicycle-side cover is discussed in Bicycle Insurance: The Mandatory Coverage.
Cheap online scooters can be road-illegal
A scooter missing a top-speed lamp, turn signals, proper brakes, or a speed limiter does not meet the class criteria and cannot legally be ridden on public roads as a no-license e-scooter.25 MLIT's list of non-compliant models shows exactly these defects (as of 2026-08-31).20
Riding a defective vehicle is itself a fixed-fine offense of ¥5,000 to ¥6,000 (as of 2023-12) and one of the dangerous acts that count toward the safety-course order.5 Check for the sticker or green plate, and check MLIT's lists, before buying.19
Ward offices differ on plate paperwork
Setagaya registers at the counter only and may ask for a proof item plus a written undertaking, while Fukuoka accepts online and mail applications for both registration and deregistration (as of 2026-07-01 and 2026-04-01).72223 Check your own city or ward's page before going.
Getting a plate is not a safety check. Setagaya states that it does not verify Road Traffic Act requirements or safety-standard compliance, so a plate does not prove your scooter is legal to ride.7
Shared-scooter parking off-port
A LUUP ride cannot be ended outside a designated port.28 LUUP's terms provide for penalty charges (違約金, iyakukin) (as of 2024-04), and violation points may apply, so check LUUP's current terms rather than leaving a scooter elsewhere.2838
Privately owned scooters follow the same parking and stopping rules as other vehicles. In Osaka, fixed fines start at ¥10,000 for no-stopping places and ¥9,000 for no-parking places (as of 2023-12).5
Under the unattended-vehicle charge (放置違反金, hōchi ihankin) system, the commission can bill the vehicle's registered user when the rider cannot be pursued.5 The wider mechanism is covered in Parking and the Impound-and-Fine Mechanic.
Visitors follow the same law
Short-term visitors ride under the same rules, and NPA publishes the rules leaflet in English.12 Guidance written specifically for visitors is a separate topic outside this article.
See also
- The Bicycle-vs-Public-Transit Decision
- Taking the Japanese Driver's License from Scratch
- Bicycle Registration (Bohan Toroku)
- 110 in Japan: Calling the Police