1.
vehicle inspection certificate; vehicle registration document
The official document issued after a Japanese vehicle passes its mandatory periodic inspection (車検). It records the make, model, registration number, owner's name and address, weight, dimensions, and the next inspection due date. Drivers are legally required to carry it in the vehicle at all times. The full official name is 自動車検査証, of which 車検証 is the everyday short form.
Short for 自動車検査証 ('motor vehicle inspection certificate'). Composed of 車検 ('vehicle inspection') and 証 ('certificate'). One of the most important documents associated with owning a car in Japan; it must be kept in the vehicle at all times by law.
Usage
- Required when selling, transferring, or scrapping a vehicle, and when buying compulsory insurance.
- The latest version is a small, plastic-laminated card-style certificate (since the introduction of the 'electronic' 車検証 in 2023, with key details readable via an IC chip).
- Police officers may ask to see it during traffic stops; failing to have it on board is a minor offence.
Common collocations
- 車検証を提示する: to present the vehicle inspection certificate
- 車検証を確認する: to check the vehicle inspection certificate
- 車検証を紛失する: to lose the vehicle inspection certificate
- 車検証の有効期限: expiry date of the certificate
- 車検証の再発行: reissuing the certificate
Similar words
- 自賠責保険証: compulsory automobile liability insurance certificate — separate document also required to be kept in the car.
- 運転免許証: driver's licence — proves the person is licensed to drive, not that the vehicle is registered.
- 自動車税納税証明書: vehicle tax payment certificate — proves the annual vehicle tax has been paid.
- 車検: vehicle inspection — the inspection itself, not the certificate that results from it.
Related Words
Compare:
運転免許証 (driver's licence)