The National Police Agency wants designated driving schools to have more room in how they teach the semi-medium licence. Its draft rule would lower the minimum number of lessons that must be given in an ordinary car, so schools can put more of the course in semi-medium vehicles. The agency says the aim is to let schools set lesson hours for training in semi-medium vehicles more flexibly.
What the draft changes
The change sits in Article 4, paragraph 6, of the rules on detailed standards for designated driving-school instruction. It covers basic operation and basic driving in semi-medium licence skills training, and it excludes people who already hold an ordinary or ordinary type II licence.
For trainees who must use an ordinary car, the minimum falls from 12 lesson periods to 9. For trainees who already hold a large special or large special type II licence (caterpillar-only licences excepted), or a large or ordinary motorcycle licence, the minimums fall from seven or ten periods to four or seven.
The minimum for applied driving stays at 12 periods, and at seven for holders of large special licences. The draft text also amends Article 2, item 5, on applied driving: it adds a parenthetical that excludes clutch-operation items from one listed topic. The notice describes this only as other necessary provisions.
The draft also amends the 2024 amending rule (National Public Safety Commission Rule No. 8 of 2024). Its Article 3 table gets the same cuts, from 12 to 9 periods and from seven or ten to four or seven.
Timing and how to comment
The proposal was published on October 2, 2026, under the Administrative Procedure Act. It rests on Article 33, paragraph 6, of the Road Traffic Act enforcement regulations. The notice gives the comment period as October 2 to October 31, and the e-Gov page lists the close as 0:00 on November 1. Comments must be in Japanese, and the agency says it will not reply to individuals. It also says it may publish comments, minus addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
The agency asks for submissions through the e-Gov comment form, by email or by post to its Driver Licensing Division. It prefers e-Gov, warning that email may not arrive because of security measures.
If adopted, the rule takes effect on the day it is promulgated. The notice gives no promulgation date.