①Without delay in any of the following cases, the owner of a registered motor vehicle must remove the motor vehicle registration number plate and seal, and destroy or dispose of them by the method specified by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, or return them to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism or a motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent under Article 25:

②When the user of a registered motor vehicle has surrendered the motor vehicle inspection certificate pursuant to Article 69, paragraph (2), the owner of the registered motor vehicle must, without delay, remove the motor vehicle registration number plate and the seal from that motor vehicle and have the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism retain the motor vehicle registration number plate.

③When the user of the motor vehicle referred to in the preceding paragraph has had the motor vehicle inspection certificate returned pursuant to Article 69, paragraph (3), the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism must, without delay, return the retained motor vehicle registration number plate.

④A person to whom the motor vehicle registration number plate has been returned under the preceding paragraph must, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, attach that motor vehicle registration number plate to that motor vehicle and have the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism affix a seal.

①The records of the motor vehicle registration file relating to a motor vehicle for which permanent cancellation of registration, cancellation of registration for export or temporary cancellation of registration has been made must be preserved for five years from, respectively, in the case of permanent cancellation of registration, the day on which that permanent cancellation of registration was made, in the case of cancellation of registration for export, the day on which that cancellation of registration for export was made, and in the case of temporary cancellation of registration, the day on which the record under Article 17 relating to the notification under Article 16, paragraph (2) was made or the day on which the record under the latter part of Article 15-2, paragraph (3) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 16, paragraph (6) was made.

②The written application and attached documents relating to the registration of a motor vehicle must be preserved for five years from the day on which that written application was received.

①Any person may request the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to issue a document certifying the registered particulars and other matters recorded in the motor vehicle registration file (hereinafter referred to as a "certificate of registered particulars, etc.").

②A person who requests the issuance of a certificate of registered particulars, etc. pursuant to the preceding paragraph may, as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, request that it be sent by paying the expenses required for sending it in addition to the fee under Article 102, paragraph (1).

③A person registered by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism pursuant to Articles 96-15 through 96-17 (hereinafter referred to as a "registered information provider") may, on commission from a person who wishes to be provided by telecommunications line with information recorded in the motor vehicle registration file, such as registered particulars (hereinafter referred to as "registration information"), in order to conduct the business of transmitting to that person, using a telecommunications line, the registration information provided by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (hereinafter referred to as "information provision services"), request the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, using a telecommunications line, to provide the registration information relating to that commission.

④The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism or a registered information provider is to verify, by a method prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the identity of a person who makes a request under paragraph (1) or a person who makes the commission referred to in the preceding paragraph.

⑤A request under paragraphs (1) and (3) must be made by clarifying the grounds for the request or the grounds for the commission relating to the request and other particulars prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; provided, however, that this does not apply in the case where the owner of a motor vehicle makes a request under paragraph (1) with respect to that motor vehicle or in any other case prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

⑥The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism may refuse a request under paragraph (1) or (3) if it is evident that a request under paragraph (1) or a commission under paragraph (3) is for an improper purpose, or if the Minister finds that there is a reasonable ground sufficient to refuse the request, such as that there is a risk that matters learned through the issuance of the certificate of registered particulars, etc. under paragraph (1) or the provision of registration information under paragraph (3) will be used for an improper purpose.

Necessary matters concerning the restoration of registration in the case where all or part of the records of the motor vehicle registration file have been lost are prescribed by Cabinet Order.

①The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is to appoint motor vehicle registration officers from among the officials of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and have them administer the affairs concerning registration prescribed in this Chapter.

②Necessary matters concerning the appointment, service and training of motor vehicle registration officers are prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, in addition to being governed by the National Public Service Act (Act No. 120 of 1947) and orders based on that Act.

①The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is to have the National Agency for Automobile and Land Transport Technology (hereinafter referred to as "the Agency") conduct the investigation necessary to confirm whether there is any falsity in the matters relating to an application and otherwise to verify facts (hereinafter referred to in this Article as "verification investigation"), among the affairs relating to the registration of motor vehicles prescribed in this Chapter.

②When the Agency has conducted a verification investigation, it must, without delay, notify the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of the result of that verification investigation as prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

③If it has become difficult for the Agency to handle verification investigations smoothly due to a natural disaster or any other cause, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism may, if the Minister finds it necessary, decide to conduct verification investigations personally as well.

④Necessary matters concerning the handover of verification investigations in the case where the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism decides to conduct verification investigations pursuant to the preceding paragraph, or decides not to conduct the verification investigations being conducted pursuant to that paragraph, are prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

①A person who intends to engage in the business of issuing motor vehicle registration number plates to owners of registered motor vehicles must obtain designation from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for each place of business.

②Conditions or time limits may be attached to the designation under the preceding paragraph, and may be changed.

③The conditions or time limits under the preceding paragraph must be limited to the minimum necessary for the proper issuance of motor vehicle registration number plates by a person designated pursuant to paragraph (1) (hereinafter referred to as a "motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent"), and must not impose any unjust obligation on that motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent.

①A motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent must not commit any of the acts set forth in the following items:

②Where a motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent has violated this Act, an order under this Act, or a disposition based on either of them, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism may order suspension of its business for a period specified within three months, or revoke its designation.

①A motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent must obtain the authorization of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism with respect to the fee it collects for the issuance of motor vehicle registration number plates.

②When the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is to give the authorization under the preceding paragraph, the Minister must do so in consideration of the actual expenses required for issuing motor vehicle registration number plates.

③A motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent must post the fee referred to in paragraph (1) at its place of business in a manner easily visible to the public, and must also make it available for public inspection, as provided by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, by automatic public transmission conducted by connecting to a telecommunications line (meaning automatically transmitting in response to a request from the public for the purpose of direct reception by the public, excluding that which constitutes broadcasting or wire broadcasting; the same applies hereinafter).

①A motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent must display, at its place of business, a sign in the form specified by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, in a manner easily visible to the public.

②A person other than a motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent must not display the sign referred to in the preceding paragraph or a sign resembling it.

①In addition to what is prescribed in this Act, the method of managing motor vehicle registration number plates, the matters to be posted at the place of business, and other matters to be observed by a motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent in order to ensure the proper issuance of motor vehicle registration number plates are specified by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

②Where the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism finds that the proper issuance of motor vehicle registration number plates is not being ensured because a motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent is not observing the matters specified by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism under the preceding paragraph, the Minister may order that motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent to take necessary measures for remedying the situation, such as improving the method of managing motor vehicle registration number plates.

①The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism may entrust the affixing of seals to motor vehicle registration number plates attached to registered motor vehicles to a person who satisfies the requirements specified by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

②The provisions of Article 26, paragraph (1), Article 28, paragraph (1) and paragraph (1) of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to a person entrusted with the affixing of seals under the preceding paragraph. In this case, the term "motor vehicle registration number plate issuing agent" in those provisions is deemed to be replaced with "person entrusted with the affixing of seals under Article 28-3, paragraph (1)", the phrase "Article 14, paragraph (2))" with "Article 14, paragraph (2)) and paragraphs (3) and (5) of Article 11", the term "motor vehicle registration number plate" with "seal", and the terms "issue", "issuing" and "issuance" with "affix", "affixing" and "affixing" respectively.

①A person other than a person engaged in the business of manufacturing motor vehicles, a person engaged in the business of manufacturing motor vehicle chassis or motors, and a person designated by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism must not stamp the chassis number or motor model of a motor vehicle.

②When a person engaged in the business of manufacturing motor vehicles, a person engaged in the business of manufacturing motor vehicle chassis or motors, or a person who has received the designation under the preceding paragraph intends to stamp the chassis number or motor model of a motor vehicle, the person must notify the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in advance of its form and other matters specified by Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and do so in accordance with what was notified.

③Where the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism finds the matters relating to the notification under the preceding paragraph to be inappropriate, the Minister may order that they be changed.