# 道路交通法 / Road Traffic Act — 第五十九条 (Article 59) - Law: 道路交通法 (Road Traffic Act), 昭和三十五年法律第百五号 - English title "Road Traffic Act": Ministry of Justice translation - Kind: Act — the distinction between 法律 (Act), 政令 (Cabinet Order), 省令 (Ministerial Order) and 条例 (local ordinance) decides who may issue it and what it may say. - Provision: 第五十九条 (Article 59)（自動車の牽引制限） — address `art-59` - Text in force since: 2026-07-21 - URL (the page that opens at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59 - Permanent URL (e-Gov law ID, never renamed): https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59 - Every provision below carries its address and both URLs on the line under it. - Japanese text: e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁). English: as marked on each line below. Only the Japanese as published by the government has legal effect; the text below is a copy of it. Every English rendering below is a translation and says which kind: the Ministry of Justice's translation, or this site's machine translation, whose model and date the Sources list names. They are never merged and never substituted for one another. --- ### 第五十九条（自動車の牽引制限） — (Restrictions on Towing Motor Vehicles) caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System art-59 · https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59 **第一項** 自動車の運転者は、牽引するための構造及び装置を有する自動車によつて牽引されるための構造及び装置を有する車両を牽引する場合を除き、他の車両を牽引してはならない。ただし、故障その他の理由により自動車を牽引することがやむを得ない場合において、政令で定めるところにより当該自動車を牽引するときは、この限りでない。 art-59/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-1 The driver of a motor vehicle must not tow another vehicle unless the motor vehicle doing the towing has the structure and equipment necessary for towing and the towed vehicle has the structure and equipment necessary for being towed; provided, however, that this does not apply to the towing of a motor vehicle pursuant to Cabinet Order when a malfunction or other such circumstance compels this. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第二項** 自動車の運転者は、他の車両を牽引する場合においては、大型自動二輪車、普通自動二輪車又は小型特殊自動車によつて牽引するときは一台を超える車両を、その他の自動車によつて牽引するときは二台を超える車両を牽引してはならず、また、牽引する自動車の前端から牽引される車両の後端（牽引される車両が二台のときは二台目の車両の後端）までの長さが二十五メートルを超えることとなるときは、牽引をしてはならない。ただし、公安委員会が当該自動車について、道路を指定し、又は時間を限つて牽引の許可をしたときは、この限りでない。 art-59/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-2 When towing another vehicle with a standard motorcycle, large motorcycle, or special small motor vehicle, the driver of that motor vehicle must not tow more than one other vehicle, and when towing another vehicle with any other type of motor vehicle, the driver of that motor vehicle must not tow more than two other vehicles; the driver of a motor vehicle must not tow another vehicle if the length from the front end of the towing motor vehicle to the rear end of the towed vehicle (or to the rear end of the second towed vehicle, if towing two vehicles) would exceed 25 meters; provided, however, that this does not apply if the public safety commission grants permission for the motor vehicle to do so, specifying the road or limiting the timeframe for towing. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第三項** 前項ただし書の規定による許可をしたときは、公安委員会は、許可証を交付しなければならない。 art-59/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-3 When the public safety commission grants permission pursuant to the proviso of the preceding paragraph, it must issue a permit. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第四項** 前項の規定により許可証の交付を受けた自動車の運転者は、当該許可に係る牽引中、当該許可証を携帯していなければならない。 art-59/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-4 The driver of a motor vehicle issued a permit pursuant to the preceding paragraph must carry the permit at all times while undertaking the permitted towing. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第五項** 第三項の許可証の様式その他第二項ただし書の許可の手続について必要な事項は、内閣府令で定める。 art-59/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-5 Cabinet Office Order provides for the format of permits as referred to in paragraph (3) and other necessary particulars concerning the procedures for the permission prescribed in the proviso to paragraph (2). Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System --- ## Cites - art-59/par-3: 前項 → 道路交通法 第五十九条第二項 (Article 59, paragraph (2)), art-59/par-2 — https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-2 - art-59/par-4: 前項 → 道路交通法 第五十九条第三項 (Article 59, paragraph (3)), art-59/par-3 — https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-3 - art-59/par-5: 第三項 → 道路交通法 第五十九条第三項 (Article 59, paragraph (3)), art-59/par-3 — https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-3 - art-59/par-5: 第二項 → 道路交通法 第五十九条第二項 (Article 59, paragraph (2)), art-59/par-2 — https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-2 ## Cited by 4 provisions cite this one. No official source publishes this direction. - 道路交通法 第五十九条第三項（自動車の牽引制限） — https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-3 - 道路交通法 第五十九条第四項（自動車の牽引制限） — https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-4 - 道路交通法 第五十九条第五項（自動車の牽引制限） — https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-59/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-59/par-5 - 道路交通法 第百二十条第二項第一号 — https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-120/par-2/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/335AC0000000105/art-120/par-2/item-1 --- ## Sources - e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁) — 道路交通法 — the text in force from 2026-07-21 (https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/335AC0000000105/20260721_508AC0000000052), retrieved 2026-10-13 - Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Road Traffic Act — Ministry of Justice translation (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/2962/tb), retrieved 2026-10-13 - This site's parser, version 190 — 道路交通法 — structure, counts, cross-references and defined terms, computed 2026-10-13