What is a freight forwarding business license?

Updated: July 2026, 8

A transportation business license is a license required to carry out transportation business. There are two main types of transportation business licenses.

carry luggageFreight truck transportation business”, transporting people “Passenger car transportation business".

In order to start a business for both freight motor vehicle transport and passenger motor vehicle transport, permission and registration from the Director of the Regional Transport Bureau are required.

In this article, we will explain the overview of the freight truck transportation business, the differences between it and the passenger truck transportation business, and the process for obtaining a license.

When a transportation business license is required

A transportation business license (general cargo motor vehicle transportation business license) is required when you are conducting business in which you receive freight from others and transport cargo in a commercial vehicle (with a green license plate). For example, this applies when you receive a request from a business partner other than your own company to transport products or goods and receive a freight charge in return. In this case, you are classified as a transportation business, so you must obtain a license.

Furthermore, a transportation business license is also required when transporting goods for group companies. Even if a group company is a group, it is treated as a separate company for accounting purposes, and if freight is exchanged, it falls under the category of transportation business.

Moving companies also require a transportation business license, as they transport other people's belongings by truck and receive transportation fees in return. However, there is an exception that allows the use of rental cars (vehicles with white license plates) during peak moving transportation periods.

In addition, when transporting a car using a loading vehicle, a transportation business license is also required. This applies to cases where a car dealer receives a request to transport a car to a buyer using a loading vehicle, but if an automobile repair business receives a request and brings the car to its own workshop for repairs free of charge, no transportation business license is required because no freight is exchanged.

Normally, transporting people for a fee is classified as a "passenger motor vehicle transportation business," but the business of transporting hearses from funeral homes to crematoriums is treated as "cargo" under the law, and therefore falls under the category of a "general freight motor vehicle transportation business," requiring a transportation business license.

When carrying out these activities, it is necessary to obtain licenses and permits, and operating without a license may pose legal risks.

When a transportation business license is not required

So what are the circumstances when it is not necessary?

There are three main cases where a transportation business license is not required:

First of all, no permission is required if you are transporting your own company's goods.

The Truck Transportation Business Act defines the transportation business as "a business that transports cargo using a motor vehicle at the request of another person for a fee." Therefore, transporting products manufactured in-house to a processing site or customer is not considered a transportation business because it is not at the request of another person and does not incur freight charges.

Next, in principle, a transportation business license is not required if you are transporting goods without receiving freight charges.

This also applies when transporting goods for other companies. However, even if it is not called freight, caution is required if it is determined that costs equivalent to freight are included in labor costs, etc. You may be subject to guidance in the event of an audit by the tax office, so it is important to confirm compliance.

Furthermore, if you transport cargo using a light vehicle or motorcycle (bike), you do not need a general cargo motor vehicle transportation business license. When using these vehicles for paid transportation, you must notify the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as a "light cargo motor vehicle transportation business" and obtain a "black license plate." However, if the engine displacement of the motorcycle is less than 125cc, you do not even need to notify the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as a "light cargo motor vehicle transportation business."

Whether or not these cases apply may vary depending on the actual circumstances of the transportation.

Type of transportation industry

 [Types of truck transportation industry]

*Specified motor vehicle transportation business has the same licensing requirements as general motor vehicle transportation business, but the consignor can only be a specified person.

If you want to use vehicles other than light trucks, such as trucks with license plates number 4, 2-ton vehicles, 4-ton vehicles, or large vehicles, you will need a license for general freight motor transport business or specific freight motor transport business.

 [Type of passenger car transportation business]

Requirements for obtaining a transportation business license

The main steps to obtain a transportation permit are:資金""personnel""Facility (location)""vehicle" You must meet the following four requirements. By meeting these conditions and clearing confirmation items such as legal examinations, you can obtain a "green number" and start your business.

Funding Requirements

The capital requirements for starting a transportation business are set to prove that you have sufficient start-up capital and immediate operating capital.

This is an important standard that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Transport Bureau use to prevent businesses from being unable to start their business or from withdrawing after a short period of time due to a lack of funds.

Specifically, in the funding method section of your business plan or financial plan, you must state the "amount of funds required to start your business" which is the sum of multiple expense items, and clearly state how you will raise that amount (your own funds, borrowing, etc.).

These expense items typically include estimates and listings such as six months' worth of executive compensation, six months' worth of employee salaries and allowances, six months' worth of truck repair costs and gasoline expenses, twelve months' worth of monthly lease or loan payments for trucks, and twelve months' worth of rent for offices and parking lots (garages) (if rented).

The total amount of capital required to start a business varies greatly depending on the case, but is generally around 1,500 million to 3,000 million yen. This range of amount varies depending on factors such as the number and capacity of trucks to purchase, whether they are new or used, and the rent and purchase costs of office and parking spaces.

For example, if you already own a truck and have no outstanding loan or lease payments, or if you can rent an office or parking space cheaply, the amount of capital required will often be around 1,500 million yen.

On the other hand, if you were to purchase all of your trucks as new vehicles, it could cost more than 3,000 million yen.

Meeting these funding requirements is confirmed by a certificate issued by a bank or other financial institution.balance certificateIt will be confirmed by.

Securing funds is an essential element for the long-term stable operation of the transportation industry, and is one of the important conditions for obtaining a green license plate.

Personnel Requirements

"Personnel requirements" are a very important item when obtaining a transportation business license.

This requirement is to prove that the applicant has or will have the necessary personnel to start a transportation business, and to confirm that there are no circumstances that would prevent the applicant from becoming a transportation business. Specifically, a minimum of six employees is required.

This number of people includes1 operation managerwith5 driversIt is included.

In addition, one maintenance manager is required, but this can also serve as a driver or operations manager, so the minimum number of personnel required is six.

In some cases, an application can be made with a minimum of five people, but in most cases this is assuming that the operations manager will also serve as the driver.

The operations manager may also serve as a driver, but the operations manager's own roll call must be conducted by an operations manager assistant.

Because the operations manager's role is important in ensuring transportation safety, they are required to hold multiple positions to the extent that it does not interfere with their duties.

Therefore, a total of six people should be secured at the office, including one operations manager and five drivers.

In addition to this, a "maintenance manager" is also required, but this person can also serve as a driver or operations manager, so there is no need to secure additional personnel.

An assistant maintenance manager is also required, but this can be any employee other than the maintenance manager.

Properly allocating these personnel and clearly defining their respective roles is one of the important conditions for obtaining a transportation business license.

Sales Office and Rest Room Requirements

In order to obtain a license to operate a transportation business, one of the conditions for doing so is to have an appropriate business office and rest room.

First, regarding the sales office, it does not matter whether it is rented or owned, but there are important requirements regarding location.

that is,"Urbanization control area" is not included in the "

Urbanization control areas are areas designated under the City Planning Act where construction of buildings is to be restricted as much as possible, and as a general rule, the establishment of business offices is not permitted.

Therefore, it is essential to check in advance with a real estate agent or other person regarding the zoning and whether the location is legally designated as a place where it is permitted to build an office.

Furthermore, even in areas outside of urbanization control zones, it is not possible to set up a sales office in all areas.

If the property is located in an urbanized area, you must confirm that it does not violate building standards based on the City Planning Act or the Agricultural Land Act.

In particular, in areas designated for residential purposes, such as Type 1 and Type 2 low-rise residential areas and mid- to high-rise residential areas, the establishment of sales offices is restricted as a general rule.

However, there are cases where installation is possible if certain conditions are met, so it is important to check individually.

On the other hand, break rooms must be at least 2.5 square meters in size per person so that employees can get enough rest.

The same conditions apply to nap rooms.

An appropriately sized rest room is essential for maintaining the physical and mental health of employees and for carrying out safe transportation operations.

One of the requirements is that the sales office and rest room (sleeping facilities) must be located within 10 km of the parking lot (garage) (within 5 km or 20 km in some areas).

To meet these requirements, you will need proof of rights and authority to use, such as a lease agreement or a certified copy of the land registry.

Parking Requirements

Securing adequate parking is also an important requirement for obtaining a transportation business license.

As with business offices, applicants for transportation business licenses must prove that they have the authority to use parking lots by providing a lease agreement or a certified copy of the land registry.

Another prerequisite is that the facility must be located within 10km of the sales office (5km or 20km depending on the area).

As for the location of parking lots, it is not a problem even in urbanization control areas as long as they are not covered.

However, in the case of a covered parking lot, just like a business office, there are additional conditions such as it not being located in an urbanization control area, not being on agricultural land, and being a legally constructed building.

　Ensuring road safety is also an important point.

Parking lots must be designed to ensure safety when trucks enter and exit, such as by ensuring that entrances and exits are not located within 5 meters of an intersection.

There are also detailed requirements for the roads in front of the entrances and exits of parking lots.

You must provide proof with a vehicle restriction order or width certificate that the road is wide enough for trucks to pass safely.

Specifically, two-way roads in urban areas are generally required to have a carriageway width of at least 5.5m, and one-way roads are generally required to have a carriageway width of at least 2.5m.

However, it is important to note that the required road width varies depending on the width of the trucks used in the transportation industry.

The total width of the road listed in real estate property information may differ from the width of the roadway, so it is wise not to take it at face value.

Also, even if you measure the road width yourself, it will not be accepted as official proof when applying for a transportation business license.

In terms of accuracy and the time required, we recommend that you ask an administrative scrivener specializing in transportation business licenses to investigate and obtain the exact road width and certificate. Please feel free to contact us.

Vehicle (light car/truck) requirements

To obtain a transportation business license, the vehicle you use must meet certain requirements.

First, you must have or plan to have at least five vehicles to register with green license plates.

This number does not include light vehicles. It only includes trucks that have "cargo" listed in the vehicle inspection certificate.

Even if you have not purchased all five units at the time of application, it is not a problem as long as you can submit a sales contract indicating that you intend to purchase them.

Next are the requirements regarding vehicle ownership and use rights.

The owner of the vehicle on the vehicle inspection certificate must be the applicant for the transportation business license.

If you are transferring a vehicle to us free of charge from a third party or other legal entity, please make sure that you have a transfer agreement or other document to prove this.

In addition, if you are purchasing a vehicle through leasing or financing, you must have a lease or loan agreement in place, and the user name on the vehicle inspection certificate must be the name of the applicant for the transportation business license.

These documents will be part of the documentation required along with your application.

Additionally, vehicle insurance requirements are important.

After changing to green license plates, you are required to have voluntary automobile insurance with unlimited bodily injury coverage and property damage coverage of at least 200 million yen.

This is to ensure that appropriate compensation can be provided in the event of an accident.

By meeting these requirements, it becomes possible to operate a safe and legal transportation business.

The process for obtaining a transportation business license

Preparation of application documents and review by the Regional Transport Bureau

The first important step in obtaining a transportation business license is the preparation of application documents and the process of having those documents reviewed by the local transportation bureau.

First, it is essential to ensure that you fully meet the requirements for a transportation business license.

This includes a wide range of items such as vehicles, personnel, business offices, parking lots, and funds, each of which is strictly regulated by law.

Once you have completed these requirements, you can begin gathering the necessary application forms and supporting documents.

The application form details the specifics of the business plan and the status of the establishment of a safe operation system, and the attached documents serve as evidence to support these contents.

Once you have all the necessary documents, you will need to submit your application to the Regional Transport Bureau that has jurisdiction over your office.

After this submission, the documents will undergo a first review at the Regional Transport Bureau.

Here, the documents are checked for formal deficiencies and whether the submitted content meets basic requirements.

Applications that pass this screening are then sent to the Regional Transport Bureau, which oversees the Regional Transport Bureaus, for a more detailed screening.

The Regional Transport Bureau conducts rigorous reviews from multiple perspectives, including whether the submitted business plan is realistic and sustainable, whether funding requirements are fully met, and whether a safety management system has been properly established, including the placement of operation managers and maintenance managers.

This review period is generally4 months to 5 monthsDuring this period, applicants may be asked to submit additional documents or may be subject to a hearing.

Taking and listening to the Officers' Law Examination

After receiving the application for a transportation business license, the Regional Transport Bureau willOfficer Law ExaminationI will be taking the exam.

This legal exam is based on laws and regulations related to the transportation industry and is conducted using a true/false or word group multiple choice format. To be eligible to take the exam, the business owner must take the exam themselves if they are a sole proprietor, or one of the full-time directors must take the exam as a representative if they are a corporation.

This exam tests legal knowledge related to the core of the transportation industry, so thorough study is required beforehand.

In particular, the test is conducted in odd-numbered months after submitting the application, and if you do not pass by the second time, your application will be withdrawn.

After the legal exam, you may be interviewed by a Transport Bureau official on the day to discuss your knowledge of the transportation industry and the nature of your business.

However, there are cases where the interview is not conducted. This interview will confirm whether you have accurate knowledge of the transportation industry and whether you have the ability to properly manage the business, so it is important to prepare as much as you would for the legal exam.

Submitting a second balance certificate

After taking the officer law examination, I received a correction instruction from the Transport Bureau.Submitting a second balance certificatewill be instructed.

This is a confirmation that is carried out in consideration of the fact that a certain amount of time has passed since the application for the transportation business license and that the financial situation may have changed during that time.

Specifically, this is required to reconfirm whether the financial requirements indicated at the time of application have been maintained since the last time you submitted a balance certificate.

This second submission is very important as it demonstrates that funding is still available to start the transportation business.

Financial requirements are essential for the stable operation of the transportation industry and are one of the most stringent checks in the license application process.

A balance certificate can be obtained from a bank or other financial institution, and although there is usually a fee involved, this is also considered a necessary expense.

Once you have obtained this balance certificate, you must promptly submit it to the Regional Transport Bureau that has jurisdiction over your office.

If you submit the application late, it may take even longer to obtain permission, so you are required to respond promptly once you receive instructions.

If you do not meet the financial requirements at this stage, your application may be rejected, so it is important to manage your finances carefully on a daily basis.

Join social insurance and labor insurance, submit 36 ​​agreement

When obtaining a transportation business license,Enrolling in social insurance and labor insuranceAndSubmission of the 36 Agreementis an important procedure.

Corporate officers and employees are required to enroll in health insurance, employee pension insurance, and workers' compensation insurance, and employees are also required to enroll in employment insurance.

These are social security systems established by Japanese law and are essential for protecting workers in the transportation industry. Once you have completed enrollment in various insurance plans, you will need to have a certificate of enrollment issued as proof and submit it to your Regional Transport Bureau.

In addition, the 36 Agreement is officially called "Notification of agreement regarding overtime and holiday workUnder Article 36 of the Labor Standards Act, employers are required to report to the Labor Standards Inspection Office if they work overtime or on holidays that exceed the statutory working hours (8 hours per day, 40 hours per week).

In the transportation industry, overtime work is likely to occur due to operational conditions and the convenience of shippers, so submitting this 36 Agreement is particularly important.

If there is a labor union, an agreement is concluded with its representative; if there is no labor union, an agreement is concluded with a representative of the employees, and the agreement is submitted to the local Labor Standards Inspection Office.

The laws and regulations regarding the Labor Standards Inspection Office in the transportation industry are strict, and proper procedures must be followed.

Failure to follow these procedures will be a violation of the law and may result in the revocation of your transportation business license, so you must be careful.

Obtaining a transportation business license, license issuance ceremony, and payment of registration license tax

Once the inspection at the Regional Transport Bureau is completed successfully, you will be granted a transportation business license.

After this stage, you will be able to carry out your transportation business.緑ナンバーThis will be the first step towards obtaining the "

After obtaining permission, you will need to go to the local transport bureau in charge of the vehicle.Transportation business licenseA presentation ceremony for the certificate will be held.

At the ceremony, a detailed explanation of the laws and regulations that transportation companies must comply with and the documents that will need to be submitted in the future will be given for approximately two hours.

This explanation is an important source of information for the safe and proper operation of your transportation business, so it is important that you understand it thoroughly.

After the presentation ceremony,Registration tax payment slipThis registration tax is a fee paid to the government as proof of license acquisition, and is set at 12 yen.

Registration tax must be paid to a financial institution within one month of the date of license acquisition, and must be paid at a bank or post office.

Please note that payments cannot be made at convenience stores.

The standard period from application acceptance to obtaining a transportation business license is approximately four to five months.

During this period, you will need to complete several steps, such as taking the legal examination, submitting a second balance certificate, enrolling in social insurance and labor insurance, and submitting a 36 agreement.

Properly following these procedures will help you obtain your permit smoothly.

Submission of notification of appointment of operation manager and maintenance manager

As the final step in obtaining a transportation business license, you will need to select the operation manager and maintenance manager listed in the application documents.Operation manager appointment notification"When"Notification of appointment of maintenance manager" and other necessary documents to the Regional Transport Bureau under the jurisdiction of the office.

These notifications are essential for establishing a system to ensure safety in the transportation business.

To register as a traffic manager, you must submit a copy of your traffic manager qualification certificate in addition to the traffic manager appointment notification.

On the other hand, if you are registering as a maintenance manager, the documents you need to submit will vary depending on whether or not you have the qualifications.

Specifically, if you are a qualified automobile mechanic, you will need to submit a notification of appointment of maintenance manager, a copy of your automobile mechanic skills test certificate, and a document to attach to the notification of appointment of maintenance manager.

If an unqualified person becomes a maintenance manager, in addition to the notification of appointment of a maintenance manager, a copy of the certificate of completion of the training prior to appointment of a maintenance manager, a certificate of two years or more of practical experience, and documents to be attached to the notification of appointment of a maintenance manager are required.

These submissions will put in place a system to operate your transportation business legally and safely.

In addition to the documents listed above, maintenance managers will also need to submit the "Maintenance Management Regulations," so be sure to prepare them.

Submission of pre-transportation confirmation notice

As one of the final steps in obtaining a transportation business license,Confirmation notification before transportation starts" must be submitted to the Regional Transport Bureau that has jurisdiction over the office.

This notification is a necessary document that proves that all preparations are complete to start a transportation business, and is therefore extremely important.

Specifically, if this document is not accepted, you will not be able to obtain the "Green Number Plate"Commercial vehicle notification form" will not be issued, so you will not be able to start your transportation business.

When submitting, you must attach a copy of the notification of appointment of operations manager, a copy of the document proving enrollment in social insurance and labor insurance, a copy of the 36 Agreement with the receipt stamp of the Labor Standards Inspection Office, and a copy of the driver's license.

These documents serve as proof that the system for operating a transportation business legally is in place.

In particular, enrollment in social insurance and labor insurance is an important element that is directly linked to employee benefits, and the Article 36 Agreement sets out legal provisions for properly managing long working hours.

Once you have prepared all of these necessary documents and submitted them to the Regional Transport Bureau, the final confirmation for starting your transportation business will be completed.

Obtaining a business vehicle license certificate and green number plate

Once the pre-transportation confirmation notification is accepted, the "Commercial vehicle notification form", commonly known as "Contact" will be issued.

Please keep this notification in a safe place as it is an important document that functions similarly to a garage certificate for a private car.

You will need to fill out the necessary information on the notification form and submit it, along with any other necessary documents, to the transportation department of the transport bureau that has jurisdiction over your office.

The documents that need to be submitted are three types: a Commercial Vehicle Notification Form (two copies), a fee payment slip, and a copy of the specifications sheet for new cars or the vehicle inspection certificate (vehicle inspection certificate) for used cars.

Once you submit these documents and there are no problems, you will be issued a green license plate, which you should then attach to your vehicle.

After that, you will be required to take out voluntary automobile insurance for your business vehicle.

Voluntary automobile insurance must have unlimited bodily injury coverage and at least 200 million yen in property damage coverage.

Submission of fare setting notification and transportation start notification

Attach a copy of the vehicle inspection certificate after changing to green number plates and a copy of the insurance policy for voluntary automobile insurance.Notification of start of transportation" to the Regional Transport Bureau that has jurisdiction over the office.

At this time, alsoFare setting notice and fare table" must also be submitted.

Once these required documents have been received, all documents required for the transportation business license application will be submitted.

Please note that the transportation commencement notification must be submitted within one year of obtaining a transportation business license, so please be careful about the deadline.

To obtain a license to operate a transportation business, you must go through this series of verification procedures and then submit a fare setting notification and a transportation commencement notification as proof that you are ready to start your business.

This will allow you to operate a legitimate transportation business.

The costs of applying for and obtaining a transportation license vary widely, but these final filings are an important step in running your business.

For transportation business applications, please contact Support Administrative Scrivener Corporation

At Support Administrative Scrivener Corporation, we provide application support and consulting regarding transportation businesses, from those who are newly registering and obtaining permission for a transportation business to those who are already operating a transportation business.

The transportation business has moved from the stage of simply receiving a permit to the stage of requiring the establishment of a compliance system.

Our staff have experience in filing applications in prefectures across the country, so please feel free to contact us.

Our dedicated staff handles cases nationwide.