All About JCI

JCI (Japanese Compulsory Insurance), also called Primary Insurance, is basically a vehicle safety and emissions inspection and is good for two years from the date the inspection was administered. It can be costly if very many repairs need to be done on your vehicle in order to pass the inspection, so buy a used vehicle that has plenty of time left the JCI, even it means you pay a little more for it initially. The JCI expiration date will be listed on the printout given to you by PMO Pass & Registration when you register your vehicle. If you are buying a car, ask to see this printout for verification, or contact PMO to determine this information. When it's time to renew your vehicle's JCI, you can have it done on base at the auto hobby shop, or you can take it to one of the off-base car dealerships and they can take care of it for you. I found that the off-base dealership had fair rates and a fast turnaround time. The procedure went something like this: I called TNT 30 days before the JCI expiration date and stated that I needed my JCI renewed. They asked what make/model of vehicle it was, and they told me how much the basic tax amount would be so that I could pay that up front when I dropped off the car. I took the car and payment in Yen to TNT the following morning, along with all necessary paperwork (Title, proof of Secondary Insurance, current year's Road Tax Receipt, and current JCI), and they called me back the next day to come pick up my car. I had to return about a week later when the actual bill come in to them from the place that does the work to pay the final bill. Finally, I took all paperwork to PMO Pass & Registration to be updated in the system and received a new printout reflecting the new JCI expiration date. This is an important step, so don't forget! Always update any vehicle changes with PMO as soon as possible. Expect to pay around $800-1200 per vehicle, as this is the average amount. My first one was right at $1000 total (including the basic tax fee), and the other vehicle was around $800.