When you need it
This site offers information based on guidance from public bodies, rental car companies and others, as a starting point when something goes wrong on your trip (as of September 2026; it isn’t an explanation of insurance or the law). How coverage is handled differs from company to company, and it can change. Always check the latest details with the company you rented from and in the official information listed at the end of this article.
You found a scratch. You got a flat. A bill arrived afterwards.
When you’re stuck on anything to do with rental car insurance or coverage, first contact the rental company you rented from.
Rental car companies tell you to report even small things to the police. In an accident, you report it to the police and contact the company too. If you don’t report it, you may not be able to use your coverage.
This page only lists what happens with your coverage. What to do in an accident is covered in “Rental Car Accident or Breakdown in Japan.”
Even a small scrape — do I call the police?
Yes. Rental car companies tell you to report it to the police even if the damage is small (Nippon Rent-A-Car). The national rental car association, the industry body, also says to get in touch after any accident, big or small. Some companies treat any scratch or dent as an accident, whatever its size (Nissan Rent a Car).
Even for a small scratch, contact the police and the rental company.
I got a flat tire. A hubcap came off.
Which plan covers it differs by company.
At Toyota Rent a Car, with only the basic coverage and 免責補償, you pay for tire repairs and lost hubcaps yourself. If you have 安心Wプラン, they’re covered.
Other companies have plans that cover flat tires too (ORIX Rent a Car’s レンタカー安心パック（RAP）, Times Car Rental’s 安心補償コース).
First contact the rental company and ask how it’ll be handled.
Can I use the tire repair kit in the car?
Contact the company before you use it.
Some companies ask you not to use the tire repair kit in the car, and if you do, you pay for it yourself (Toyota Rent a Car, Nippon Rent-A-Car).
I paid for a repair on the spot
Don’t throw away the receipt. Keep it.
At some companies, you get the money back if you show the receipt at the office when you return the car (Toyota Rent a Car, Nippon Rent-A-Car). With RAP, you may pay for a tire repair first and get the money back later (ORIX Rent a Car).
When you return the car, hand the receipt in at the office.
A flying stone cracked the glass
Of the companies we looked at, the one that names “flying stones” in what it covers is Budget Rent a Car’s Safety Pack.
For other companies, ask the one you rented from.
While the car was parked, someone hit it or broke into it
Some companies require a police report to use the coverage, even when you don’t know who did it (ORIX Rent a Car; Budget Rent a Car also says that even if you’re the victim of a hit-and-run, no coverage option can be used without a report).
As soon as you notice, contact the police and the rental company from where you are.
I’m told about a scratch I don’t remember making
The national rental car association says that even a scratch you don’t remember making may have to be paid for by the renter, if it wasn’t found in the check before the rental.
So before you drive off, walk around the car with the staff and check for scratches. Before you return it, look for scratches once more too.
Walk around it at the start, and returning the car is easier too.
I was charged NOC for a small scratch
If you’re charged NOC for a small scratch that doesn’t seem to need repair, check with the rental company that the repair was actually done (as the national rental car association suggests).
An extra bill came later
At some companies, if the company pays first for damage the renter is responsible for, the renter has to pay that amount back to the company right away (Toyota Rent a Car’s rental terms, Nippon Rent-A-Car). Some companies set your share separately for other cars and property and for the rented car (ORIX Rent a Car).
If anything in the bill is unclear, ask the rental company.
I want to add 免責補償 partway through the rental
Some companies don’t let you add or drop it partway through the rental (ORIX Rent a Car, Nippon Rent-A-Car).
Next time you rent, decide on the booking screen. Then the coverage section at the counter won’t hold you up.
An accident left the car unable to move
At Toyota Rent a Car, once the car can’t be used, the contract ends there. To keep renting you need a new contract, and 安心Wプラン doesn’t pay for it.
Some plans help with costs, including hotel bills, when you can’t continue your trip (Times Car Rental’s 安心補償コース).
I want my card’s coverage to pay
To claim, you may need documents from the rental company.
The terms of one credit card issued outside Japan asked for things like the accident report, the first and final rental agreements, the repair estimate and itemized bill, and police documents (where available). There was also a deadline for reporting.
Before you return the car, ask the office for the documents. Ask your card company what you need.
I have coverage from a booking site
With the coverage from the booking site ToCoo (T.A.S.), you don’t pay NOC at the office; instead, you sign the accident paperwork the office prepares.
But it only covers accidents for which the office prepared that paperwork. If your booking doesn’t include 免責補償 or similar, you pay your share for the accident at the office.
If you’ve already paid NOC at the office, apply to ToCoo within 60 days of returning the car.
What’s a 交通事故証明書 (traffic accident certificate)?
It’s a document in which the Japan Safe Driving Center certifies the facts of an accident, based on police records. It’s used for insurance claims.
If you’re in an accident, always report it to the police and get this certificate later (according to the Japan Safe Driving Center).
When you’re stuck, contact the rental company
If you’re unsure about anything to do with coverage, contact the rental company before you decide on your own.
If it’s an accident, contact the police too.
※ What’s covered, how paying first and getting reimbursed works, and how to make a claim differ by company and plan, and they can change. When something actually goes wrong, follow the rental company’s instructions.
