Gaimen50-question practice tests in the real exam formatWhat does 法定速度 (hōtei sokudo) mean? Japan's legal speed
Updated: 2026-10
法定速度 (ほうていそくど, hōtei sokudo) means the statutory speed limit: the maximum set by Cabinet Order for roads where no sign or marking specifies a limit (Road Traffic Act (道路交通法), Article 22; Enforcement Order (施行令), Article 11). For motor vehicles on general roads it is 60 km/h where there is a center line or marked lanes, and from 1 September 2026, 30 km/h on residential roads without a center line. Mopeds (原付) are limited to 30 km/h, and ordinary cars to 100 km/h on national expressways.
Legal meaning: the cap when no sign is posted
Article 22 says you must not exceed "the maximum speed designated by road signs on roads where one is designated, and on other roads the maximum speed set by Cabinet Order". The Cabinet Order figure is the statutory speed. A limit shown on a sign is the "designated speed" (指定速度, also called 規制速度); where a sign exists, it applies instead.
The statutory speed is a cap, not a target. In rain, at night or in heavy traffic you must slow to a safe speed.
Spelling and reading: 法定速度 (ほうていそくど / hōtei sokudo).
Statutory speeds (from 1 September 2026)
Key figures from Enforcement Order Articles 11, 12 and 27.
| Road / vehicle | Statutory speed |
|---|---|
| General roads with a center line, marked lanes or physically separated directions: motor vehicles (incl. motorcycles) | 60 km/h |
| Other general roads (residential roads without a center line etc.): motor vehicles | 30 km/h (from 1 Sept 2026; previously 60 km/h) |
| Motor-vehicle-only roads (自動車専用道路) | 60 km/h |
| General mopeds (一般原動機付自転車) | 30 km/h |
| Towing a broken-down car with a rope (default) | 30 km/h (40 km/h when the towed car is 2,000 kg or less and the towing car is at least 3 times heavier, except on residential roads) |
| National expressway main lanes: ordinary cars, large buses, semi-medium vehicles, motorcycles, etc. | 100 km/h |
| National expressway main lanes: large trucks, etc. | 90 km/h |
| National expressway main lanes: tractor-trailers, three-wheelers, etc. | 80 km/h |
Designated speeds and minimum speed
Combine signs and statutory speeds like this.
- If a sign designates a maximum, follow it instead of the statutory speed (on expressways too)
- A residential road with a statutory 30 km/h and a "40" sign: 40 km/h. A 60 km/h road with a "30" sign: 30 km/h
- Mopeds stay at 30 km/h even where a sign allows more (e.g. 40 km/h); a sign of 30 km/h or less applies to them
- The only statutory minimum speed is 50 km/h on national expressway main lanes (except sections without separated directions). General roads have no minimum unless a sign sets one
Test traps
Statutory speed questions mostly move a correct number to the wrong vehicle or road.
Example 1: "On a general road with a center line or lanes and no sign, the statutory maximum for a large motorcycle is 30 km/h" → False. Motorcycles are motor vehicles, so 60 km/h (30 km/h is for mopeds).
Example 2: "A moped may go up to 40 km/h on a road signed 40 km/h" → False.
Example 3: "The statutory maximum for kei cars (軽自動車) on national expressways is 80 km/h" → False. It is now 100 km/h.
Practice the number swaps in your language
Since October 2025 the knowledge test has 50 True/False questions in 30 minutes; you need 45 correct. Statutory speeds are easy points once you know the numbers. menkyopass covers the September 2026 residential 30 km/h change, with English explanations (the first mock test and three topics are free).
Practice questions using this term
FAQ
Q. Isn't the general-road statutory speed 60 km/h?
A. From 1 September 2026, general roads with no center line, no marked lanes and no separated directions (residential roads) are 30 km/h. Roads with a center line or lanes, separated roads and motor-vehicle-only roads stay at 60 km/h.
Q. Which wins, the statutory speed or a posted sign?
A. A posted (designated) limit applies where there is one; the statutory speed is the cap when nothing is posted. Mopeds, however, stay at 30 km/h even if a sign allows more.
Q. What is the expressway limit for large trucks?
A. 90 km/h on national expressway main lanes (raised from 80 km/h in April 2024). Tractor-trailers remain at 80 km/h.