A latching relay drive circuit comprising: an operation coil disposed in a single winding latching relay; a capacitor connected in series to the operation coil; an operation switch disposed to charge the capacitor with a power supply to allow a set current to flow into the operation coil; a first switch element being a single first switch connected in parallel to both ends of a series circuit comprising the operation coil and the capacitor to form a closed circuit comprising the series circuit when the first switch element is turned on to allow a current discharged from the capacitor to flow; a first switch element drive circuit in which the current discharged from the capacitor and applied to a signal input unit of the first switch element flows as when the operation switch is open or a failure in supplying power from the power supply occurs; a discharge preventing element configured to prevent the current discharged from the capacitor from being flowed into other than the first switch element drive circuit while the operation switch is open or there is a failure in supplying power from the power supply; and a detection circuit detecting that the operation switch is open or a failure in supplying power from the power supply to change a state of the first switch element drive circuit so that a current discharged from the capacitor flows into the first switch element drive circuit; characterized in that the first switch element drive circuit is configured with a second voltage-dividing circuit connected in parallel to the first switch element, with respect to the series circuit comprising the operation coil and the capacitor, the second voltage-dividing circuit comprises a pair of second voltage-dividing elements (R2, R4), and the detection circuit and the signal input unit of the first switch element are connected between the pair of second voltage-dividing elements (R2, R4); and wherein, of the pair of second voltage-dividing elements (R2, R4), the second voltage-dividing element disposed on a side of the operation switch is a resistor, and a time constant determined by the resistor and the capacitor is not less than one second. an operation coil disposed in a single winding latching relay; a capacitor connected in series to the operation coil; an operation switch disposed to charge the capacitor with a power supply to allow a set current to flow into the operation coil; a first switch element being a single first switch connected in parallel to both ends of a series circuit comprising the operation coil and the capacitor to form a closed circuit comprising the series circuit when the first switch element is turned on to allow a current discharged from the capacitor to flow; a first switch element drive circuit in which the current discharged from the capacitor and applied to a signal input unit of the first switch element flows as when the operation switch is open or a failure in supplying power from the power supply occurs; a discharge preventing element configured to prevent the current discharged from the capacitor from being flowed into other than the first switch element drive circuit while the operation switch is open or there is a failure in supplying power from the power supply; and a detection circuit detecting that the operation switch is open or a failure in supplying power from the power supply to change a state of the first switch element drive circuit so that a current discharged from the capacitor flows into the first switch element drive circuit; characterized in that the first switch element drive circuit is configured with a second voltage-dividing circuit connected in parallel to the first switch element, with respect to the series circuit comprising the operation coil and the capacitor, the second voltage-dividing circuit comprises a pair of second voltage-dividing elements (R2, R4), and the detection circuit and the signal input unit of the first switch element are connected between the pair of second voltage-dividing elements (R2, R4); and wherein, of the pair of second voltage-dividing elements (R2, R4), the second voltage-dividing element disposed on a side of the operation switch is a resistor, and a time constant determined by the resistor and the capacitor is not less than one second.