A drive apparatus for a solid-state image pickup device, in which an average output level of the charge storage portion can be maintained substantially constant even if a storage time interval is short in the case of high luminance, and in which a signal charge in the shift register can be properly transferred, is so constructed that a drive pulse is supplied to the transfer portion so that the transfer portion receives a charge from a photosensor for a predetermined period of time simultaneously when the charge stored in the photosensor is shifted to the transfer portion.