State Regulations

Speed: 25 mph governor required; no interstate use

Alabama registers kei trucks under the “mini-truck” class in Ala. Code § 32-6-59, not as ordinary vehicles. The vehicle must carry a speed governor preventing it exceeding 25 mph, is issued a mini-truck licence plate rather than a standard plate, and may not be operated on interstate highways. Equipment requirements cover headlamps, stop lamps, turn signals, tail lamps, reflectors, parking brake, mirrors, windshield and seat belts.

Alaska permits kei trucks on public roads following SB 239, signed June 24, 2026. Before SB 239, Alaska did not align with the federal 25-year import rule — vehicles could be imported but the DMV would not register them, which stranded owners who assumed the state followed federal law. The new statute bars the department from requiring current FMVSS compliance, or from refusing, suspending, or revoking a title over FMVSS non-compliance, for vehicles at least 25 years old that were legally imported. No safety inspection requirement.

Speed: No highway use; limited to roads with speed limits of 45 mph or below

Arizona titles kei trucks as off-highway vehicles. Declaring “primary on-road use” at registration is the step that matters, and since 1 January 2025 the owner must also complete Arizona’s free OHV safety course once. Sources disagree on what that declaration then permits: recent guidance from Arizona sellers describes it as removing road restrictions entirely, including freeways, while older material describes a 45 mph ceiling. We have not found an ADOT publication settling it, so we record the more cautious reading and recommend confirming with ADOT before relying on freeway access.

Speed: Roads posted 55 mph or below; no controlled-access highways

Arkansas road use generally runs through the Class Eight farm-vehicle registration, which permits roads posted up to 55 mph and excludes controlled-access highways. Worth understanding before you buy: this is a farm-vehicle path rather than ordinary car registration, so ask the revenue office what it means for your intended use. Vehicles must be at least 25 years old to clear the federal import rule.

California prohibits kei trucks from road use due to strict emissions (CARB) and safety standards. They may only be used off-road.

Speed: From 2028: roads posted 55 mph or below

Colorado has legalized kei vehicles, but not yet. HB25-1281 was signed by Governor Polis on 9 May 2025; operation on public roads is permitted from July 2027, and the DMV does not accept registration applications until 1 January 2028 — the gap exists so the state can update its DMV and emissions systems. Until then a kei vehicle cannot be plated here. From 2028 the vehicle must be at least 25 years old, titled and registered, and is limited to roads posted 55 mph or below.

Speed: No interstate highway use

Connecticut has no clear statewide rule for kei vehicles, and reported outcomes vary from one DMV office to another — two owners in the same state can get different answers. Where registration is granted, expect safety and emissions inspection and no interstate use. We are marking this unclear rather than restricted because the uncertainty is about whether you can register at all, not merely where you can drive. Speak to your local DMV office about your specific vehicle before committing money.

Delaware has no statewide law specifically addressing kei trucks, which leaves them in a genuine grey area rather than a clear yes or no. They may be handled under broader categories — imported vehicle, mini-truck, off-highway vehicle — and administrative practice can differ. We are marking this unclear rather than guessing in either direction: telling you it is legal when your DMV refuses would cost you a purchase, and telling you it is banned when it is not would cost you the truck. Contact the Delaware DMV directly about your specific vehicle before buying.

Speed: Streets posted 35 mph or below, statewide — crossing a faster road at an intersection is allowed

Florida is one of the few states that names these vehicles in statute instead of leaving them to DMV interpretation. Fla. Stat. 320.01(44) defines a 'mini truck' as a four-wheeled, reduced-dimension truck with no NHTSA truck classification and a 55 mph top speed, carrying headlamps, stop lamps, turn signals, taillamps, reflectors, a parking brake, mirrors, a windshield and seat belts — a description most kei trucks already meet. FLHSMV procedure TL-63 titles and registers them like any other motor vehicle under body type 'MT', with PIP/PDL insurance. The catch is that the classification and the road limit arrive together: the missing NHTSA truck classification is what makes a 25-year-old kei truck importable in the first place, and it is also what places it in the mini truck class, which Fla. Stat. 316.2122 confines to streets posted 35 mph or below statewide — regardless of what the truck can actually do. You may cross a faster road at an intersection; you may not drive along one. Counties and municipalities can ban mini trucks on their own roads in the interest of safety, so local rules can narrow this further, but they cannot widen it.

Georgia does not allow kei trucks to be titled or registered for road use. Under Department of Revenue Policy Bulletin MVD-2023-05, the Motor Vehicle Division classifies kei vehicles as 'unconventional motor vehicles', directs county tag offices to reject applications, and revokes titles already issued — Georgia is unusual in actively mailing existing owners to void their registrations. HB 308 would have reversed this but was vetoed by Gov. Kemp in May 2025, and no replacement bill was introduced in the 2026 session. Litigation on behalf of affected owners is ongoing; a favorable ruling could change this, but nothing has changed as of August 2026.

Hawaii has no statewide route onto the road. HRS 286-42 bars registration of a vehicle never certified to FMVSS, which covers the kei class, and the counties apply it differently: Hawaii County and Maui County refuse in writing, while Honolulu and Kauai route unusual vehicles through Motor Vehicle Control Inspector review and decide case by case. That is why kei trucks are visible on Oahu while the Big Island publishes a flat refusal. Importing and owning one is legal, and private-property use is unaffected. If you are set on it, ask your county before buying and get the answer in writing.

Idaho allows kei trucks on all public roads with no state-level speed cap or road-class restriction, which makes it one of the more permissive states. Standard safety equipment rules still apply, and some sources describe a local option, so a county or city could in principle add its own rule — worth a call to the county before buying if you are relying on a specific road.

Illinois does not register kei trucks. The Secretary of State began sending revocation letters in late March 2025 to owners of legally registered imports, revoking plates and branding titles “Not Eligible For Registration”. Its stated basis is 625 ILCS 5/3-401(c-1)(1), which it reads to require that a vehicle was originally manufactured for highway operation — excluding imports never built to FMVSS. The state has said plainly: “Unless legislation is passed that specifically allows for Kei Trucks to be registered in IL, our default is that it is not eligible for registration.” No such bill has been introduced as of the 2026 session. A title can still be issued; it simply cannot be registered for road use.

Speed: No interstate highways

Indiana titles and registers kei trucks for road use on public streets and highways, excluding interstates. No safety inspection is required.

Iowa does not allow kei trucks to be registered for public-road use. Iowa Code §321.30 lets the department refuse registration to vehicles lacking a manufacturer's label certifying compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards, which imported kei vehicles do not carry. They may still be imported, owned, and used off-road, on farms, and on private property. No legislation changing this had been enacted as of August 2026.

Speed: City streets only where a local ordinance allows it; no state or federal highways

Kansas treats kei trucks as “micro utility trucks” under K.S.A. 8-15,106. Operation is unlawful on any interstate, federal or state highway, and unlawful on a public street inside city limits unless that city has authorised it by ordinance — so road use is a local opt-in, not a statewide right. Crossing a prohibited highway at an intersection is expressly allowed. Ask the county treasurer and the city before buying.

Speed: Secondary roads only, and only where the local jurisdiction permits it

Kentucky permits kei trucks on secondary roads, and only in jurisdictions that have explicitly allowed mini-truck operation — in some the permission extends only to crossing a state road rather than driving along it. That makes this a local question rather than a statewide right, so confirm with your own county or city before buying. No inspection is required.

Speed: Roads posted 55 mph or below; no interstates or controlled-access highways

Louisiana permits kei trucks on roads posted up to 55 mph, which is more generous than most restricted states and covers the majority of ordinary driving. Interstates and controlled-access highways are out. A periodic state safety inspection is required.

Maine does not allow kei trucks to be registered for public-road use. LD 1209, signed by Gov. Mills in May 2025, is frequently misread as legalization — it did not legalize anything, it created the Nonconforming Vehicle Working Group to study the question. That seven-member group (BMV, State Police, insurance, inspection, importers, municipalities, a transportation museum) took testimony through December 3, 2025, and the Secretary of State delivered its final report to the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation on February 6, 2026. SP 884 was filed to act on the recommendations. Maine is a plausible near-term flip, but it has not flipped yet.

Maryland does not allow kei trucks on public roads. The MVA will not issue on-road registration, and this applies regardless of the vehicle's age — passing the federal 25-year import rule does not create a state registration path. The Department of Natural Resources handles off-road vehicle registration for private property and trail use only. No significant legislative or regulatory change had occurred as of August 2026.

Massachusetts registers kei vehicles that meet the federal 25-year rule, effective 18 September 2024, when the RMV reversed its own ban; vehicles already registered continued without interruption. The important caveat is that this is **agency policy, not statute** — the RMV reversed itself once and can revise its position again, particularly once the safety study it promised concludes. House Bill 4053, “An Act to legalize Kei vehicles in the Commonwealth”, was filed in January 2025 to put the position into law and is still in House Ways and Means.

Michigan registers kei trucks as ordinary vehicles. The Department of State reversed its earlier refusal in November 2024, and titles and registrations now go through a Secretary of State branch like any other vehicle, with the usual Michigan no-fault insurance requirement before plates are issued. No kei-specific speed or road class applies.

Speed: Only on roads covered by a local mini-truck ordinance

Minnesota has no statewide authorization for kei trucks on public roads. Instead, Minn. Stat. § 169.045 lets counties, cities and towns authorise mini-trucks by local ordinance, and road use requires both that ordinance and a permit issued under it — without them, DVS will not register the vehicle for on-road use. In practice legality changes at the county line: Hubbard and Becker counties and several northern communities have adopted ordinances, while much of the state has not. HF 3865, which would have created a statewide collector-vehicle path in 2026, died in committee. Check with your specific city or county before buying.

Mississippi is genuinely unclear and we will not pretend otherwise. Owners and importers report titling and registering kei trucks through a bill of sale, a $100 title bond and an ownership application at the local Tax Collector, with full on-road use. Other trackers state the opposite — that use is confined to roads posted 35 mph or below with no highway or interstate access. We have found no Mississippi statute or Department of Revenue publication settling it, and at least one source that claims full road use concedes the claim is not supported by state documents. Confirm with the Department of Revenue and your local Tax Collector before buying.

Speed: Roads posted 45 mph or below, where a local ordinance permits it

Missouri allows mini-trucks on the road by local ordinance rather than by statewide right, and caps them at 45 mph. That means legality is a municipal question — check your own city or county before buying, because a neighbouring jurisdiction's answer does not transfer. Biennial safety inspections apply as with any registered vehicle.

Montana has no kei-specific statute at all. Registration runs through the county treasurer under the ordinary vehicle rules, and in practice kei trucks are registered and driven without a speed or road class attached. The absence of a statute cuts both ways: there is nothing restricting them, and nothing guaranteeing them either, and some sources describe local governments as free to regulate. Confirm with your county treasurer before buying.

Speed: No freeways, expressways or interstates

Nebraska permits kei trucks on public roads with standard registration, excluding freeways, expressways and interstates. No inspection is required, and there is no posted-speed cap beyond those road classes — a lighter restriction than most.

Speed: Low-Speed Vehicle route only: 25 mph max, roads posted 35 mph or below

Nevada will not issue ordinary road plates for a kei truck. The DMV routes them to off-highway vehicle registration under NRS Chapter 490, which permits designated trails, private property and certain public land — street use stays prohibited even with OHV registration. The one genuine road path is low-speed vehicle registration: if the truck meets Nevada’s LSV requirements, including a 25 mph maximum, it can be plated as an LSV and driven on roads posted 35 mph or below. There is no statute banning kei trucks by name; this is the DMV’s reading of the existing vehicle classes.

New Hampshire has no kei or mini-truck vehicle class in statute, and registers these through the town clerk like any other vehicle; pre-2000 vehicles are title-exempt under RSA 261:3. The “35 mph limit within a 25-mile radius” rule repeated by many trackers does not appear in New Hampshire law. Registration practice has been inconsistent enough that owners report keeping their trucks inspected while the question works through the courts, so confirm current practice with your town clerk.

New Jersey does not allow kei trucks to be registered for road use. The MVC will not issue a title for a kei-class vehicle without proof of FMVSS compliance, which imported kei vehicles cannot provide without prohibitively expensive modification. Private-property use is the only legal option — a pattern you see on New Jersey farms and vineyards, where owners use kei trucks on site and trailer them between locations. No legislative or court change had occurred as of August 2026.

New Mexico does not allow kei trucks to be registered for operation on public streets. Registration is handled centrally by the MVD, so no county offers an alternative path. Note that secondary sources conflict on this one — a few suggest registration is possible if the vehicle meets safety and emissions standards — but the most recent reviews (June 2026) place New Mexico among the states that do not permit road registration. Confirm directly with the New Mexico MVD before buying; this is a state where we would not want you to rely on our summary alone.

New York prohibits kei trucks from road use. The state enforces strict safety inspection standards that most kei trucks cannot meet.

Speed: Roads posted 55 mph or below

North Carolina created a mini-truck framework with HB 179, effective 21 June 2019, codified at G.S. 20-121.1. Operation is permitted on streets and highways posted 55 mph or below, with required safety equipment. Interstates and controlled-access highways are excluded, and a mini truck may not cross a road posted above 35 mph unless the intersection is signalised.

Speed: Roads posted 55 mph or below

North Dakota allows kei trucks on roads posted up to 55 mph, with no inspection requirement. The 55 mph cap covers most non-interstate driving, so this is one of the less onerous restricted states in practice.

Speed: Roads posted 35 mph or below, and only where a local ordinance permits it

Ohio has a specific 'mini-truck' category — four wheels, 660cc or less, 900–2,200 lbs, enclosed cabin and a cargo bed, not originally built to FMVSS. Registration is possible but the vehicle is well short of fully street legal: operation is limited to roads posted 35 mph or below that a local authority has specifically approved by ordinance or resolution, under ORC 4511.214 and 4511.215, and local jurisdictions may add restrictions on top. A state inspection is required, at which the 'enclosed cabin' definition is the usual sticking point.

Speed: Roads posted 55 mph or below; no interstate use

Oklahoma titles and registers mini trucks under 47 O.S. § 1151.3, which permits operation on state roadways but expressly bars any highway forming part of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. The class is defined by 660cc or less displacement and a width not exceeding 60 inches. Municipalities may restrict them further, and some prohibit them entirely, so check locally.

Oregon does not allow kei trucks to be registered for on-road use. This one frustrates people, because the legislature keeps trying: a bipartisan 2026 effort (HB 4063, and Sen. Broadman's companion push) kept the $63 fee and 65 mph cap from earlier drafts but failed to clear its policy-committee deadline. Oregon is stalling on process, not on opposition — the votes appear to be there. Until a bill actually passes, though, there is no registration path, and owning one means private-property use only.

Since December 2021, Pennsylvania does not issue standard on-road registrations for kei trucks. Owners may title and register them as off-road, farm, or antique vehicles only. The narrow exception: owners holding a pre-December 2021 grandfather letter from PennDOT may continue on-road operation. Pending bill HB 1205 (2025-2026 session) aims to restore broader on-road registration. Antique registration is not a workaround for daily use: PennDOT limits antique plates to club activities, exhibits, tours and parades, and occasional transportation means no more than one day a week.

Rhode Island stopped registering kei vehicles in 2021 and asked existing owners to surrender their registrations. H8013, passed in June 2024, then wrote a narrow framework into law: kei trucks may use roads posted 35 mph or below, but **only** where the vehicle was validly registered before 1 June 2024. Since that date the DMV refuses every new kei registration, and an existing registration cannot be transferred to a new owner — so for anyone buying today there is no route onto the road. H8510, introduced 1 May 2026, would remove the registration restriction and write new operating rules; it has not become law.

South Carolina remains unclear in our data, deliberately. Several trackers now describe it as one of the more kei-friendly states — titled and registered for road use, no annual safety or emissions inspection, and no kei-specific speed or road-type restriction — and insurers reportedly write policies without difficulty. We have not found an SCDMV publication confirming it, and moving a verdict toward “fewer restrictions” on tracker evidence alone is the direction that costs a buyer a truck rather than a phone call. Confirm with the SCDMV before purchase; the reports are encouraging but unverified.

South Dakota registers kei trucks with no inspection requirement, commonly through the street-legal UTV class, which carries a speed ceiling around 65 mph. Sources disagree on interstate access — some describe South Dakota as one of the few states permitting it, others report the usual exclusion — and the registration class can vary by county. Confirm which class your county uses before buying, because the class determines the speed ceiling.

Speed: Streets posted 40 mph or below, and not above 35 mph

Tennessee registers kei trucks as “medium speed vehicles”, defined by Tenn. Code § 55-1-125 as four-wheeled vehicles with a top speed above 30 mph but not above 35 mph. Under § 55-8-191(b) they may be driven only on streets posted 40 mph or below, and not faster than 35 mph. The class must meet the federal low-speed vehicle standards at 49 CFR 571.500. A standard Class D licence is enough; no endorsement is required.

Texas is the cleanest yes in the country. SB 1816, signed in 2025 and effective 1 September 2025, created a “miniature vehicle” classification in the Transportation Code and recognises kei trucks as motor vehicles, replacing the county-by-county interpretations that came before. The vehicle must be at least 25 years old to qualify, so in 2026 that means a 2001 or earlier build. Registration is still administered by the county tax assessor-collector, but the rule is now statewide rather than local discretion.

Speed: Roads posted 50 mph or below; no interstate highways

Utah registers kei trucks under existing vehicle classes rather than a kei-specific statute, and limits them to roads posted 50 mph or below with interstates excluded outright. Basic safety equipment, a safety inspection and, in some counties, emissions testing are required. Emissions is where this gets county-specific: Salt Lake County enforces materially stricter rules than the rural counties, and that is the step most likely to stop a registration.

Vermont legalised kei vehicles outright. Governor Scott signed S.326 on 16 June 2026 and the kei truck provisions took effect 1 July 2026, defining “kei vehicle” and “kei truck” in statute and directing the DMV to register qualifying vehicles — four wheels, 660cc or less, 130 inches or less long, 78 or less tall, 60 or less wide. Before the law, registration depended on which DMV office you walked into. Several national trackers still list Vermont as prohibited; they are out of date.

Speed: Roads posted 35 mph or lower

Virginia classifies kei trucks as low-speed vehicles under Title 46.2, Article 12.1, which confines them to highways posted 35 mph or lower. The statute does permit crossing an intersection with a faster road — you just cannot travel along one. HB 219 would have raised the cap to 55 mph in the 2026 session but died in subcommittee, so the 35 mph limit stands. Registration is available with proof of ownership and a safety inspection.

Speed: Roads posted 35 mph or below; no state highways, freeways or interstates

Washington registers kei trucks through the DOL with standard paperwork — proof of import, a valid VIN and insurance — and the state dropped emissions testing in 2020, so the process itself is straightforward. The constraint is where you can drive: road use is capped at 35 mph with no access to state highways, freeways or interstates, which in practice means residential streets, low-speed commercial areas and rural roads.

Speed: No controlled-access or federally funded highways; max 20 miles on a centerline-marked highway

West Virginia does register kei trucks, but as 'street-legal special purpose vehicles' rather than ordinary motor vehicles, and the conditions attached are unusually specific. No controlled-access highways including interstates, nothing built under a federal highways program, and no more than 20 miles in one go on a highway with centerline markings — which effectively confines you to local and county roads. Counties, municipalities and the Division of Natural Resources can each prohibit them locally on top of that. A driver's licence, state-minimum insurance and the listed lighting equipment are required.

Speed: Collector plate only — not for regular transportation

Wisconsin does not issue ordinary registration for kei vehicles. Wis. Stat. § 341.10 directs the department to refuse registration of post-1969 vehicles lacking a manufacturer or importer certification label, which includes the kei class; the title is branded “NON USA STANDARD”. The remaining route is a special interest (collector) plate under § 341.10(6), and that plate permits display and parade purposes, club activities, exhibitions, tours, necessary testing, maintenance and storage, and occasional personal use — expressly not regular transportation. It is not a daily-driver pathway.

Speed: No interstate highways

Wyoming registers kei trucks as “multipurpose vehicles”. They may be used on state and local roads but not on interstate highways. Where the vehicle cannot reach the maximum speed allowed on a road, it must be driven at the extreme right-hand edge and carry a slow-moving vehicle emblem or a reflectorised flag. There is no inspection requirement, which makes Wyoming one of the more permissive states in practice — but the interstate exclusion is absolute.