Last updated: October 22, 2026. 37 questions, each answered from our own guides, Texas and federal sources, and what happens at our Houston lot. General information, not legal advice.
Thinking about a kei truck? These are the questions we answer most often by phone and at the lot: whether it is legal where you live, how buying from us works, which model to pick, what Texas asks of you, and what it is like to own one. Every answer links to the page with the full detail, and all of our guides are listed by topic on the kei truck guides page.
Jump to: Legal and the 25-year rule · Buying from us · Models · Texas · Owning one
Legal and the 25-year rule
Are kei trucks street legal in the United States?
It depends on the state. Federal law only decides whether a kei truck can be imported (the 25-year rule); each state then decides whether it can be titled and driven on public roads. As of October 2026, 18 states register them like any other vehicle, 20 allow them with limits such as speed-limited roads or a special plate, 11 keep them off public roads, and New Mexico has no published position. Read more: the interactive 50-state map, with each state's statute.
What is the 25-year rule?
A vehicle that was never built to U.S. safety standards can be imported once it is at least 25 years old, counted from its date of manufacture; it comes in under box 1 of the DOT HS-7 form. EPA has a separate exemption for vehicles at least 21 years old in original configuration, which is already met by then. Every vehicle we sell has cleared U.S. Customs under these rules and is sold with that paperwork. Read more: the 25-year import rule, explained.
Why are all your kei trucks 2001 or older?
Because of the 25-year rule: in 2026 only vehicles built in 2001 or earlier are old enough to import. During 2027 the 2002 builds become eligible month by month, and 2003 builds follow in 2028. Use the checker below to see when a particular build date opens up. Read more: which kei trucks and JDM 4x4s become legal to import in 2027.
Is a vehicle old enough to import yet? Check its build date
Enter the month and year the vehicle was built (from the maker's label, or the first-registration date on its Japanese export certificate). The tool counts 25 years forward, the way the federal rule does.
Federal rule: a vehicle that was never certified to U.S. safety standards can be imported once it is at least 25 years old, counted from its date of manufacture (49 U.S.C. 30112(b)(9); DOT Form HS-7, box 1). EPA's separate 21-year exemption (Form 3520-1, code E) is already met by then. Every vehicle we sell has cleared U.S. Customs under this rule, so for our listings the question is settled; the tool is for a truck you are thinking of importing yourself, or for checking when a newer model year opens up. General information, not legal advice.
Which states don't allow kei trucks on public roads?
As of October 2026: California, Colorado (until January 1, 2028, when its new law takes effect), Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Rhode Island. In those states a kei truck is still a legal purchase for private land, a farm or a hunting lease; it just won't get a plate. Laws change, so check the map and your state's motor vehicle agency before you buy. Read more: every state's current status.
Which states treat kei trucks like any other vehicle?
Eighteen states as of October 2026: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Another 20, including Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas, allow them with conditions such as staying off interstates or roads posted above 55 mph. Read more: the full list with statutes and sources.
Can I drive a kei truck on the highway or interstate?
Only where your state allows it. Texas sets no kei-specific speed cap or interstate ban, but you may not drive so slowly that you impede traffic, so most owners keep to local roads. Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas keep mini trucks off interstates, and many of the 'legal with limits' states restrict them to roads posted 35 to 55 mph. Read more: road and interstate rules by state.
Do I need a special license or insurance?
No special license: a regular driver's license is all a state requires. You insure it like any other car, giving the insurer the chassis number from the export certificate and telling them it is a 25-year-or-older Japanese import; Texas requires at least 30/60/25 liability coverage. Some insurers quote kei trucks easily and some don't, so get a quote before you buy. Read more: kei truck insurance in Texas.
Is a kei truck the same as a UTV or an off-road vehicle?
No. A kei truck is a road-registered pickup in Japan, with a cab, doors, heater, seat belts and a real bed; a UTV is an off-highway vehicle. Texas law treats a kei truck as a miniature vehicle, not an off-highway vehicle, so it is titled and plated like a car, while a few states (Louisiana, for example) register mini trucks as off-road vehicles with a decal. Read more: kei truck vs. UTV for Texas ranch work.
Buying from us
Where are you, and can I see the trucks in person?
Our lot is at 6100 Harvey Wilson Dr, Houston, TX 77020, just off I-10 on the east side of the city, open Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. Every vehicle marked In Houston can be inspected and test driven there; call or text (713) 385-9798 to set a time. Read more: visiting our Houston lot.
How do I buy a vehicle that's already in Houston?
Buy it online at checkout (checkout is pickup at the lot, free) or buy it in person at the lot with cash or a cashier's check. Prices can change without notice until you pay, and the price you see at checkout is the price you pay. Once payment clears, call or text to schedule pickup or to have a carrier collect it. Read more: how buying works.
How does reserving a vehicle that is still in transit work?
A $1,000 deposit reserves a vehicle that is on its way from Japan; it is marked Reserved and taken off the market, and the deposit counts in full toward the price. The balance is due within 14 days after we tell you it has arrived. The deposit is non-refundable if you cancel, and refunded in full if we can't deliver the vehicle; arrival dates are estimates. Read more: the reservation deposit terms.
How long does a vehicle take to get here from Japan?
Our last five shipments took 45 to 60 days from leaving Japan to the Port of Houston, then about a week more for customs release, trucking and unloading at our lot. Every In Transit listing shows where the vehicle is: waiting in Japan, left Japan, on the ocean, at the Port of Houston or at our lot. Arrival dates are estimates, so leave yourself some slack. Read more: how our kei trucks get from Japan to Houston.
How much does a kei truck cost?
Most of the kei trucks on our lot are listed between about $7,000 and $8,000 (October 2026); kei vans, kei SUVs and the larger JDM 4x4s and work trucks run higher. On top of the price, a Texas buyer pays 6.25% sales tax plus title and registration fees at the county, about $608.50 on a $7,999.99 truck in Harris County. Prices on the site can change until you pay or put down a deposit. Read more: what a kei truck costs in Texas, with tax, title and delivery.
Do you offer financing?
We don't finance vehicles ourselves, but most buyers who finance use LightStream, an unsecured personal loan: the money goes into your bank account, you pay us as a cash buyer, and there is no lien or title paperwork. Loans start at $5,000 with 24 to 84 month terms, and funds can arrive the same day. For an In Transit vehicle, reserve it with the deposit first and apply once it lands. All loans are subject to the lender's credit approval. Read more: financing steps and a payment estimator.
Can you ship a kei truck to my state?
Yes, anywhere in the mainland United States. We help arrange an independent carrier, quoted by your ZIP code, and you pay the carrier directly; risk of loss passes to you when the vehicle is released to the carrier. To most Texas cities, published open-carrier estimates run roughly $200 to $750 (more for El Paso and the Panhandle); many buyers simply bring a trailer, since a kei truck is about 11 feet long and under 5 feet wide. Published shipping estimates from Houston to 25 cities are on our delivery page. Read more: shipping costs and title offices by city and state.
Is there a warranty or a return policy?
Every vehicle is sold by Wideway Motors LLC as is, with no warranty, and all sales are final. Inspect and test drive the vehicle, or send an independent mechanic, before you buy. Not being able to title or register a vehicle in your state is not grounds for a refund, so check your state's rules first. Read more: the Terms of Sale.
Do you provide a title or register the vehicle for me?
No. Vehicles are sold with their import paperwork (Japanese export certificate with translation, customs entry, DOT HS-7, EPA 3520-1, bill of lading and bill of sale), and you title and register it at your county or state office. Texas buyers can follow our step-by-step guide; buyers in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico have their own pages. Read more: how to title and register a kei truck in Texas.
Do you take trade-ins or sell parts?
No. We sell the vehicles only, for cash or financing, and we don't accept trade offers. For parts, the Hijet, Carry, Acty and Sambar are well supported by U.S. parts importers and online sellers, and many service items such as filters, belts, brakes and tires are standard sizes. Read more: how buying works.
Models
Which kei truck should I buy: Hijet, Carry, Acty or Sambar?
All four do the same job with a 660 cc engine, a fold-down bed and optional 4x4; the differences are where the engine sits, the 4x4 system and the transmissions offered. The Daihatsu Hijet and Suzuki Carry are the most common and easiest to find parts for, the Honda Acty has its engine under the bed, and the Subaru Sambar is rear-engined with a smooth four-cylinder. Our comparison guide walks through all of it. Read more: the Hijet vs. Carry vs. Acty vs. Sambar comparison.
What's the difference between a kei truck, a kei van and a kei SUV?
They share the kei class limits (660 cc, 3.4 m long, 1.48 m wide) but differ in body: a kei truck is a two-seat pickup with a fold-down bed, a kei van such as the Hijet Van, Acty Van or Sambar Van is an enclosed cargo or passenger box, and a kei SUV such as the Suzuki Jimny or Mitsubishi Pajero Mini is a small 4x4 with low range. We also import larger JDM 4x4s and work trucks that aren't kei class. Read more: kei truck or kei van: how to choose.
Are kei trucks 4x4?
Many are. Hijet, Carry, Minicab and manual Sambar 4x4s use part-time four-wheel drive that you switch in from the cab, while the Honda Acty's real-time 4WD and the automatic Sambar's full-time 4WD engage on their own. Some versions add a low range, an extra-low gear or a diff lock for farm work. Two-wheel-drive versions exist too and cost a little less; the listing shows the drivetrain on every truck. Read more: how each model's 4x4 works, with low range and diff lock.
How fast does a kei truck go, and what engine does it have?
Kei trucks of this age have 660 cc gasoline engines (older ones 550 cc), three-cylinder in most and four-cylinder in the Subaru Sambar, usually with a 5-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic; the 1999–2001 trucks make about 41 to 49 hp. Japanese catalogs publish no top speed. Japan's expressway limit for kei vehicles is 100 km/h (62 mph), and most owners here keep to roads posted 55 mph or less. Read more: top speed, power and gas mileage by model.
How much can a kei truck carry?
In Japan they are rated for a 350 kg (about 770 lb) payload in a bed with three fold-down sides, and the whole truck is roughly 11 ft long and 4 ft 10 in wide, so it fits in a standard garage and on a car-hauler trailer. They aren't rated for towing in Japan. Read more: payload and bed size compared with a UTV.
Why do the odometers read in kilometers?
Because the trucks spent their lives in Japan. Our listings show the reading as displayed on the vehicle plus an approximate mile figure; the mileage of an imported vehicle cannot be verified and is not guaranteed. Read more: odometer readings.
Texas
Are kei trucks legal in Texas?
Yes. Senate Bill 1816, signed June 20, 2025, added miniature vehicles to the Transportation Code: once titled and registered, a kei truck can be driven on Texas public roads. There is no engine-size limit, speed cap or interstate ban in the law. Read more: what changed in 2025 and what you need to register one.
How do I title and register a kei truck in Texas?
Insure it, get the VTR-68-A VIN inspection from a police auto theft unit (vehicles last registered abroad need it), fill in Form 130-U and take it with the import paperwork, the translated export certificate and your ID to your county tax assessor-collector within 30 days of the sale. In Harris County, call 713-274-8000 first because the office asks owners of foreign vehicles to contact it for extra requirements. Read more: the step-by-step Texas title guide.
Kei trucks don't have a 17-digit VIN. Can they still be titled?
Yes. A truck built for Japan carries a Japanese chassis (frame) number instead: a model code, a hyphen and a factory serial, shown on the export certificate. Texas titles kei trucks under that number; the state system rejects numbers that aren't 17 characters, so the county sends the file to TxDMV special handling, which adds time but is how the title gets released. Read more: how to read a Japanese frame number.
What does it cost to title and register a kei truck in Texas?
About $608.50 for a $7,999.99 truck in Harris County: $500 in motor vehicle sales tax (6.25%), a $33 title fee, $51.75 state registration, $11.50 county fees, $4.75 processing and the $7.50 inspection replacement fee. Other counties differ by a few dollars, and you may pay a small fee for the VIN inspection or a translation. Read more: the cost breakdown and county fee table.
Does a kei truck need an inspection in Texas?
There is no safety inspection (Texas ended it for non-commercial vehicles on January 1, 2025) and no emissions test for a gasoline vehicle 25 years or older, even in Harris County. You do need the one-time VTR-68-A identification number inspection by a law enforcement auto theft investigator, which is a different thing. Read more: where to get the VTR-68-A inspection in the Houston area.
Can I drive a kei truck on Texas highways?
The law doesn't ban it, but Texas Transportation Code 545.363 says you may not drive so slowly that you impede the normal movement of traffic. With a 660 cc engine, most kei trucks are happiest on local roads and farm-to-market roads, and that is where most owners use them. Read more: driving rules once it is registered.
Can I drive a kei truck on Texas beaches?
Yes, once it is titled and registered. A Texas beach open to vehicles is a public road with a 15 mph limit, and license, registration, insurance and seat belt laws apply there; Padre Island National Seashore requires state registration and a highway plate, so an off-highway vehicle plate doesn't count. Some beaches charge for a permit, such as Surfside ($30 a year or $15 a day) and Port Aransas ($12 a year) as of October 2026. Read more: beach rules and permits from Galveston to South Padre.
I'm not in Houston. Do you serve the rest of Texas?
Yes. Buyers come from all over the state and we help arrange shipping anywhere in Texas through independent carriers (you pay the carrier directly), or you can collect with a trailer. Our city pages for Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Corpus Christi, Lubbock and others cover shipping costs, the county tax office to use and where to get the VIN inspection locally. Read more: kei trucks near you: Texas cities and nearby states.
Owning one
Are kei trucks right-hand drive?
Yes. They were built for Japan, where traffic drives on the left, so the steering wheel is on the right. Right-hand-drive vehicles are legal in every state, and owners get used to it quickly; drive-through windows and mailboxes take a little planning. Read more: tips for driving a right-hand-drive kei truck in Texas.
Can I get parts and service in the US?
Yes. The Hijet, Carry, Acty and Sambar have been imported in large numbers, so U.S. parts sellers stock service and wear items, and many filters, belts, brakes and tires are standard sizes. Any independent shop that works on small gasoline engines can service one; the engines are simple, and metric tools are all that's needed. Read more: how to find parts by model code and part number.
What fuel does a kei truck use?
Regular unleaded gasoline. Most trucks have a small tank in the 30 to 40 liter range (8 to 10 gallons). Japanese catalogs rate them at 14.4 to 17.0 km/L (about 34 to 40 mpg), but that test averages 14 mph, so expect less on Texas roads; economy also drops with 4x4 use and a heavy load. Read more: gas mileage by model, from the Japanese catalogs.
How well does a kei truck work on a ranch or deer lease?
Very well: a cab with a heater, a bed that takes feed sacks, fencing and tools, 4x4 with low range on many models, and in Texas it can be plated for the road, which a UTV can't. Our deer-lease guide covers what it hauls, getting it to the lease and TPWD vehicle rules; the UTV comparison covers payload and cost. Read more: kei trucks for deer leases and hunting camps.
What maintenance does a kei truck need?
The same basics as any small gasoline vehicle: oil and filter changes, coolant, brake fluid, tires and the timing belt on models that use one. Our model buyer's guides cover each model's engines, generations and 4x4 systems, and the engines are easy to work on. Read more: the model buyer's guides.
Still have a question?
Call or text (713) 385-9798, email contact@skylinekeitrucks.com, or come by the lot at 6100 Harvey Wilson Dr, Houston, TX 77020. Browse all our kei truck guides by topic, vehicles in Houston now or what is arriving soon.
Written by Farhad Musazada, owner of Skyline Kei Trucks
Farhad imports more than 300 kei trucks a year to Houston and meets buyers at the lot at 6100 Harvey Wilson Dr. He writes these guides from the paperwork our buyers take to the county tax office and the official sources listed on each page. Spotted something out of date? Email us and we will check it.
All vehicles are sold by Wideway Motors LLC as is, with no warranty. Seller makes no representation that any vehicle can be titled, registered or driven on public roads in any state, and being unable to do so is not grounds to cancel a purchase. See our Terms of Sale.