Kei Trucks for Florida Buyers

By Farhad Musazada, owner of Skyline Kei Trucks. Last updated: October 22, 2026. Statute and agency rules verified October 2026; fees, taxes and shipping estimates checked October 2026. Based on Florida Statutes 316.2122 and 320.01(44) and FLHSMV Procedures TL-63 and TL-10 (sources at the end). Shipping prices are published estimates, not quotes. General information, not legal advice.

Our kei trucks are on our lot in east Houston, about 515 miles from the Florida line on I-10. Pensacola is about 520 miles away, Tallahassee 705, Jacksonville 870, Orlando 960, Tampa 980 and Miami 1,185. Florida titles kei trucks as “mini trucks” and gives them a regular license plate, but state law lets a mini truck run only on streets posted 35 mph or less. That limit decides how useful the truck will be where you live, so it's the first thing to understand before you buy. This page covers the law, what the 35 mph rule means in practice, the title paperwork, the taxes, and how to get the truck home.

Key facts

Street legal: yes, but only on streets posted 35 mph or less; it may cross faster roads at intersections. Counties, cities and FDOT can ban mini trucks from roads they control (Fla. Stat. 316.2122).
How it registers: a Florida title with body type “MT” (mini truck) and a standard license plate, registered by weight (FLHSMV Procedure TL-63).
Paperwork: title application HSMV 82040, the Japanese export certificate with a notarized translation, our bill of sale, CBP Form 7501, DOT HS-7, EPA Form 3520-1, a VIN verification by an FLHSMV compliance examiner, Florida insurance and ID.
Taxes: 6% state sales and use tax on the price, plus your county's surtax (0% to 2%) on the first $5,000, paid when you title.
Fees: $85.25 title, $225 initial registration fee unless you have a Florida plate to transfer, $28 plate, and about $28 to register in the lightest weight class.
Insurance: Florida minimum $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 property damage liability (PDL).
Inspection: a one-time VIN verification, done by an FLHSMV compliance examiner for a vehicle from a foreign country.

Are kei trucks legal in Florida?

Yes, with a hard limit. Fla. Stat. 316.2122 authorizes “a mini truck as defined in s. 320.01 on any road” with restrictions, and the first is the one that matters: a mini truck “may be operated only on streets where the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less.” It may cross a road posted above 35 at an intersection. It must be “registered and insured in accordance with s. 320.02 and titled pursuant to chapter 319,” and the driver needs a valid driver license. A county or city may ban mini trucks from roads under its jurisdiction if its governing body decides the ban “is necessary in the interest of safety,” and the Florida Department of Transportation can do the same on its roads. The 2026 statutes still carry the 35 mph rule.

Florida's definition, in s. 320.01(44), describes a kei truck: “any four-wheeled, reduced-dimension truck that does not have a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration truck classification,” with headlamps, stop lamps, turn signals, taillamps, reflex reflectors, parking brakes, rearview mirrors, a windshield and seat belts. It also mentions “a top speed of 55 miles per hour”; neither the statute nor FLHSMV says what follows if a truck can go faster. We read the definition as covering kei trucks, FLHSMV tells its offices to title mini trucks with body type MT, and our advice is to plan on the 35 mph rule. Want to see how Florida compares? Our kei truck laws by state map covers all 50 states.

Do you get a license plate in Florida?

Yes, and that's what sets Florida apart from Kansas or Louisiana. FLHSMV Procedure TL-63 (Low-Speed Vehicles and Mini-Trucks) says these vehicles “are titled and registered in the same manner as any motor vehicle” and that “the body type of the mini-trucks must be ‘MT.’” It adds that mini-trucks “are considered low-speed vehicles (even though they are not branded),” so the title doesn't carry the “Low-speed Veh” brand, and low-speed vehicles are registered “as an auto (AU) according to the weight.” An FLHSMV bulletin from 2015 says mini-trucks “are considered motor vehicles” that must be titled, registered and insured with PIP and PDL.

Two things to know. TL-63 was written around new mini trucks sold with a manufacturer's certificate of origin; an imported kei truck comes with a Japanese export certificate instead, and Florida's title law accepts the ownership document used where the vehicle came from (Fla. Stat. 319.23(3)). And the plate doesn't lift the road rule: the 35 mph limit applies wherever the truck goes in Florida.

What does the 35 mph rule mean in practice?

It decides where the truck can go, so map your regular trips against it before you buy. The rule follows the posted limit, road by road:

Town and neighborhood streets: often yes. Florida's default limit is 30 mph in business and residence districts (Fla. Stat. 316.183), and any street posted 35 or less is open to a mini truck.
Rural roads and highways: usually no. The default everywhere else is 55 mph, so a road outside town is off limits unless it's posted 35 or lower. I-10, I-75, Florida's Turnpike and any U.S. or state highway posted above 35 are out.
Crossing is allowed. You may cross a faster road at an intersection, but not drive along it, even for a block.
One fast stretch breaks the trip. If any part of the route between your place and town is posted 40 or more, the truck can't legally make that drive.
Local bans come on top. Your county or city can close its roads to mini trucks, and FDOT can close state roads, so ask your county and city whether they have.

For a grove, nursery, ranch or hunting property, that makes a kei truck mostly a private-land vehicle with short, legal runs on low-speed streets.

How do you title an imported kei truck in Florida?

At your county tax collector's office, in person: FLHSMV says a first registration “must take place in person at a local service center at the time of titling” (FLHSMV). Combining FLHSMV's original-title procedure (TL-10) and the mini-truck procedure, bring:

The title application, form HSMV 82040, with the odometer reading as shown (kei odometers read in kilometers)
The Japanese export certificate, your proof of ownership, with an English translation signed by the translator before a notary; the translator must certify it as accurate and have no ownership interest in the truck. Our trucks come with an English translation; ask us before you buy whether it meets this rule.
Our bill of sale
CBP Form 7501, DOT Form HS-7 with Box 1 (25 years or older) checked, and EPA Form 3520-1
Proof of Florida PIP and PDL insurance; FLHSMV won't issue a registration if it can't verify insurance electronically
A driver license or ID card from Florida or another state, or a passport
Payment for the tax and fees

The VIN verification is what's different for an import. Normally a notary, dealer or police officer can sign it on form HSMV 82042, but TL-10 says: “All USED vehicles coming into Florida from a foreign country, including dealer transactions, MUST have the VIN verified by a DMS Compliance Examiner,” meaning an FLHSMV examiner, with an NICB check of the VIN. Your ownership document is Japanese, so ask the tax collector's office how to set up the examination, and bring the truck on its trailer. The chassis number on the export certificate is the VIN (see our VIN and frame number guide). FLHSMV's procedures don't list the federal import forms, but they show the truck was lawfully imported, so bring them. Apply within 30 days of the purchase to avoid the $20 late title fee.

What are the taxes and fees in Florida?

Florida charges 6% sales or use tax on the price (Fla. Stat. 212.05), plus the discretionary sales surtax of the county you live in, on the first $5,000 only (212.054). For 2026 the surtax runs from 0% (Citrus and Collier) to 2% (Hamilton), and 1% is the most common rate (DR-15DSS). The tax collector collects it when you title; no title is issued without a receipt for the tax (212.06(10)). Florida credits tax paid in another state (212.06(7)), but there won't be any: Texas doesn't charge its motor vehicle sales tax on a vehicle bought in Texas “for use exclusively outside Texas,” as long as it isn't used in Texas except to take it directly out of the state and isn't registered there (Texas Comptroller).

Item	Amount
State sales and use tax (6%)	$480.00
County surtax (0% to 2% of the first $5,000)	$0 to $100 ($50 at the common 1% rate)
Title (original, used vehicle)	$85.25
Initial registration fee (no Florida plate to transfer)	$225.00
License plate	$28.00
Registration, lightest weight class	$28.10
Total	about $846.35 plus county surtax

Example for a $7,999.99 truck; title, initial registration and plate fees from FLHSMV's fee page and Procedure RS-30; registration is the Lee County Tax Collector's standard-plate rate for autos up to 2,499 lb and light trucks up to 1,999 lb ($36.10 for the next class). If you're transferring a Florida plate to the truck, the $225 doesn't apply. Add $2.50 for a paper title, $20 if you apply late, and the notarized translation.

How do you get it home from Houston?

A kei truck can't be driven on Texas roads until it's titled and registered, and in Florida a mini truck can't use I-10 or any road posted above 35 mph, so it comes home on a trailer or a carrier. Kei trucks are no more than about 11 ft 2 in long and 4 ft 10 in wide, so they fit a standard car-hauler trailer behind a half-ton pickup. From our lot, just off I-10 on the east side of Houston, it's I-10 all the way to Pensacola (about 520 miles, roughly 9½ hours of driving before stops), Tallahassee (about 13 hours) and Jacksonville (about 16). Orlando and Tampa are about 17½ to 18 hours. Lot hours are Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; call or text (713) 385-9798 to set a time.

Destination	From our lot	Published price range (2026)	Transit
Pensacola	about 520 miles (I-10)	AmeriFreight $800–$1,050 (Pensacola–Houston)	3–5 days
Tallahassee	about 705 miles (I-10)	Freedom Auto Transport $516–$737	2–3 days
Jacksonville	about 870 miles (I-10)	Freedom $621–$887; moveBuddha $908–$1,344	2–7 days
Orlando	about 960 miles	Freedom $667–$953; moveBuddha $842–$1,374	2–7 days
Tampa	about 980 miles	Freedom $679–$970; moveBuddha $831–$1,357	2–7 days
Miami	about 1,185 miles	Freedom $806–$1,151; moveBuddha $911–$1,397; AmeriFreight $1,050–$1,300	2–8 days

Prices are the brokers' own published estimates for a running vehicle, not quotes; AmeriFreight's are open-carrier prices, and the others don't say. A kei truck is smaller and lighter than the cars they price, but brokers don't list a separate rate for them. An enclosed trailer costs about 30% to 50% more (Homeland Auto Transport), and a vehicle that doesn't run costs more again, often $150 to $300 extra for winching (AmeriFreight). Prices change with season and fuel, so ask for a written quote. We help arrange an independent carrier and you pay the carrier directly; see delivery to your state for how it works.

Where do you go to title and register it?

Your county tax collector's office handles titles and registrations for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), and FLHSMV's VIN verification form tells you to submit it to your local tax collector office. Find yours on FLHSMV's office list. FLHSMV customer service is (850) 617-2000, Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Eastern (FLHSMV contact page). A first registration has to be done in person, at the time of titling. When you book, ask how the office arranges the compliance examiner's VIN verification.

Kei trucks in Florida

Florida farming is big and varied: 44,703 farms on 9.7 million acres, oranges harvested on about 349,000 acres, the country's second-largest sales of nursery crops and of vegetables, and nearly 1.6 million head of cattle (USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture). That's where a kei truck earns its keep, hauling tools, plants, feed and fencing around groves, nurseries, ranches and hunting land, mostly off the public road. With the 35 mph rule, the road use that works is short hops where the streets are posted 35 or less: a neighborhood, a small-town downtown, a waterfront community. For Panhandle buyers, we're a long day's drive with a trailer if you want to see the truck first.

Frequently asked questions

Are kei trucks street legal in Florida?

Yes, with limits. Florida titles and plates them as mini trucks, but under Fla. Stat. 316.2122 they may only be driven on streets posted 35 mph or less, crossing faster roads only at intersections. Counties, cities and FDOT can ban them from their roads.

Can I drive a kei truck on a 45 mph road in Florida?

No. A mini truck may only use streets posted 35 mph or less. It may cross a 45 mph road at an intersection, but not drive along it.

Do kei trucks get a regular license plate in Florida?

Yes. FLHSMV titles mini trucks with body type MT and registers them like any motor vehicle, with a standard plate. The title isn't branded.

What insurance does a kei truck need in Florida?

The same as a registered car: at least $10,000 of personal injury protection and $10,000 of property damage liability. FLHSMV's bulletin on mini trucks says they must carry PIP and PDL.

How much is the tax on a kei truck in Florida?

6% state tax, about $480 on an $8,000 truck, plus your county's surtax on the first $5,000 ($50 at 1%). Fees add $85.25 for the title, $28 for a plate, about $28 for registration, and $225 if you have no Florida plate to transfer.

Can you ship a kei truck to Florida?

Yes. We help arrange an independent carrier and you pay the carrier directly; published 2026 prices from Houston run from about $520 to Tallahassee to about $1,400 to Miami.

Shop kei trucks

Browse trucks in stock in Houston, or reserve one that is arriving soon from Japan with a $1,000 deposit that counts toward the price. New to kei trucks? Start with our kei truck buyer's guide, see how buying from us works, and read about the 25-year import rule behind the paperwork. Questions? Call or text (713) 385-9798.

Buying from another state: Louisiana · Oklahoma · Arkansas · New Mexico · Mississippi · Alabama · Tennessee · Missouri · Kansas · Arizona · South Carolina · Delivery to your state · All locations · Laws in all 50 states (map)

Sources

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. We help arrange shipping through independent carriers; you pay the carrier directly, and we are not the carrier. 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. Laws and agency practice change; confirm with your state's motor vehicle agency before you buy. See our Terms of Sale and Shipping & Pickup Policy.