Last updated: October 15, 2026. Shipping prices are published estimates, not quotes. Office details are from each county's website; call before you go. General information, not legal advice.
Our kei trucks are on our lot in Houston, about 520 miles from Lubbock. We don't have a Lubbock location, so this page covers what it actually takes to get a kei truck to the South Plains and register it in Lubbock County, or in Hockley, Hale, Lynn or Crosby County: shipping costs and timing, the county tax office, and the auto theft task force that does the VIN inspection.
Quick facts
- Distance: about 520 miles, roughly 8 hours: I-10 West to Sealy, TX-36 Northwest to Abilene, then US-84 Northwest through Snyder and Post.
- Shipping: published 2026 open-carrier prices run from about $415 to $1,050, most between $600 and $900; 1 to 5 days on the road.
- County office: Lubbock County Tax Office, 916 Main St. downtown, or the Slaton office.
- VIN inspection: South Plains Auto Theft Task Force, upstairs from the tax office in the same downtown building; call 806-775-1569 to arrange it.
- Tax and fees: about $602 for a $7,999.99 truck in Lubbock County, among the lowest totals in Texas.
- Emissions test: none. Lubbock County doesn't test, and a 25-year-old truck would be exempt anyway.
Getting a kei truck from Houston to Lubbock
Option 1: have it shipped
We help arrange transport with independent carriers, and you pay the carrier directly. The carrier picks the truck up at our lot during business hours once the balance is paid. Carriers list the Lubbock run as anywhere from 1 to 5 days on the road; West Texas routes get fewer trucks than the I-45 and I-10 corridors, so pickup can take longer to arrange. How quickly a carrier can pick up varies, so plan on several days to a week from booking to delivery.
What it costs: published 2026 prices for Houston to Lubbock run from about $415 to $1,050 on an open carrier, and most fall between $600 and $900.
| Source (route) | Published price | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom Auto Transport (Houston–Lubbock, October 2026) | $414–$592 | 1–2 days |
| Sherpa Auto Transport (Lubbock–Houston, 2026) | $800–$900 | Up to 2 days |
| AmeriFreight (Lubbock–Houston, 2026) | $800–$1,050 | 3–5 days |
Prices are for a running vehicle on an open carrier. The three ranges above work out to roughly $0.80 to $2.00 a mile for the 520-mile run. Brokers don't list a separate price for kei trucks, so expect to be quoted at a car or pickup rate even though a kei truck is smaller. 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.
Option 2: come to Houston and trailer it home
It's about 520 miles to Lubbock, roughly 8 hours of driving without a trailer and a long day with one. The most direct route is I-10 West to Sealy, TX-36 Northwest through Brenham, Cameron, Temple and Comanche to Abilene, then US-84 Northwest through Snyder and Post; I-10 West to San Antonio and US-87 North through San Angelo is the alternative. Kei trucks are no more than about 11 ft 2 in long and 4 ft 10 in wide (Japan's size limits for kei vehicles), so they fit on a typical car-hauler trailer. Check your trailer's weight rating and bring straps. Coming in person also lets you inspect and test drive the truck first; call or text (713) 385-9798 to set a time. Lot hours are Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Can I just drive it home? Not legally until it's titled and registered. Texas law lets a miniature vehicle on public highways only after it “has been registered and titled” (Transportation Code §545.429). A 2016 TxDMV policy limited 30-day temporary permits to vehicles already titled or registered in Texas (TxDMV), so ask your county tax office whether a fresh import qualifies for any temporary permit before you count on one (TxDMV temporary permits). And even once it's registered, Texas allows highway speed limits of 70 mph and higher (TxDOT), well above a comfortable cruising speed for a 660 cc kei truck, so the US-84 run isn't a good way to get one home either.
Which county office to use
You title and register the truck in the county where you live, within 30 days of the sale. In Lubbock, Slaton, Shallowater or Idalou that's the Lubbock County Tax Office, which has two full-service locations now that the City Bank office has closed. Levelland (Hockley County), Plainview (Hale County), Tahoka (Lynn County) and Crosbyton (Crosby County) buyers use their own county's office.
| County | Main office | Phone | Hours and visits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lubbock | 916 Main St., Suite 102, Lubbock 79401 (downtown); Slaton office at 1700 W. Division St., Slaton 79364, inside the Smith Ford dealership, 806-775-1790 | 806-775-1344 | Downtown Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Slaton Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–noon and 1:00–5:00 p.m. The county's page asks you to call to schedule an appointment; in 2021 the tax office said its other locations were not appointment-only, so ask whether walk-ins are taken (Lubbock County). Supermarket locations handle renewals only, not titles. Email TaxOffice@lubbockcounty.gov. |
Outside Lubbock County? Use your own county's office (TxDMV office finder). Lubbock County doesn't publish its own checklist for imported vehicles, so follow TxDMV's out-of-state and imported vehicle requirements (TxDMV), including a certified English translation, and call ahead to confirm what they want to see.
Tax and fees in your county
Example: a $7,999.99 kei truck bought from us and titled in your county. The title fee is $28 in Lubbock, Hockley, Hale, Lynn and Crosby counties (none is an emissions or “affected” county), and the state registration fee is $50.75 plus $1 for TexasSure. The processing fee ($4.75) and inspection program replacement fee ($7.50) are the same everywhere (TxDMV, DPS). Only the local fees change (TxDMV 2026 fee chart).
| County | Sales tax (6.25%) | Title | State registration | Local fees | Processing + inspection fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lubbock | $500.00 | $28.00 | $51.75 | $10.00 | $12.25 | $602.00 |
| Hockley | $500.00 | $28.00 | $51.75 | $10.00 | $12.25 | $602.00 |
| Hale | $500.00 | $28.00 | $51.75 | $10.00 | $12.25 | $602.00 |
| Lynn | $500.00 | $28.00 | $51.75 | $10.00 | $12.25 | $602.00 |
| Crosby | $500.00 | $28.00 | $51.75 | $10.00 | $12.25 | $602.00 |
At $602, Lubbock County is about $6.50 cheaper than Harris County, because the title fee is $28 instead of $33 and the local fee is $10. None of these counties runs emissions testing, and a kei truck old enough to import would be exempt anyway (TCEQ). Plan for the VIN inspection fee below, and a translation or appraisal if your county asks for one (see the Texas guide).
Where to get the VTR-68-A VIN inspection in Lubbock
A truck imported from Japan needs Form VTR-68-A, a VIN inspection done by a law enforcement auto theft unit, before the county will title it (TxDMV). The truck has to be there, so this is another reason to bring it home on a trailer or carrier first.
| Agency | Who it serves | How to book | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Plains Auto Theft Task Force (Lubbock County Sheriff's Office), 916 Main St., Suite 205, Lubbock 79401, upstairs from the tax office | A 28-county area of the South Plains, about 26,000 square miles | Call 806-775-1569. The task force lists 68-A inspections among its services but doesn't publish days, hours or a booking method, so call before you bring the truck downtown (TxDMV) | Not posted; Texas caps the fee at $40 |
Bring your ID, proof of insurance, the bill of sale and all the import papers. Lubbock police and the county sheriff don't list separate 68-A programs; the task force is the one to call.
If the county office has questions
Kei titles are still new to many clerks. Our Texas title guide covers the common problems: non-17-digit chassis numbers, outdated inspection checklists, translations, and the “off-highway use only” remark. If you're still stuck, the TxDMV regional service center for your county can help with title problems. Lubbock and the surrounding South Plains counties are served by the Lubbock Regional Service Center (135 Slaton Rd., Lubbock 79404; 806-748-2900), open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kei trucks around Lubbock
Lubbock calls itself the Hub City, and the South Plains around it is the largest contiguous cotton-growing region in the world, irrigated from the Ogallala Aquifer and worked from a grid of flat county roads. That is close to ideal kei truck territory: a 4x4 Hijet or Carry with a diff lock will run pivot checks, move a few hundred pounds of seed or fencing, and get in and out of turnrows that would bog a half-ton pickup, on a fraction of the fuel. Texas Tech students and staff buy them as cheap campus runabouts too. The real cost of distance is shipping: Lubbock is one of the longer hauls from our lot, so compare carrier quotes against a day's drive with a trailer.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to ship a kei truck from Houston to Lubbock?
Published 2026 prices for an open carrier run from about $415 to $1,050, and most fall between $600 and $900. Get a written quote; we can help you arrange one.
How long does shipping from Houston to Lubbock take?
Carriers list 1 to 5 days on the road. Allow a week or more from booking, since fewer trucks run West Texas routes.
Where do I get a VTR-68-A inspection in Lubbock?
Call the South Plains Auto Theft Task Force at 806-775-1569; it's at 916 Main St., Suite 205, in the same downtown building as the county tax office. It doesn't publish a schedule, so call first.
Do kei trucks need an emissions test in Lubbock?
No. Lubbock County isn't an emissions-testing county, and a truck 25 years or older would be exempt even in counties that test.
Can I see the truck before it's shipped?
Yes. It's on our Houston lot, and you're welcome to inspect and test drive it, or send someone to do it for you. Call or text (713) 385-9798.
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, our guide to what a kei truck costs in Texas and the Texas title and registration guide. Questions? Call or text (713) 385-9798.
Other Texas cities: Houston (our lot) · Dallas–Fort Worth · Fort Worth · Austin · San Antonio · El Paso · Corpus Christi · Beaumont · College Station–Bryan · Waco · Tyler–Longview · Rio Grande Valley
Buying from a nearby state: Louisiana · Oklahoma · Arkansas · New Mexico · All locations
Sources
- TxDMV registration fee chart, 2026
- TxDMV: out-of-state and foreign vehicles
- TxDMV regional service centers: hours and appointments
- Lubbock County Tax Assessor-Collector: locations and hours
- KCBD: City Bank tax office closed permanently (February 2026)
- KFYO: which Lubbock County tax offices take walk-ins (2021)
- TxDMV: South Plains Auto Theft Task Force
- TxDMV: Lubbock Regional Service Center
- Health and Safety Code §386.001 (affected counties, $33 title fee)
- TCEQ: vehicle emissions inspections
- TxDMV: temporary permits (30-day permit limits)
- SB 1816 (Transportation Code §545.429)
Written by Farhad Musazada, Skyline Kei Trucks. Sources checked October 15, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email us and we'll fix 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, and being unable to do so is not grounds to cancel a purchase. See our Terms of Sale and Shipping & Pickup Policy.