Kei Trucks for South Carolina 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 South Carolina Code sections 56-19-240, 56-3-212 and 56-3-627 and SCDMV title and registration guidance (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, roughly 890 miles from the South Carolina line on I-85. Greenville is about 935 miles away, Columbia 1,000, Rock Hill 1,025, Charleston 1,085 and Myrtle Beach 1,150, so most South Carolina buyers have the truck delivered. South Carolina has no law written for kei or mini trucks, and the SCDMV hasn't published anything about them either way. That leaves the ordinary process: a title application with the import papers, the 5% infrastructure maintenance fee (capped at $500), county property tax and a standard plate, with no state inspection. This page covers the law, the SCDMV paperwork, the taxes and fees, and how to get the truck home.

Key facts

Street legal: yes, as an ordinary vehicle. There is no kei or mini-truck law, and the low-speed vehicle, golf cart and UTV rules don't describe a kei truck. No kei-specific road or speed limits.
How it registers: a standard South Carolina title, registration and license plate from SCDMV.
Paperwork: SCDMV Form 400, the Japanese export certificate with an English translation, bill of sale, CBP Form 7501, DOT HS-7, EPA Form 3520-1, your paid county property tax receipt and your SC insurance company's name.
Taxes: a one-time 5% infrastructure maintenance fee, capped at $500, instead of sales tax, plus county vehicle property tax, paid before you register. No Texas sales tax when the truck goes straight to South Carolina.
Fees: $15 title; registration for a truck up to 4,000 lbs gross weight is $30.
Insurance: South Carolina minimum 25/50/25 liability plus uninsured motorist coverage.
Inspection: none. SCDMV's title and registration requirements include no safety, emissions or VIN inspection.
Deadline: register within 45 days of the purchase date.

Are kei trucks legal in South Carolina?

Yes, as ordinary vehicles. South Carolina has no statute or SCDMV rule written for kei or mini trucks. The state's “Specialized Vehicles” chapter (S.C. Code Title 56, Chapter 2) covers low-speed vehicles, which must meet federal safety standard 500 and may use only roads posted 35 mph or less; golf carts; and utility terrain vehicles, defined as “a side-by-side, four-wheel drive, off-road vehicle intended to transport individuals, cargo, or both.” A kei truck is a small truck with an enclosed cab, not one of those classes, and the chapter never mentions mini trucks.

The title law also expects vehicles from abroad: when an application isn't for a vehicle's first title, it is accompanied by “the last certificate of title previously issued for the vehicle, whether issued by this State or another state or country” (S.C. Code 56-19-240(B)). For a kei truck, that role is played by the Japanese export certificate, backed by the federal import papers: the DOT HS-7 (with Box 1, 25 years or older, checked) and EPA Form 3520-1 that come with every truck we sell. Once it's titled and registered, a kei truck is simply a small truck with a standard plate: no South Carolina law limits it to certain roads or speeds.

The catch is that SCDMV hasn't written down how it handles one. Its title pages list the usual documents and say nothing about vehicles from another country, and the statute lets the department ask for “any further information or documentation the department reasonably requires” (56-19-240(A)(8)). Office practice can vary, so bring the full import set below and call SCDMV before you go. Moving the truck to another state later, or want to see how South Carolina compares? Our kei truck laws by state map covers all 50 states, with each state's status, statute and the 2026 changes.

What is South Carolina's infrastructure maintenance fee?

South Carolina doesn't charge sales tax on a vehicle you title there. It charges a one-time infrastructure maintenance fee (IMF) instead, under S.C. Code 56-3-627: 5%, “not to exceed five hundred dollars,” paid when the vehicle is first titled or registered in the state. On a purchase from a dealer the 5% applies to the sales price; on one from anyone else, to the vehicle's fair market value. SCDMV's buying guide simply says “5% of the purchase price, but no more than $500.” Either way it's $400 on our $7,999.99 example if SCDMV takes the price as the value, and a truck priced at $10,000 or more pays the $500 cap. SCDMV can't issue the title or registration until the fee is paid. The statute's flat $250 applies when a vehicle was first titled or registered in another state, which a kei truck straight from our lot hasn't been.

The other cost is county property tax. SCDMV says to contact your county office to have a property tax bill generated, pay it to the county and bring SCDMV the paid receipt in your name; the registration page adds that “you must first pay property taxes” (SCDMV). The amount depends on your county and the value it assigns, and we found no published guidance on how counties value an imported kei truck, so call your county auditor with the chassis number before you go.

How do you title an imported kei truck in South Carolina?

We're an importer, not a licensed dealer, so you title and register the truck yourself with the documents we provide. SCDMV doesn't publish a document list for vehicles from another country; this list combines its general title requirements with the import papers. Bring:

Title and/or Registration Application, SCDMV Form 400
The Japanese export certificate, with an English translation
Our bill of sale, showing the total sale price
Customs entry: CBP Form 7501 entry summary
DOT Form HS-7, with Box 1 (25 years or older) checked, and EPA Form 3520-1
Your paid county property tax receipt
Your South Carolina driver's license or ID; without one, a Statement of Vehicle Operation in South Carolina (Form TI-006C)
The name of your liability insurer, a company licensed in South Carolina (25/50/25 minimum plus uninsured motorist coverage)
Payment for the IMF, the $15 title fee and the registration fee

SCDMV's pages mention no VIN inspection, bonded title or state-assigned number, and nothing we found addresses a short Japanese chassis number (for example S210P-0123456); it's the number on the customs and federal forms, and our guide to the kei truck VIN and frame number shows where it's stamped. The Form 400 instructions exempt model year 2010 and older vehicles from odometer disclosure, which covers every kei truck old enough to import. The law gives you 45 days from the purchase date to register (S.C. Code 56-3-212), and SCDMV's late penalty starts at $10 on day 46. If you need to drive the truck before the title comes through, a branch can issue a 60-day temporary plate on Form 60-A with the bill of sale; ask whether it will for an import awaiting its title.

What are the taxes and fees in South Carolina?

The IMF replaces sales tax, so the state charges are the IMF, the $15 title fee (S.C. Code 56-19-420) and registration, and the county adds property tax. Trucks register by gross vehicle weight: $30 for up to 4,000 lbs (SCDMV fees), and SCDMV says most registrations run two years. A kei truck falls well inside that bracket: Suzuki's 1999 Carry catalog lists 670 to 740 kg (about 1,480 to 1,630 lb) empty (Suzuki), and kei trucks are rated for a 350 kg (770 lb) load. Texas motor vehicle sales tax doesn't apply: the Texas Comptroller exempts a vehicle “purchased in Texas for use exclusively outside Texas” if it's taken directly out of the state and never registered there (the buyer gives the seller Form 14-312).

Item	Amount
Infrastructure maintenance fee (5%, $500 cap)	$400.00
Title	$15.00
Registration, truck up to 4,000 lbs	$30.00
County vehicle property tax	set by your county; paid before you register
Total	$445.00 plus county property tax

Example for a $7,999.99 truck; fees from SCDMV's fee list and S.C. Code 56-3-627. An expedited title is $35, in person only. Add a late penalty of $10 to $75 if you register more than 45 days after the purchase.

How do you get it home from Houston?

Two things rule out driving a kei truck home from our lot: it can't be driven on Texas roads until it's titled and registered, and SCDMV titles only vehicles “physically located and primarily operated in this State” (56-19-240(D)). 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, but Columbia and back is about 2,000 miles of towing, so most South Carolina buyers book a carrier. We help arrange an independent carrier and you pay the carrier directly; see delivery to your state. To see a truck first, 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
Greenville	about 935 miles	Sherpa Auto Transport $925–$1,050 (Greenville–Houston); moveBuddha $852–$1,335	1–4 days
Columbia	about 1,000 miles (I-20)	Freedom Auto Transport $687–$981; Sherpa $975–$1,150 (Columbia–Houston); moveBuddha $906–$1,380	1–4 days
Rock Hill	about 1,025 miles	moveBuddha $845–$1,352; AmeriFreight $1,000–$1,250 to Charlotte, N.C.	4–6 days
Charleston	about 1,085 miles	Freedom $744–$1,063; Sherpa $1,000–$1,150 (Charleston–Houston); moveBuddha $897–$1,352	1–4 days
Myrtle Beach	about 1,150 miles	Sherpa $1,200–$1,450 (Myrtle Beach–Houston); moveBuddha $958–$1,500	1–4 days

These are the brokers' own published estimates, not quotes. AmeriFreight's are for an open carrier; the others don't say, and where a broker publishes only the reverse route (to Houston) we've marked it. 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). Transit times are Freedom's, Sherpa's and AmeriFreight's route estimates; moveBuddha gives 2 to 8 days for most of these routes. Prices change with season and fuel, so ask for a written quote.

Where do you go to title and register it?

Titles and registrations are handled by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV): (803) 896-5000, 10311 Wilson Blvd., Building C, Blythewood 29016, dmv.sc.gov. Use the SCDMV office finder to pick one of its 67 locations in the Upstate, Midlands, Pee Dee and Lowcountry, and check that branch's listing for hours. Property tax is a county matter: contact your county auditor to have the bill generated and pay it to the county treasurer before you go to SCDMV (SCDMV). Because no SCDMV document covers kei trucks, call the contact center first and ask which branch handles titles for vehicles from another country.

Kei trucks in South Carolina

South Carolina had 22,633 farms in 2022, averaging 201 acres, growing soybeans, corn, hay, cotton and wheat, with livestock and poultry bringing in 64% of farm sales (USDA Census of Agriculture). That's the scale a kei truck suits: feed, fencing and tools on small farms and horse properties, runs between poultry houses, hunting land and timber tracts, and property work at coastal homes and marinas where a full-size pickup is more truck than the job needs. Our kei truck 4x4 guide explains the four-wheel-drive systems.

Frequently asked questions

Are kei trucks street legal in South Carolina?

Yes. South Carolina has no kei-truck law, so a 25-year-old kei truck is titled and plated like any other truck, with no special road or speed limits. SCDMV hasn't written anything about kei trucks, so call ahead; office practice can vary.

How much is the infrastructure maintenance fee on a kei truck?

5%, capped at $500, paid once when you first title or register it in South Carolina: $400 on a $7,999.99 truck. It replaces sales tax.

Do I have to pay property tax before I register?

Yes. SCDMV won't register the truck until you've paid the county's property tax and can show the paid receipt; contact your county office to have the bill generated.

Does South Carolina require a vehicle inspection?

No safety, emissions or VIN inspection appears in SCDMV's title and registration requirements, and a 2017 bill to require annual inspections (H. 3989) never left committee.

Should I get antique plates for a kei truck?

Not for a working truck. SCDMV's antique plates (Form MV-95B) are for vehicles at least 25 years old used only for club activities, exhibits, tours, parades or similar events, not general transportation. A standard plate has no such limit.

Can you ship to Columbia, Charleston or Greenville?

Yes. We help arrange an independent carrier and you pay the carrier directly; published 2026 prices run from about $690 to $1,500 depending on the city and broker, with published transit times of 1 to 8 days.

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 explainer on the 25-year import rule and our Hijet vs. Carry vs. Acty vs. Sambar comparison. Questions? Call or text (713) 385-9798.

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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.