Help Legalize Kei Trucks in Oregon!
Bipartisan legislation. Growing statewide support. One simple goal: give Oregonians the choice to drive Kei trucks.
Kei trucks are capable, practical, efficient, environmentally responsible and affordable.
They’re everything but legal in Oregon.
The Case for Keis
They are affordable.
Kei trucks cost thousands—not tens of thousands. They sip gas, cost little to insure, and their mechanical simplicity makes basic maintenance and repairs accessible. People and businesses could really use that right now.
They are small in every way except their truck beds.
Whether it is finding parking, maneuvering in tight spaces, taking up less room on the roads, or just space on a business lot that could be used for revenue generation, the kei excels at giving space back. That is, with the exception of their full size pickup bed.
They are amazing tools for businesses.
These vehicles are invaluable to farms, nurseries, landscapers, community gardens, campuses, towns, contractors and myriad other businesses for a variety of lighter-duty tasks. Not every nursery errand or local delivery has to be done in a 6,000-pound pickup.
They are a positive step environmentally.
A 660cc kei truck uses less fuel and takes up less road and parking space than a full-size pickup. Its smaller engine heats up quicker so it is putting out less emissions sooner. Its lower weight also means less road wear and tire particulate. And because these vehicles already exist, keeping them in useful service extends the life of resources already invested in manufacturing them. Is it a "perfect" green solution? No, but it is a common-sense improvement.
The Kei Legalization Effort
The NHTSA says 25+ year old vehicles (49 U.S.C. § 30112, specifically b9) can be imported without regard to FMVSS requirements (namely air bags and crumple zones), but the states still control registration, and Oregon is in a minority of states that won't allow it.
But we are successfully moving the needle this time. We are gaining the support of people and organizations who are standing up and saying this needs to happen. JOIN US and help push this over the finish line in 2027.
2026: Senator Anthony Broadman will be introducing a bipartisan bill to legalize kei trucks on Oregon roads in the 2027 session.
Where are kei trucks legal in the U.S.?
I’ve linked to the data we can find for each state. Click to see the applicable law or official state guidance. Note: I’m not a lawyer. I’m working hard to get this stuff right but there’s no guarantee it is. This stuff is changing constantly so you need to check it out for yourself.
KEI TRUCKS ALLOWED ON AT LEAST SOME PUBLIC ROADS
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · New Hampshire · New Jersey · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · South Carolina · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
KEI TRUCKS NOT ALLOWED ON PUBLIC ROADS
Georgia · Iowa · New York · Oregon · Rhode Island · South Dakota
CASE-BY-CASE / JURISDICTION-BY-JURISDICTION / UNCLEAR
California · Hawaii · Maryland · Nevada · New Mexico · Pennsylvania
Who’s Behind This?
I'm a kei truck owner who drove her titled, registered, insured, emissions-passing, 40 mpg-getting, full sized-truck-bed-having $6,500 4WD 1994 Honda Acty, Toki, for years before the DMV took Toki’s registration away, saying it was because it wasn’t made for U.S. streets.
That doesn't make sense to me—I want the choice to drive my truck. Oregon already accommodates many different kinds of vehicles with different capabilities and safety characteristics—motorcycles, scooters, antique vehicles, RVs and more. Kei owners deserve that same choice.
After hoping the legislation would pass for the last two years, this year I'm working hard to make sure our legislature knows this is something Oregonians want.
Sen. Broadman's bipartisan bill will be coming out any day, and the new session starts in January, so I have a few months to show that support to our lawmakers.