Are Kei Trucks Legal in Nebraska?

Nebraska created a minitruck class in 2010 and has kept it. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-121.01 defines a "minitruck" as "a foreign-manufactured import vehicle or domestic-manufactured vehicle which (1) is powered by an internal combustion engine with a piston or rotor displacement of one thousand five hundred cubic centimeters or less, (2) is sixty-seven inches or less in width, (3) has a dry weight of four thousand two hundred pounds or less, (4) travels on four or more tires, (5) has a top speed of approximately fifty-five miles per hour, (6) is equipped with a bed or compartment for hauling, (7) has an enclosed passenger cab, (8) is equipped with headlights, taillights, turnsignals, windshield wipers, a rearview mirror, and an occupant protection system, and (9) has a four-speed, five-speed, or automatic transmission." The section was enacted by Laws 2010, LB650 and amended by Laws 2012, LB898. The phrase "foreign-manufactured import vehicle" leaves little doubt what the legislature had in view.

Because § 60-6,379 restricts where a minitruck may be driven rather than whether it may be driven, the statute presupposes road use. The exclusions are the Interstate system, expressways and freeways — the high-speed limited-access network — and the operating condition is that the headlights and taillights are on whenever the vehicle is moving, day or night. There is no local-ordinance requirement and no posted-speed cap on ordinary roads.

Titling runs through the county treasurer. The Nebraska DMV's own minitruck page states that an application for a certificate of title must be made to a county treasurer within thirty days of purchase, and sets out two document sets depending on whether the vehicle was purchased before or on or after 1 January 2011 — broadly, a manufacturer's or importer's certificate, bill of sale or assigned certificate of title, an affidavit of ownership, the title application, the title fee, and in some cases a vehicle inspection. Registration of a minitruck is provided for separately in the registration fee schedule at § 60-383.01.

One point of genuine uncertainty. Requirement (8) of the definition demands that the vehicle be equipped with headlights, taillights, turn signals, windshield wipers, a rearview mirror and an occupant protection system, and requirement (5) sets a top speed of approximately fifty-five miles per hour. A standard Japanese kei truck has all the listed equipment, but we could not establish how a county treasurer applies the top-speed criterion to a vehicle that may exceed 55 mph, nor whether any Nebraska guidance addresses that. Confirm with the treasurer in your county before you buy rather than after the truck lands.

What you can do in Nebraska

Nebraska lets you use the truck as a truck. Title it with your county treasurer within thirty days of purchase, register it, insure it, and drive it on ordinary state, county and city roads. Keep it off the Interstates, expressways and freeways, and run the lights on at all times — that second requirement is statutory, not advisory, and is the most likely thing to get you stopped.

Before you commit, call your county treasurer and confirm the current document list for a minitruck title on a direct Japanese import, including whether they will want a vehicle inspection and how they want the Japanese export certificate translated. The statewide law is settled; the counter process is handled county by county and is worth five minutes on the phone.

How this fits the national picture

Importing a vehicle twenty-five years or older is a federal matter and is settled. Registering one for the road is decided state by state, which is why the answer changes when you cross a line on a map. Our state-by-state guide covers all fifty, including why states disagree and the AAMVA guidance most restrictions trace back to.

We are based in Goshen, New York, and New York is one of the states that will not register these for road use. We say so on our own state's page because it is true, not because it helps us. We will not tell you a kei truck is street legal in the USA.

Common questions

Are kei trucks legal in Nebraska?

Yes. Nebraska recognises a statutory "minitruck" class in Neb. Rev. Stat. section 60-121.01, and section 60-6,379 permits road use while prohibiting operation on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, on expressways and on freeways.

Where can a kei truck not be driven in Nebraska?

Neb. Rev. Stat. section 60-6,379(1) prohibits operating a minitruck on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, on expressways, or on freeways.

Must a kei truck run its lights in Nebraska?

Yes. Neb. Rev. Stat. section 60-6,379(2) requires that a minitruck be operated with its headlights and taillights on.

How does Nebraska define a minitruck?

Neb. Rev. Stat. section 60-121.01 defines a minitruck as a foreign-manufactured import or domestic-manufactured vehicle with an engine of 1,500 cubic centimetres or less, 67 inches or less wide, a dry weight of 4,200 pounds or less, four or more tires, a top speed of approximately 55 miles per hour, a bed or compartment for hauling, an enclosed passenger cab, specified lighting and safety equipment, and a four-speed, five-speed or automatic transmission.

Where do I title a kei truck in Nebraska?

The Nebraska DMV states that an application for a certificate of title for a minitruck must be made to a county treasurer within thirty days of purchase.

This page describes what we could establish from the source above on the date shown. It is not legal advice, and kei registration rules have moved in both directions every year since 2021 — confirm with the Nebraska registering authority before you buy. Payment for an imported vehicle is by bank transfer and is not reversible.