Are Kei Trucks Legal in Vermont?

This is a recent change and it runs the opposite way to the states that have been closing the door. The Governor signed S.326 on 16 June 2026; it became Act 153 and took effect on 1 July 2026. Section 20 amends the definitions in 23 V.S.A. § 4 so that "pleasure car" expressly "includes ... kei vehicles as defined pursuant to subdivision (90) of this section," and adds the definitions of "kei vehicle" and "kei truck" quoted above. Section 21 adds a new 23 V.S.A. § 1044 governing their operation.

The new § 1044 does three things. A kei vehicle registered as a pleasure car is subject to all the provisions of Title 23 that apply to pleasure cars. A kei truck registered as a farm truck is subject to all the provisions that apply to farm trucks — the act also amends the definition of "farm truck" in § 4(72) to read "a motor truck or kei truck." And, critically, "the Traffic Committee and political subdivisions of this State shall not adopt any rules or ordinances that would have the effect of prohibiting" a kei vehicle registered as a pleasure car "from being operated in the same manner and locations as other pleasure cars," or a kei truck registered as a farm truck from being operated in the same manner and locations as other farm trucks.

That last clause matters more than it looks. Several states that nominally allow kei registration still confine the vehicles to roads posted at 35 miles per hour, or leave the question to towns. Vermont has done the reverse: it has written the restriction out, at state and municipal level both. There is no speed-limit cap and no local opt-out in the statute.

What we could not establish. Act 153 creates the classification; it does not spell out the titling evidence the Department of Motor Vehicles will want for a freshly imported truck, and we found no DMV bulletin issued under the act. A kei vehicle registered as a pleasure car is also subject to Vermont's periodic safety inspection like any other pleasure car — and the same act, at Sec. 22, directs the Department to rewrite the inspection manual to focus on conditions that constitute genuine safety issues, so that rewrite was still in progress at the date we checked. One more point of genuine doubt: the statutory definition caps overall length at 130 inches, while a large share of Japanese kei trucks built to the post-1998 standard measure around 134 inches. We could not establish how the Department measures or applies that limit, or how it treats a truck that exceeds it.

What you can do in Vermont

Register it the ordinary way, as a pleasure car. If the truck does farm work, look at the farm truck route instead: the act amended the definition of "farm truck" specifically to include kei trucks, and farm trucks have their own registration and use rules under 23 V.S.A. § 367(f) and § 370(b).

Because the law is only months old, bring the paperwork rather than the argument. Have the Japanese export certificate with a translation, the US Customs entry summary and the USDOT HS-7 showing the 25-year exemption in hand, and have the text of 23 V.S.A. § 1044 with you if the clerk you get has not seen one yet. Before the act, Vermont owners reported that registration turned on which office they walked into; that is exactly the inconsistency Act 153 was written to end, but a printed copy costs nothing.

Check the length of the specific truck against the 130-inch definition before you buy, and ask the DMV how they apply it. It is the one open question in an otherwise clear statute.

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 to register in Vermont?

Yes. Act 153 of 2026, effective 1 July 2026, amended 23 V.S.A. § 4 so that the definition of "pleasure car" includes kei vehicles, and added 23 V.S.A. § 1044 providing that a kei vehicle registered as a pleasure car is subject to all provisions of Title 23 applicable to pleasure cars.

Does Vermont limit kei trucks to roads with a low speed limit?

No. Vermont's statute contains no speed-limit restriction for kei vehicles. 23 V.S.A. § 1044 further provides that the Traffic Committee and political subdivisions of the State shall not adopt any rules or ordinances that would have the effect of prohibiting a kei vehicle registered as a pleasure car from being operated in the same manner and locations as other pleasure cars.

How does Vermont law define a kei vehicle?

23 V.S.A. § 4(90) defines a kei vehicle as a motor vehicle that has four wheels, an engine displacement of 660 cubic centimetres or less, an overall length of 130 inches or less, an overall height of 78 inches or less, and an overall width of 60 inches or less. A kei truck is defined at § 4(89) as a kei vehicle designed, used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.

Can a kei truck be registered as a farm truck in Vermont?

Yes. Act 153 of 2026 amended the definition of "farm truck" in 23 V.S.A. § 4(72) to mean a motor truck or kei truck, and 23 V.S.A. § 1044(b) provides that a kei truck registered as a farm truck is subject to all provisions of Title 23 applicable to farm trucks.

When did Vermont change its law on kei vehicles?

The Governor signed S.326 on 16 June 2026. It became Act 153 of 2026 and took effect on 1 July 2026.

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 Vermont registering authority before you buy. Payment for an imported vehicle is by bank transfer and is not reversible.