Are Kei Trucks Legal in Wyoming?

Wyoming solved this in 2008 with a class that most states never created. W.S. 31-1-101(a)(xv)(M) defines a multipurpose vehicle as a motor vehicle designed to travel on at least four wheels in contact with the ground, with an unladen weight of at least 300 pounds but less than 3,000 pounds, a permanent upright seat or saddle for the driver mounted at least 24 inches from the ground, and an identifying number. The subparagraph then sweeps in "any motor vehicle meeting the criteria of this subparagraph and not otherwise defined in this section". A kei truck sits inside every one of those measurements: a 2WD Suzuki Carry or Daihatsu Hijet is around 1,500 pounds dry and a 4WD around 1,760, nowhere near the 3,000 pound ceiling, and the department's own FAQ clarifies that the 24 inches is "measured from the top of the seat where the operator sits to the ground", which a cab-over kei truck clears comfortably.

WYDOT has not left mini trucks to inference. Its Multipurpose Vehicle Frequently Asked Questions and Information booklet, issued by Compliance and Investigation and revised 7 January 2008, answers the question of whether MPVs imported into the United States must go through the same import process as cars, trucks and motorcycles with: "No. The Federal Government does not recognize most MPVs (ie. ATVs, Side-by-Sides, mini farm trucks, etc.) as on-road vehicles." The booklet's closing page, headed "TYPES OF MULTIPURPOSE VEHICLES", illustrates the class with a Yamaha Rhino, a John Deere Gator, a GEM electric car, a sand rail dune buggy, a Kawasaki ATV and a Tiger Mini Truck. Wyoming is one of very few states whose transport department has put a mini truck in a photograph and called it a road-registerable vehicle.

The process is split between two county offices. The title comes from the county clerk — W.S. 31-2-101(b) names multipurpose vehicles expressly — and the plate comes from the county treasurer once you produce an approved application, the fees, and proof of insurance. Because the truck has never been titled in Wyoming, W.S. 31-2-103(a)(vi) requires a current statement from a Wyoming law enforcement officer that the vehicle identification number has been inspected, and that the inspection happened in Wyoming. You also complete the MPV checklist, declaring the seat height, the unladen weight and the number of tyres under penalty of perjury, and have your signature witnessed by the clerk, the treasurer or a notary. One plate is issued and goes on the rear.

Then the operating rules. No interstate highways, which in Wyoming means I-25, I-80 and I-90 are closed to the vehicle permanently rather than situationally. If the truck cannot reach the maximum speed allowed on a particular highway it must be driven on the extreme right-hand edge of the roadway and carry either a reflectorised flag or a slow moving vehicle emblem; anything designed to operate below 25 mph must carry the emblem outright. Equipment for a multipurpose vehicle wider than 50 inches, which a kei truck at roughly 55 inches is, means two headlamps, two tail lamps, two rear reflectors and two stop lamps, plus a muffler, a mirror on the left, a horn audible at 200 feet, brakes that stop the vehicle within 40 feet from 20 mph together with a parking brake, wipers because it has a windscreen and an enclosed cab, and at least four tyres in sound condition. A valid driver licence of any class and insurance are required; no helmet is. WYDOT's FAQ also confirms that a homeowner or agricultural policy will serve as proof of insurance if it actually covers the vehicle on roads.

Two honest caveats. The FAQ booklet dates from 2007 and 2008 and nowhere names Japanese kei trucks, the 25-year NHTSA exemption, or any specific make; it was written when the imported mini truck on Wyoming lots was more likely to be a Chinese-built Tiger. And the statute contains a genuine circularity: "truck" in the same section is defined to exclude multipurpose vehicles, while the multipurpose vehicle catch-all covers motor vehicles "not otherwise defined in this section". Which way a particular county clerk resolves that for a kei truck decides whether you get an MPV plate with the interstate ban or an ordinary light truck plate without it. We found no WYDOT bulletin settling it, so ask your county before you buy rather than discovering it at the counter. WYDOT's Imported Vehicles page, for its part, sets out the NHTSA label and documentation requirements and frames them as applying to vehicles with less than 25 years of service.

What you can do in Wyoming

Call both county offices in the county where you live, because they do different jobs. The county clerk issues the title and will tell you whether a kei truck is going on the books as a multipurpose vehicle or as a light truck; the county treasurer issues the plate and sets the fee. Have the chassis number, the dry weight from the manufacturer's plate and the seat height measured from the top of the cushion ready, because those are the three numbers on the MPV checklist.

Plan your routes before you plan your purchase. If the truck is plated as a multipurpose vehicle it is off the interstates for good, and in a state where I-80 is the only sensible east-west link across the southern tier that is a real constraint rather than a technicality. US and state highways, county roads and town streets all remain available, with the right-hand-edge and slow moving vehicle emblem rules applying on any road whose posted maximum the truck cannot hold.

If the truck is staying on the ranch, you still need a title but not a plate. WYDOT's FAQ is explicit that every owner of a multipurpose vehicle must obtain a title, but that "registration will not be required unless the vehicle is operated on Wyoming streets or highways." For feeding, fencing and yard work on your own ground that is the cheaper and simpler position to be in.

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 Wyoming?

Yes, for road use, subject to the multipurpose vehicle rules. Wyoming defines a multipurpose vehicle class that a kei truck fits on weight, wheels and seat height, and WYDOT illustrates that class with a mini truck. Multipurpose vehicles may be operated on public streets and highways but not on interstate highways.

What is a multipurpose vehicle in Wyoming?

W.S. 31-1-101 defines it as a motor vehicle designed to travel on at least four wheels in contact with the ground, with an unladen weight of at least 300 pounds but less than 3,000 pounds, a permanent upright seat or saddle for the driver mounted at least 24 inches from the ground, and an identifying number. The class covers off-road recreational vehicles, electric vehicles, golf carts in most uses, and any other motor vehicle meeting those criteria that is not otherwise defined in the section.

Can a kei truck be driven on the interstate in Wyoming?

No, not if it is registered as a multipurpose vehicle. Both the statute and WYDOT state that multipurpose vehicles shall not be operated on interstate highways, which rules out I-25, I-80 and I-90 for the life of the vehicle.

Where do I title and register a kei truck in Wyoming?

Titles are issued by the county clerk in the county seat where you live, and plates by the county treasurer. Because the vehicle has not been titled in Wyoming before, a Wyoming law enforcement officer must inspect and certify the vehicle identification number, and the inspection has to take place in Wyoming.

Does a kei truck need a slow moving vehicle emblem in Wyoming?

It needs one if it is designed to operate at less than 25 miles per hour. If it simply cannot reach the maximum speed allowed on a particular highway, it must be driven on the extreme right-hand edge of the roadway and carry either a reflectorised flag or a slow moving vehicle emblem.

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