Are Kei Trucks Street Legal in Louisiana?

Are Kei Trucks street legal in Louisiana?

Yes, on lower-speed roads. Louisiana passed a mini-truck law in 2010, La. R.S. 32:299.2, and the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) carries it out through OMV Policy 122.00. The law describes a mini-truck as a four-wheeled, reduced-dimension truck with a bed or hauling compartment and an enclosed cab. It also says the truck may lack a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) classification, which is exactly the position of a Japanese Kei Truck.

The definition mentions a top speed of 65 mph. That figure describes the class. The law attaches no test or certification to it, and it is not a speed limit.

Where can you drive a Kei Truck in Louisiana?

On any road with a posted limit of 55 mph or lower, with three exceptions. Subsection A keeps mini-trucks off:

• interstates
• other controlled-access highways
• divided highways with multiple lanes where access is only partly controlled, or not controlled at all, even if the posted limit is 55 or lower

The 55 mph figure is a road limit: it decides which roads you may use. Nobody has to opt in first. Instead, the state Department of Transportation and Development, parishes and towns may each close their own roads to mini-trucks for safety (subsection H), so ask your parish and town whether they have.

You also need a valid driver's license, and the truck must carry liability insurance at the same minimums as any car under R.S. 32:900(B).

How do you get a Kei Truck titled in Louisiana?

Under subsection C, a mini-truck is registered as an off-road vehicle and carries an OMV decal rather than a license plate. Under OMV Policy 82.00, off-road vehicles receive a title, and the decal costs $3 a year, sold in four-year terms.

1. Check the equipment list

   Confirm the truck has every item in La. R.S. 32:299.2(B): head, tail and stop lamps, turn signals, two mirrors, a parking brake, brakes on each wheel, a wiper, speedometer, odometer, seat belts and a VIN.

2. Collect the import papers

   Gather the Japanese export certificate with a notarized English translation, plus the bill of sale, the original HS-7 import declaration (box 1, the 25-year exemption), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Form 7501, EPA Form 3520-1 (the Environmental Protection Agency's import declaration) and an odometer disclosure statement.

3. Get a physical inspection affidavit

   OMV Policy 41.00 calls for an affidavit of physical inspection signed by a full-time law enforcement officer with P.O.S.T. certification who also holds State Police approval to inspect vehicles.

4. Apply at the OMV

   File the Vehicle Application (DPSMV 1799) with proof of insurance and your signed equipment and road-limit statement. If asked for a certificate of origin, cite R.S. 32:299.2(C) or use the Justice of the Peace court-order route.

5. Pay and display the decal

   Pay the title and handling fees, sales tax and the off-road decal fee ($3 a year, sold in four-year terms), then display the decal. The OMV issues a title.

The paperwork is where applications stall. Policy 122.00 lists a manufacturer's certificate of origin among the required documents, and a 25-year-old import has none. Applicants without one are pointed to the Justice of the Peace court-order procedure. The statute is broader: subsection C refers to a foreign-language mini-truck title and lets the OMV demand a notarized translation. Bring the export certificate, its notarized translation and every federal form, and ask the office to accept them under subsection C. If it will not, the court order is the fallback.

OMV Policy 41.00, the general grey-market policy, also says imported vehicles must be converted to US standards. The mini-truck statute is the more specific rule, and it expressly allows a truck with no NHTSA classification, so have that citation ready.

Inspection, equipment and insurance

Louisiana does not put mini-trucks through the brake tag inspection: Mini Trucks appear on the exemption list in OMV Policy 112.00. The road equipment list in subsection B still applies:

• tail lamps, stop lamps and head lamps
• turn signals at both ends
• a mirror on the driver's side, plus either a passenger-side or an interior mirror
• brakes at every wheel, a parking brake and a windshield wiper
• a speedometer and an odometer
• seat belts for every seat, and a VIN

You sign a statement for the OMV confirming the equipment and the road limits. Worn Kei Truck mirrors and Kei Truck wiper blades are worth checking first on a 25-year-old truck.

Before you buy, read about the 25-year rule and the importing process, and compare states on the Kei Truck law map. Our buying guide covers checking a truck's condition.