Texas Government wants to ensure tiny Kei trucks can be enjoyed by their owners

It seems to be a very specific problem, but drivers of tiny Kei trucks in Texas can now rest easy following a recent change by local government in the American state.

A seemingly unnoticed problem for the majority of the world, Kei truck drivers in America struggle with registering and importing them if the trucks are 25 years or older.

It seems to affect only a tiny majority of people – specifically Texan drivers of 25-year-old+ Japanese minitrucks – but for some, their whole livelihood relies on these tiny little trucks.

State Senator Kelly Hancock introduced SB 1816, a bill codifying protections for imported 25-year-old+ Japanese Kei minitrucks and as long as the trucks fit under strict qualifications, many minitrucks will hopefully be able to legally hit the roads of Texas.

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Finally, tiny Kei trucks are legal in Texas!

Texas is famously the state where everything is bigger, and that usually applies to trucks as much as anything.

However, now a great wrong has been righted, and it involves some of the smallest trucks on the road – Japanese Kei trucks.

We know you must have been relieved when you discovered that Texas State Senator Kelly Hancock introduced SB 1816, codifying protections for Japanese tiny Kei minitrucks and letting them legally drive on the American states’ road.

Turns out, if you lived in Texas before Monday and owned a 25-year-old or older Japanese minitruck, you would be having a nightmare trying to get it legally titled and registered in the state.

It seems that these tiny Kei trucks were so incredibly mini they slipped through a loophole in the state laws.

The new legislation not only gives legality to Japanese miniature vehicles, but it clarifies what they actually are: “a miniature car, truck, van, or bus manufactured in Japan.”

Alongside this quote, the vehicles have to have a top speed of at least 50mph, a tiny 1.2 liter engine or smaller and be 25 years old or older.

If you want to be able to operate your truck on state highways, as well as title it then the vehicle also needs a speedometer, headlights, taillights, turn signals, windshield wipers, and a rearview mirror.

Why does it matter?

We know what you may be thinking, surely this isn’t that important, as it must affect a tiny group of people?

However, people like David McChristian, Lone Star Kei founder, which is an advocacy group trying to protect minitruck ownership across America has dedicated his whole career to the cause.

This is not only a win for people like McChristian, but for people who’s businesses, communities and lives rely on these little minitrucks.

Previously, the state policy allowed people to drive on the road, but codifying it into law is locking it in now, forever.

Drive freely tiny trucks, we’re proud of you!

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