register mini truck

[ldj]

Anyone had luck registering a mini truck. I've heard you can register in Vermont then take that to tax office and TX will register.

 

[Mule Meat]

Don't quite understand what you are asking.

If you buy the truck from a dealer. It should either come with a title or a Certificate of Origin. The Certificate of Origin can be used to register the truck in your name or to apply for a title once the taxes and fees are paid.

 

[Loosehandle]

I think he's talking about little
trucks the size of a UTV, from Japan?

 

[Steve@Advance]

Some are intended for of road only, they don't meet DOT safety or emissions.

As far as I know, that type vehicle can't be registered.

If it's over a certain age, it might can be registered as a classic, the rules get easier on those.

Having a title and VIN number helps.

I would check with your local vehicle registration office, see what they say.

 

[Sean Feeney]

Rhode Island just announced they are suspending there registrations Maine too.

 

[TomA in CA]

Each state is different.

 

[Timmycornpicker]

From what I just looked up, Vermont won't register one. New Jersey won't either, but somebody on another site I just looked at claims to have done it 3 times
last year? Unless maybe they'll allow a farm use plate on one . . . .

 

[Tramway Guy]

They dont meet Federal Safety regulations. So, good luck. Off-road
only. Maybe special farm plate.

 

[ldj]

This is exactly why I asked here. I have researched and got different opinions. Just thought someone here had done it how it came out. If so I would like to know from some that actually did.

 

[DoubleO7]

(quoted from post at 13:04:25 09/29/21) Anyone had luck registering a mini truck. I've heard you can register in Vermont then take that to tax office and TX will register.

Buy it from a dealer or an importer in your state.
Have THEM get title, registration AND insurance in their name.
Once that is done, you then buy it as any other used road use vehicle.

If seller balks at doing that, you know why.

This post was edited by DoubleO7 on 09/29/2021 at 12:28 pm.

 

[shaun wallace]

No mini trucks for road use in Tx. Off road just like side by sides or units like Poloris Ranger.

 

[4play]

Are you talking about the japanese KEI trucks? Here in OK, they have been legal for road use for around 10 years. They are classified as slow moving vehicles (SMV) which basically restricts them from going on interstates. Most of them aren't powerful enough or geared to go fast anyway, and they get a little spooky at higher speeds.

Side by side type UTV's ( Polaris, CanAm, mule, gator etc) are legal too. The funny thing is they need certain equipment, but no mention of DOT tires (per state regs). So, seat belts, turn sigs, tail, brake, headlamps, wipers if equipped with a windshield, tag and insurance are about all. These are SMV's too, so no interstates, but state highways are ok.

 

[Welding man]

In my state you buy a 2 dollar farm vehicle decal, paint farm use on the side. put a small square bale of hay in the bed and enjoy the ride.

 

[Bret4207]

(quoted from post at 16:22:19 09/29/21)
This is exactly why I asked here. I have researched and got different opinions. Just thought someone here had done it how it came out. If so I would like to know from some that actually did.

My suggestion is to contact your states DMV and find out there. You'll get every answer under the sun here. The suggestion of checking with a dealer is also a good idea. I know in NYS you can't register one, just like a UTV. I'd love one but they cost an arm and a leg. Better bet here is a Suzuki Samurai or Geo Tracker. Hard to find one though.

 

[DoubleO7]

(quoted from post at 09:26:22 09/30/21)

(quoted from post at 16:22:19 09/29/21)
This is exactly why I asked here. I have researched and got different opinions. Just thought someone here had done it how it came out. If so I would like to know from some that actually did.

My suggestion is to contact your states DMV and find out there. You'll get every answer under the sun here. The suggestion of checking with a dealer is also a good idea. I know in NYS you can't register one, just like a UTV. I'd love one but they cost an arm and a leg. Better bet here is a Suzuki Samurai or Geo Tracker. Hard to find one though.

Just asking a dealer is not going to work.
You can walk into any utv, atv, dirt bike store.
Act like your going to buy one of those and ask them where you can ride it.
Most sales people will say "anywhere you want, they can go anywhere, there is a state forest...blah, blah, blah".
Just to make the sale.

Then you find out you can basically only run it on your own property period.

 

[Mule Meat]

You can register, tag and license them here under the Special Purpose Vehicle laws and run them on any two lane road with a speed limit of 55 mph or less. And within many city and town limits.
We can get just about anything road legal here under the laws. The only exception is no tracked vehicles. Other than that anything goes from old military jeeps and trucks, SxS, ATVs, rail/dune buggies, rock bouncers etc can all be made street legal. Just like a car or truck.

 

[JMOR]

Salesman is correct, but failed to finish his sentence! ""anywhere you want, they can go anywhere"......as long as you don't get caught! Sometimes an omission amounts to a lie.

 

[Mule Meat]

Double post for some reason....

This post was edited by Mule Meat on 09/30/2021 at 08:29 am.

 

[504]

Missouri,a safety flag and an SMV sign and off you go.Well you have to register them and give the state some money for a title,but no plates,just a sticker.

 

[Bret4207]

(quoted from post at 10:19:09 09/30/21)

(quoted from post at 09:26:22 09/30/21)

(quoted from post at 16:22:19 09/29/21)
This is exactly why I asked here. I have researched and got different opinions. Just thought someone here had done it how it came out. If so I would like to know from some that actually did.

My suggestion is to contact your states DMV and find out there. You'll get every answer under the sun here. The suggestion of checking with a dealer is also a good idea. I know in NYS you can't register one, just like a UTV. I'd love one but they cost an arm and a leg. Better bet here is a Suzuki Samurai or Geo Tracker. Hard to find one though.

Just asking a dealer is not going to work.
You can walk into any utv, atv, dirt bike store.
Act like your going to buy one of those and ask them where you can ride it.
Most sales people will say "anywhere you want, they can go anywhere, there is a state forest...blah, blah, blah".
Just to make the sale.

Then you find out you can basically only run it on your own property period.

I meant asking the dealer about REGISTERING it. Ask him to show how it's done or not.

 

[Dusty MI]

(quoted from post at 14:49:00 09/30/21) Missouri,a safety flag and an SMV sign and off you go.Well you have to register them and give the state some money for a title,but no plates,just a sticker.

Speaking of SVM signs. Some people use them for driveway markers. That is a big NO NO. I wish it was better enforced.

 

[ss55]

You used to see SMV signs as driveway markers in MN too, until about twenty years ago when the State Patrol started issuing warnings and tickets whenever they saw them used incorrectly.

 

[Brendon-KS]

As has been indicated by others, each state has their own particular rules for this sort of thing. Here in Kansas these Japanese mini trucks are classified as micro utility trucks and
CANNOT be registered. However, they are legal to drive on county roads and within city limits as long as the city has specifically OK'ed it. They must be equipped with the typical road
lighting including turn signals and brake lamps. They cannot be legally driven on any highways, state or federal. I learned all this when I enquired about the road legality of my Unimog
406 truck/tractor and they put this vehicle into the micro utility truck category based on its length, weight, and top speed. (Micro isn't a typical term you'd use to describe a
Unimog but that's the bucket it fell into.) A copy of the letter from the Kansas Dept of Revenue resides in the glove box if I ever get hassled about not having a license plate.

Long story short, the only answer to your question that does you much good is the one that comes from your particular state.

 

[Bret4207]

(quoted from post at 19:27:19 10/01/21) As has been indicated by others, each state has their own particular rules for this sort of thing. Here in Kansas these Japanese mini trucks are classified as micro utility trucks and
CANNOT be registered. However, they are legal to drive on county roads and within city limits as long as the city has specifically OK'ed it. They must be equipped with the typical road
lighting including turn signals and brake lamps. They cannot be legally driven on any highways, state or federal. I learned all this when I enquired about the road legality of my Unimog
406 truck/tractor and they put this vehicle into the micro utility truck category based on its length, weight, and top speed. (Micro isn't a typical term you'd use to describe a
Unimog but that's the bucket it fell into.) A copy of the letter from the Kansas Dept of Revenue resides in the glove box if I ever get hassled about not having a license plate.

Long story short, the only answer to your question that does you much good is the one that comes from your particular state.

OT, but how do you like the Unimog? I see them occasionally for sale and always thought they'd be handy. NYS had a few years back for use at state ski areas.

 

[DoubleO7]

I would love to have a Unimog 419 with dozer blade or loader bucket up front and the backhoe out back.

This post was edited by DoubleO7 on 10/02/2021 at 07:32 am.

 

[wisbaker]

It varies from state to state BUT there is an exemption for importing non-conforming personal vehicles into the US if they are
over 25 years old. What you state or local tag office allows is another story, here our local County Clerk runs our tag office and
is not very open to anything other than a normal transaction. I inherited a car from my mother when she passed. State law is very
clear that vehicle transfers between family members are tax exempt, since mom lived in another state our County Clerk was pretty
well stuck with the idea I was going to pay sales tax and refused any documentation from my mother's estate transferring the title
to me. I finally ended up going back to Michigan, bumping the title and Mom's tag to me, in my name and coming back to Iowa. When
I tried to transfer the Michigan title, in my name, to Iowa she demanded sales tax. I turned to walked out of the Courthouse and
she queried me on my intentions, I informed her I was going to renew the Michigan tag. She informed me I had to have Iowa tags, I
replied But Iowa won't issue me tags. All of a sudden sales tax was off the table. My point- there's the law and there's what
really happens and often they don't match. If you're importing a Kei truck from Japan and it's over 25 years old there is no
Federal Statute that prevents you from doing so, there may not even be a State Statute but you still may be unable to do so.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 07:22:18 10/01/21) You used to see SMV signs as driveway markers in MN too, until about twenty years ago when the State Patrol started issuing warnings and tickets whenever they saw them used incorrectly.

Yeah, here in NH they don't enforce it either. You drive down the road and suddenly theres thirty cars stopped. When you finally get by you see that it is drivers waiting for the SMV sign to move along.