In A Surprise Move, Massachusetts Makes It Legal To Register Kei Trucks And Imported Cars Again

Amazing news for car enthusiasts in Massachusetts today as a campaign to pressure the state Department of Transportation to reverse its nonsensical ban on legally imported Japanese cars has worked! Effective tomorrow, it’ll be legal to register a Kei vehicle in the state, and, even better, existing vehicles will be renewed.

This is another incredible victory for car enthusiasts, especially after an abrupt change in policy by the Commonwealth’s Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) — a policy that continued to get worse with each update and included non-Kei vehicles and vehicles the RMV seems to have invented out of thin air.

Following the successful playbook of Texas enthusiasts, members of the car community in Massachusetts put together a campaign to reach out to local legislators and try to get them to pressure the RMV to allow the registration of small imported trucks (and non-trucks, like the ones that were inexplicably being banned by officials).

Earlier this month, Representative Steven S. Howitt introduced HD 5357, a bill that would essentially reverse the ban. This seems to have had an almost immediate effect on the RMV as they put out this press release today:

BOSTON — The Registry of Motor Vehicles has completed its preliminary assessment of industry standards related to Kei trucks, cars and vans (Kei Vehicles). At this time, owners of Kei Vehicles will be able to register these vehicles effective September 18, 2024. Kei Vehicles that are already registered may continue their existing registration and renewals, without interruption.

The RMV intends to register Kei Vehicles while continuing to review safety implications of Kei Vehicles on the public roadways. Plans for conducting a formal study of this subject matter are under development and will be announced once complete.

Newly registered Kei Vehicles may receive a passenger or commercial plate, depending on their intended use. Owners who wish to register and title their Kei Vehicles may do so by visiting their local RMV Service Center.

This doesn’t mean the war is over, as the RMV says it’s eventually going to conduct a study, but the battle has been won (and the bill could still go forward).

Why This Particular Ban Was So Bad

Our own Mercedes Streeter has been at the forefront of covering this issue and I recommend reading her great write-ups for background. Unfortunately, Mercedes is on a trip driving [REDACTED] so I’m filling in for her a bit.

Her write-up on this specific policy change from earlier this summer explains why it’s been particularly hard for enthusiasts to drive their cars, even though these cars have been legally registered:

Enthusiasts have been going to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) offices to register imported vehicles, only to be turned away without any real explanation. Massachusetts, unlike other states, seemingly decided to ban cars without telling anyone about it. Those who did get some information were given vague explanations like the state no longer liked vehicles with short VINs. Others were told it was because the state is banning all vehicles that don’t meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), like Maine did.

I decided to get to the bottom of the issue and what RMV officials told me didn’t make any sense. The state told me that it wasn’t planning on a total import ban, but just Kei vehicles imported from Japan. One problem is that the state has no idea what a Kei vehicle is.

At the time and based on reports from enthusiasts, it seemed like RMV officials were just looking at any non-standard VIN and choosing not to register the vehicle. This applied to the small Kei trucks as well as larger vans and unrelated vehicles.

How Massachusetts Enthusiasts Won

A lot of credit goes to groups like the Massachusetts JDM Imports Advocates, a small but active group of car lovers who banded together to educate legislators in order to get justice. In addition to the proposed law from the state representative, enthusiasts have also gotten positive feedback from state senators who could potentially co-sponsor a bill in the upper chamber or support the bill if it were to be introduced.

The timing of this is also hilarious as there’s a Massachusetts RMV Board of Directors meeting tomorrow and a group of enthusiasts were planning to go as they had previously done.

I’ve never been to an RMV BOD meeting but, if it’s like a lot of state meetings, big audiences aren’t a regular occurrence (and in the video, you can see it’s a small crowd). It’s possible that the BOD wanted this settled before a bunch of enthusiasts in Autozams and Hiaces showed up.

Whatever the reason, it’s great news for enthusiasts and just goes to show that a small but dedicated group of well-organized individuals can have a big impact. It also shows that, in many places, policymakers are willing to listen to smart, reasonable arguments from their constituents.