There are about 30 kei cars registered in Rhode Island, according to DMV records, and lawmakers want to take them all off the road. State authorities have begun requiring owners of kei cars to surrender their registrations, which would make it illegal to operate the vehicles on public roads.
Rhode Island policymakers first floated the idea of banning kei cars in 2021, and they launched a second offensive earlier in 2024. DMV Administrator Walter Craddock argued that the Kei cars should be banned from operating on Ocean State roads because they “were never manufactured in compliance.” meet federal motor vehicle safety standards. Federal law allows any vehicle at least 25 years old to be legally imported into the United States, but each state has the authority to decide which motorists are and are not allowed to drive on its roads.
While much of the discussion around the ban has focused on trucks, such as the Honda Acty (pictured), lawmakers are targeting any type of kei vehicle. If you want to register, say, a Suzuki Cappuccino or an Autozam AZ-1 in Rhode Island, you’ll soon be out of luck. There may, however, be a dim, flickering light at the end of the tunnel. Rhode Island Senator Lou DiPalma and District 71 Representative Michelle McGaw have proposed legislation that would allow enthusiasts who registered a kei vehicle before August 1, 2021, to legally keep their car on the road.
Although the registration would remain valid, it would not be transferable: driving a kei car would be legal; selling one in the state wouldn’t do it. And owners would not be allowed to drive a kei car on “limited-access highways, state highways, or interstates…or on any public highway or road with a speed limit greater than (35 mph).” For context, you can go over 35 mph on a 125cc Honda SuperCub moped.
DMV opposes bill, local news station says WPRI.
Enthusiasts in other states face an equally uphill battle. Maine began deregistering Mitsubishi Delica vans in 2021. It is not a kei car, but it is a Japanese market model that was not developed with US regulations in mind. Texas began refusing to register kei cars in 2024, although a group of owners is actively fighting back. Both Georgia and New York have banned motorists from registering a kei car.
yahoo
