A few years ago, certain states in New England and their taxes began to obstruct the registration of cars—especially “kei” size cars—imported under the federal statute exempting vehicles older than 25 from safety and pollution rules. In a recent piece, The Autopian highlighted Texas, and some owners responded by taking action.
Maine and Rhode Island were canceling current registrations, but Texas has not been as harsh about it, according to The Autopian. However, it provides several instances of people attempting to register their legitimate imports and being turned down. The article mentions a rise in these rejections.
Despite legal exemptions, that body made recommendations stating that registrations for these small, kei-sized vehicles should not be given due to safety concerns. Of course, those proposals ignore that older and potentially more dangerous vehicles, such as motorcycles and antique cars, can still be lawfully registered and driven on public highways.
The Autopian mentions Texas Kei Truck Advocates, a vehicle owners’ association striving to make registering these vehicles more accessible and lawful. They appear to have contacted several Texas senators and persuaded the Texas DMV to revisit their policy on small cars. Time will tell how successful they are, and there are some reservations about the procedure among the kei car community. You may read all the exciting details in The Autopian’s in-depth article.
