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Colorado at a glance
Off-road until 2028- Status
- Off-road only for now; road registration for applications filed from January 1, 2028
- Where you can drive
- Today: off-highway use only. From 2028: roads with limits of 55 mph or less
- Speed rule
- From 2028: 55 mph road limit; the definition also demands a top speed of 50 mph or more
- Interstates
- Not allowed (limited-access highways are barred)
- Title / registration
- Today: off-highway title and Parks and Wildlife registration. From 2028: ordinary title and plates
- Inspection
- No extra inspection allowed merely because a truck is a Kei vehicle
- Emissions
- From 2028: two-speed idle test against build-year standards, where testing applies
- Key law
- HB25-1281 (Colorado Revised Statutes 42-1-102 and 42-4-109.7)
Are Kei Trucks street legal in Colorado?
Not yet: HB25-1281, Colorado's Kei vehicle law, only reaches applications filed on or after January 1, 2028. Governor Jared Polis signed it on May 9, 2025. Its legal start date is July 1, 2027, but a separate section holds back the new title and registration rules until applications dated from that January.
For now, the legislature's own fiscal note spells out where things stand. Colorado classes a Kei Truck with off-highway vehicles, so it can get an off-highway title from the Department of Revenue and an off-highway registration from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and it cannot be driven on public roads.
The bill drew no opposition on the floor: 64-0 in the House, with one member not voting, and 35-0 in the Senate.
Which Kei Trucks will qualify in 2028?
The new definition in section 42-1-102 of the Colorado Revised Statutes was plainly written with real trucks in mind:
| What the law requires | How a typical Kei Truck measures up |
|---|---|
| Engine of 1,000 cc or less (or an electric motor of 56 kW or less) | Kei engines are 660 cc or smaller |
| Width of 67 inches or less | Roughly 58 inches |
| Length of 140 inches or less | Roughly 134 inches on post-1998 trucks |
| Top speed of 50 mph or more | A healthy truck clears it; a worn one may not |
| Enclosed cab, four or more tires, imported | Standard |
| Age 25 or older at import, or 25 or older with a prior US title | Check the build date on the export certificate |
That 50 mph figure is a floor built into the definition, not a road limit. It screens out golf carts, and it means a tired engine is worth fixing before you apply. Trucks that were younger than 25 when they arrived fall into a separate Kei off-road vehicle class. Our 25-year rule guide explains how import age is counted.
Where will you be able to drive a Kei Truck in Colorado?
From 2028 the ceiling is 55 mph: section 42-4-109.7 keeps Kei vehicles off any roadway with a higher speed limit. You may still cross such a road where it meets yours at grade, at a normal intersection rather than an interchange, and limited-access highways are banned outright. The 55 figure is a road limit, so you plan by the posted sign, and breaking the rule is a Class B traffic infraction.
The law also shuts the doors other states use to say no. The Department of Revenue, the State Patrol and their contractors cannot order an inspection simply because a truck is a Kei vehicle, and the state cannot call one unroadworthy because of its design. By contrast, Arizona never wrote a Kei rule at all and plates 25-year imports like any pickup today.
How will titling and emissions work?
Starting with applications filed January 1, 2028, a Kei Truck goes through the normal county title and registration process, and the import file proves its age. Our importing guide lists those documents.
Plan for off-road use until 2028
Under current law a Kei Truck counts as an off-highway vehicle. It can carry an off-highway title from the Department of Revenue and an off-highway registration from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, but neither one allows driving on public roads.
Check the truck against the 2028 definition
The new definition calls for an engine of 1,000 cc or less, a body no longer than 140 inches and no wider than 67, an enclosed cab and the ability to reach 50 mph. The truck must also have been 25 or older when it was imported.
Keep the import file together
Hold on to the customs entry, the HS-7 safety declaration, EPA Form 3520-1 (the emissions declaration) and the translated export certificate. Together they show the truck's age on the day it entered the country.
Apply on or after January 1, 2028
Take the paperwork to your county motor vehicle office for an ordinary title and registration. If your county is part of the emissions program, the truck will get a two-speed idle test.
Insure it as a motor vehicle
HB25-1281 adds Kei vehicles to the definition of motor vehicle in Colorado's auto insurance law, so buy a standard auto liability policy at or above the state minimum.
Emissions testing stays where it already applies, but the method changes for these trucks. A Kei vehicle cannot be tested on a dynamometer; it gets a two-speed idle test and is judged against the standards that applied in its build year. Fresh plugs and a tune-up kit are cheap help before that test, and at altitude a clean air filter matters more than usual.
HB25-1281 also writes Kei vehicles into the definition of motor vehicle in Colorado's auto insurance law, so you insure one like any other car.
Should you buy a Kei Truck in Colorado before 2028?
Yes, if you own land where the truck can work before road registration opens in January 2028. Off-highway and private-property use is legal today, and ranches, mountain cabins and acreage suit these trucks; our off-road guide covers what they handle well. A small lift kit helps on rough two-tracks.
If you only want a road vehicle, waiting costs little, and more trucks cross the 25-year line every month. Either way, use our buying guide to check condition, and watch the Kei Truck laws hub for updates as 2028 gets closer.
Frequently asked questions
When can I register a Kei Truck for road use in Colorado?
Plan on January 1, 2028. The law's legal start date is July 1, 2027, but its applicability section limits it to applications filed from January 1, 2028 onward. Some legislative summaries mention July 2027, so confirm the date with your county motor vehicle office as it approaches rather than shipping a truck to beat it.
Where will Kei Trucks be allowed to drive in Colorado?
On any road whose speed limit is 55 mph or lower. Section 42-4-109.7 also lets you cross a faster road where it meets yours at grade, at a normal intersection rather than an interchange. Limited-access highways are banned. Breaking the rule brings a Class B traffic infraction, which means a ticket, not a lost registration.
Can I use a Kei Truck in Colorado right now?
Yes, off the road. The legislature's fiscal note for HB25-1281 explains that current law classes Kei vehicles with off-highway vehicles, which the Department of Revenue can title and Colorado Parks and Wildlife can register, but which may not be driven on public streets or highways. Use on your own land needs neither.
How will Colorado test a Kei Truck's emissions?
Only where Colorado's emissions program already applies, and only with an idle test. The new law forbids putting a Kei vehicle on a dynamometer and calls for a two-speed idle test, judged against the emissions standards from the year the truck was built. A fresh tune-up gives an old engine its best shot at passing.
What about a Kei Truck imported before it turned 25?
HB25-1281 puts those trucks in a separate Kei off-road vehicle category. A truck that fits the size and cab rules but was younger than 25 at import, and has not since been titled in the US after reaching 25, is treated as an off-highway vehicle rather than a road vehicle.
Sources
This page explains the rules in plain English. It is not legal advice. Laws change and offices apply them differently, so confirm with your state DMV or county titling office before you buy or register a truck.