What Oregon’s Kei Truck Bill Actually Does, and Why It’s Back Again
An Oregon State Senator has reintroduced a bill to legalize small-format trucks, such as kei trucks. If approved, the law could display how kei trucks can help optimize road travel for both business and personal use. While full-size trucks remain popular and valuable in certain contexts, the significantly lower cost and superior maneuverability, especially in tight spaces, of kei trucks make them a worthwhile alternative.
Part of why Oregon doesn’t allow kei truck titling and registration for on-road use is that its vehicle code lacks clear parameters defining their maximum size, age, and engine capacity. In turn, many Oregon locals go through the hassle of traveling to Washington, where kei truck registration is legal. However, an approved bill would change Oregon’s vehicle code.
Oregon lawmakers attempted to update the state’s vehicle code in 2025 to legalize kei truck titling and on-road registration, but the effort stalled, never making it out of the transportation committee. This year’s session begins February 2 and lasts five weeks.
Why Both Brewers and Rural Ranchers Want Kei Trucks
Oregon senator Anthony Broadman said a brewery owner in his district partially inspired his push to reintroduce the mini truck bill, according to Streetsblog USA.
The brewery owner wanted to use kei trucks for business deliveries down narrow city alleys, highlighting a core reason why kei truck use has spread from Japan worldwide. Broadman’s bill is also backed by those desiring kei trucks for farm transport and drivers fed up with stubbornly high vehicle costs.
The Oregon senator said: “My whole reason for being in Salem is to fight for affordability, growing our economy, and safety. Those aren't really partisan issues. This just happens to be one of those issues that rural Democrats, urban Democrats, rural Republicans and urban Republicans all agree on. We just want more affordable options for people to do business and get around,” Streetsblog USA reports.
Cost, Safety, and the “Mega-Car” Problem Kei Trucks Poke At
Kelley Blue Book data shows that the average price of a new car reached an all-time high in December at $50,326. Full-size trucks naturally land at the higher end of this price spectrum, with an average transaction price of $66,386 in December. Imported, road-legal kei trucks in the USA typically retail for between $6,000 and $12,000, providing considerable financial relief for those needing a utility truck, whether for business or property.
Drivers are also purchasing large vehicles, such as full-size trucks, at an increasing rate, as December recorded a 5-year high of 233,000 full-size truck sales. Besides pollution, larger vehicles pose pressing safety concerns when combined with high speeds. If Oregon’s mini truck bill passes, they wouldn’t be allowed to travel on highways with speeds over 65 mph, extending more protection to communities.
David McChristian, a 37-year-old firefighter from Houston, said: “Most people have way more truck than they will ever use. I don’t need a Ford F-150 that can tow 5,000 pounds,” NBC reports.
Could Oregon’s Kei Truck Experiment Spread Across the U.S.?
Oregon’s reintroduction of a mini truck bill arrives after President Trump praised kei trucks in December. Despite not loosening rules for importing foreign vehicles, such as kei trucks, that are under 25 years old, Trump called on U.S. auto manufacturers to start building them now.
If the bill becomes law, Oregon would join Texas and Colorado as the latest states to legalize titling, registering, and on-road use of mini trucks. The bills’ reinforced support for Texas’s $24.7 billion aftermarket economy and nearly 100,000 industry jobs, as well as Colorado’s $3.9-billion specialty equipment industry, which supports more than 17,000 jobs statewide.
Broadman positioned his state as another key test bed for prominent kei truck usage by saying: “If it can work in Central Oregon, then it can work anywhere in our country.”
