Minitruck state laws
May 2013
Minitrucks are sold as off-road vehicles for farms and construction sites and are far smaller than conventional small trucks sold for on-the-road use. These vehicles go by many names, including Japanese minitruck, Kei truck, microtruck, and utility transportation vehicle. Minitrucks have the capacity to reach top speeds of 55 mph or more, but many are sold with devices that limit their speed to 25 mph.
Federal safety standards don't apply to minitrucks because they are sold as off-road vehicles, even though they are permitted on public roads in some states. Nineteen states now allow minitrucks on specific portions of public roads. In Illinois and Missouri, minitrucks are allowed only by local ordinance.
Minitrucks must comply with federal safety standards for low-speed vehicles in 5 states (Illinois, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, and Tennessee).
The table and map below describe state laws that specifically address the use of minitrucks on public roads. In states without those laws, there may be provisions in other state laws, such as those permitting incidental use of off-road vehicles on public roads, that allow the limited use of minitrucks on public roads.
| State |
Initial effective date |
Where permitted |
Speed restrictions |
Vehicle classification under state law |
| Alabama |
01/01/2012 |
any road except interstate highways
|
25 mph
|
mini-truck
|
| Alaska |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Arizona |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Arkansas |
07/30/09 |
roads with a posted speed limit of 55 mph or less excluding interstate highways and controlled access highways if vehicle is being used exclusively for farm purposes
|
55 mph
|
mini-truck
|
| California |
01/01/07 |
located on a natural island with an area in excess of 20,000 acres and that is within a county having a population in excess of 4,000,000
|
no
|
autoette
|
| Colorado |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Connecticut |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Delaware |
no state law |
|
|
|
| District of Columbia |
no law |
|
|
|
| Florida |
06/16/09 |
roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less
|
35 mph
|
mini truck
|
| Georgia |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Hawaii |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Idaho |
01/01/09 |
local option
|
no
|
utility type vehicle (UTV)
|
| Illinois |
08/31/07 |
roads with a posted speed limit of less than 35 mph if allowed by local ordinance
|
25 mph
|
neighborhood vehicle
|
| Indiana |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Iowa |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Kansas |
07/01/08 |
public roads except interstate, federal or state highways; within corporate city limits if allowed under local ordinance
|
no
|
micro utility truck
|
| Kentucky |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Louisiana |
08/15/08 |
roads with a posted speed limit of 55 mph or less except interstate highways, controlled access highways, or multi-lane divided highways with partial or no control of access
|
no
|
mini-truck
|
| Maine |
est. 9/09 |
roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less
|
25 mph
|
low-speed vehicle
|
| Maryland |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Massachusetts |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Michigan |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Minnesota |
08/01/09 |
local option
|
local option
|
mini truck
|
| Mississippi |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Missouri |
08/14/08 |
local option
|
45 mph
|
utility vehicle
|
| Montana |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Nebraska |
01/01/11 |
any road except interstate highways, freeways or expressways
|
no
|
minitruck
|
| Nevada |
no state law |
|
|
|
| New Hampshire |
9/11/10 |
roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less located within 25 miles of the registrant's home or place of business
|
no
|
low-speed utility vehicle
|
| New Jersey |
no state law |
|
|
|
| New Mexico |
no state law |
|
|
|
| New York |
no state law |
|
|
|
| North Carolina |
no state law |
|
|
|
| North Dakota |
08/01/07 |
any paved road except highways with a posted speed of more than 65 mph
|
55 mph
|
off-highway vehicle
|
| Ohio |
01/01/17 |
roads with a posted speed limit of less than 35 mph if allowed by local ordinance
(effective 01/01/17) |
35 mph
(effective 01/01/17) |
mini-truck
(effective 01/01/17) |
| Oklahoma |
11/01/08 |
any road except interstate highways
|
no
|
mini-truck
|
| Oregon |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Pennsylvania |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Rhode Island |
no state law |
|
|
|
| South Carolina |
no state law |
|
|
|
| South Dakota |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Tennessee |
07/01/08 |
streets where the posted speed limit is less than 40 mph; a county or municipality may prohibit the operation of medium-speed vehicles on any road under its jurisdiction if the governing body of the county or municipality determines that such a prohibition is necessary in the interest of safety
|
35 mph
|
mini-truck
|
| Texas |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Utah |
10/01/08 |
any road except an interstate freeway; limited access highway; street within a county of the first class; municipality that is within a county of the first class; or municipality with a population of 7,500 or more people
|
45 mph
|
off-highway vehicle or street-legal all-terrain vehicle
|
| Vermont |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Virginia |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Washington |
no state law |
|
|
|
| West Virginia |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Wisconsin |
no state law |
|
|
|
| Wyoming |
01/01/08 |
any road except interstate highways
|
if a multipurpose vehicle is incapable of achieving the maximum speed allowed on the specific highway, it shall be operated on the extreme right hand edge of the roadway
|
multipurpose vehicle
|
About us | Contact us | Press room | Web video index | FAQ