Disclosure: this guide contains referral links, marked where they appear. Market data is independently measured from public sources on the dates shown.
Maryland appears in every state-by-state list as a refusal. The usual summary is that the MVA has no framework for these vehicles and will not plate one.
The MVA’s own instructions for overseas vehicles do not obviously say that. They say the US DOT declaration, form HS-7, must be submitted with box 1 or box 2A checked — and box 1 is the 25-year exemption, the box every kei truck importer checks.
So either Maryland accepts the 25-year route on paper and stops the vehicle somewhere further down the process, or the published instructions and the practice have drifted apart. This page sets out exactly what the documents say, where the real gate probably is, and what to ask — because a $6,000 purchase should not rest on a summary.
I research Japan’s used vehicle market from Sapporo.
The Short Answer
- Every secondary source says Maryland refuses road registration. None quotes a Maryland statute or bulletin naming kei vehicles.
- The MVA’s overseas-vehicle instructions accept HS-7 box 1, which is the 25-year exemption rather than a compliance declaration.
- The likely gate is the “non-conforming” sentence and the Maryland State Police safety inspection, not the import paperwork.
- You must title within 60 days of entry into the United States. That clock is short and it is easy to miss.
- Insurance minimums are 30/60/15, with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage mandatory at matching limits.
- Private-property use is unaffected.
What the MVA Actually Asks For
Maryland’s MVA publishes instructions for titling a gray-market or overseas vehicle. The federal paperwork requirement reads, in substance: the US DOT declaration (form HS-7) must be submitted with either box 1 or box 2A checked, and the EPA importation form 3520 must be submitted with information matching the HS-7. If box 2B or 3 is checked, additional documentation is required.
Here is why that matters. On the NHTSA HS-7 declaration:
| Box | What it declares | Used by a kei truck? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The vehicle is at least 25 years old and may be imported without regard to FMVSS compliance | Yes — this is the box |
| 2A | Originally manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS, bearing the manufacturer’s permanently affixed certification label | No |
| 3 | A non-conforming vehicle imported by a registered importer for conformance work | No |
Box 1 is not a statement that the vehicle meets American standards. It is the opposite — a declaration that the vehicle is old enough that the standards do not apply to its importation. And Maryland’s instructions list it as acceptable alongside box 2A.
I am not going to tell you that means Maryland will register your truck. It plainly conflicts with what everyone reports. But it does tell you that the refusal, if it comes, is not coming from the import paperwork — and knowing where a process actually stops is worth more than knowing that it stops.
Where the Gate Probably Is
Two further requirements in the same instructions are the candidates.
The conformity sentence. The MVA states that before a vehicle can be titled in Maryland it must meet the safety, pollution control and other specifications; a vehicle that does not is “non-conforming,” and the owner must have it modified so that it becomes “conforming” before applying to the MVA.
Read strictly, that is a general requirement that swallows the box 1 allowance — a 25-year-old kei truck is non-conforming and cannot be modified into conformity, because conformity means a manufacturer’s FMVSS certification that no shop can create. This is the same logic California applies explicitly, and it is the most likely explanation for Maryland’s reputation.
The Maryland State Police safety inspection. Maryland requires a Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate, valid for only 90 days from issue, certifying that the vehicle meets Maryland safety standards. This is a state roadworthiness inspection rather than a federal certification, and it is a different test — lights, brakes, tyres, glazing, steering. A well-sorted kei truck could plausibly pass a test of that kind. Whether an inspection station will accept the vehicle for inspection at all is the practical question.
So the question to put to the MVA in writing is narrow and answerable: “Given an HS-7 with box 1 checked for a vehicle over 25 years old, and a passing Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate, will the Administration issue a title and registration?” Send it, keep the reply, and buy afterwards. That is the single most valuable thing a Maryland buyer can do, and it costs an email.
The 60-Day Clock
One requirement in Maryland’s instructions is easy to miss and hard to fix: the vehicle must be titled within 60 days of entry into the United States.
Sixty days from the port, not from the day it reaches your driveway. On a typical import that window covers customs clearance, inland transport, the arrival service and the paperwork — which is comfortable if you have planned for it and tight if you have not. If you are shipping to Maryland, start the title enquiry before the vessel arrives rather than after.
Insurance
Requirements are set out by the Maryland MVA.
Maryland requires liability of at least $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 property damage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is mandatory, at the same limits as your liability coverage unless you specifically elect otherwise — so the practical floor is 30/60/15 twice over.
Maryland is also strict about lapses: the state pursues uninsured motorist penalties on registered vehicles, so a registration you are not using is still a registration that must stay insured.
The import-specific friction applies as everywhere: a Japanese chassis number is not a 17-character VIN, online quote forms will reject it, and you will be doing this by telephone. Ask for agreed value rather than actual cash value.
What Maryland Owners Actually Do
- Use it on land they own or control. No title, plate or permission required, and nothing on this page affects it. Maryland’s Eastern Shore and western counties have a great deal of this ground.
- Ask the MVA the narrow question above, rather than the general “are kei trucks legal” question, which invites the general answer.
- Keep the 60-day clock in view if there is any chance of titling.
- Look across the line before committing. Maryland is surrounded by states with different answers — Pennsylvania offers the antique route at one day a week, Virginia refuses via the low-speed vehicle class, and West Virginia runs a special purpose vehicle class. Registration follows where you actually live, so this matters only if you genuinely live there.
For Reference: What These Trucks Cost
This is the Japan-side market, measured August 19, 2026 — every eligible truck listed publicly in Japan, at ¥159/USD:
| Model | Listings in Japan | Median price in Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Subaru Sambar | 78 | ¥364,000 (≈$2,289) |
| Mitsubishi Minicab | 64 | ¥394,000 (≈$2,478) |
| Honda Acty | 80 | ¥398,000 (≈$2,503) |
| Suzuki Carry | 99 | ¥399,000 (≈$2,509) |
| Daihatsu Hijet | 60 | ¥453,000 (≈$2,849) |
Landed cost runs about $4,800–6,700 depending on specification, itemised in the cost guide, with the raw dataset published so you can recount any figure.
One Maryland-specific note on specification. If there is any prospect of a state safety inspection, buy the truck that would pass one: intact glass, working wipers and washers, a functioning speedometer, sound brakes and tyres, and all lighting present. Those are the ordinary inspection failures on a 25-year-old work vehicle, and they are exactly what the auction sheet’s free-text notes record — the auction sheet guide covers where. Maryland also salts its roads, so read the C codes for corrosion as well, per the Michigan guide.
Maryland is a property-truck state until the MVA tells you otherwise in writing — and it is worth asking, because the published instructions are more permissive than the reputation. Either way condition decides the purchase, and CAR FROM JAPAN publishes the inspector’s auction sheet with each vehicle. My referral code takes $100 off a first purchase: enter KEITRUCK at the order step (referral link).
FAQ
Are kei trucks legal in Maryland?
Legal to import, own and use on private property. Road registration is widely reported as refused, though Maryland does not appear to publish a bulletin or statute naming kei vehicles, and its overseas-vehicle instructions accept an HS-7 with box 1 checked — the 25-year exemption. Ask the MVA the narrow question set out above before buying.
What is HS-7 box 1?
The declaration that a vehicle is at least 25 years old and may be imported without regard to FMVSS compliance. It is not a statement that the vehicle meets American safety standards — box 2A is that declaration, and it requires the manufacturer’s permanently affixed certification label.
Why do guides say Maryland refuses?
The most likely basis is the MVA’s requirement that a vehicle meet Maryland’s safety and pollution specifications before titling, with a “non-conforming” vehicle having to be modified into conformity first. An imported kei truck cannot be made conforming in that sense, because conformity means a manufacturer’s certification.
How long do I have to title an imported vehicle in Maryland?
The MVA’s instructions require titling within 60 days of the vehicle’s entry into the United States. That runs from the port, not from delivery.
What insurance does Maryland require?
$30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 property damage, plus mandatory uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at matching limits unless you elect otherwise.
Can I use one on my own land in Maryland?
Yes, without title, plate or permission. Nothing on this page restricts private-property use.