Kei to stay, new Alaska law makes import vehicles roadworthy

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Kei trucks and other K-class vehicles are now road legal in the state of Alaska following the passage of SB 239.

The small Japanese import vehicles have drawn a following among owners who say the compact trucks and vans can handle more than their size suggests.

Since kei trucks are imported vehicles that do not meet federal motor vehicle safety standards, they must be at least 25 years old to be brought into the country, per the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988.

Chris Blankenship drives a 1995 Suzuki Carry and has owned it for about two years after buying it from a previous owner in Tok.

“You don’t need a full-size American truck to do a lot of stuff,” Blankenship said.

He uses the truck for everything from groceries to camping.

“You can do so much with them. I have mine with a cargo carrier on it, the GoPros, the Starlink. I have a truck bed tent for it too,” Blankenship said.

Before SB 239 was passed, Alaska did not align with the federal 25-year import rule.

“Over the decades before, SB 239 came along, folks that would import them thinking that the state would follow the federal 25-year law,” Blankenship said.

While the vehicles could be imported, they couldn’t be registered.

“But before the bill was passed and signed into law, the state of Alaska says, ‘no, you can’t do it,’” he said.

SB 239 was passed last June, aligning Alaska with the federal law and allowing kei trucks that meet the age requirement to be registered as fully road legal.

Blankenship bought his truck in-state and does not have the original import form needed to register it under the new law. To obtain the paperwork, he must take the vehicle out of the state into Canada and back.

“And they’ll check it over, look at the paperwork and do their stamp and go, welcome to the U.S.,” he said.

He is also looking for others in the same situation.

“I’m trying to find out who’s all in the same boat. Because maybe we can drive up there and do them all at once,” Blankenship said.

Prior to the law change, Blankenship’s truck was registered as an all-purpose vehicle, similar to an ATV, allowing for “limited on-road operation,” according to the Alaska DMV.

“It says up to the discretion of law enforcement if they want to pull you over and give you a ticket, tow it, whatever. But I’ve had so many different law enforcement at the city, state and federal — they’re like, ‘we love these things.’ I’ve had folks say, ‘Hey, can I buy it? Can you find one?’” Blankenship said.

Owners say the trucks draw attention from other drivers as well.

“Folks will look at you, they will grin, they will laugh, they’ll say cute truck, they will ask about it,” Blankenship said.

Blankenship said his F350 with a plow has largely been replaced by the kei truck in his daily routine.

“It’s just a really fun truck to drive. My 2000 F350 that has the big plow on it — that stays parked like 99% of the time now, and I drive this,” he said.

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