Kei Vans: Cost, Duty and What to Know
A kei van is the same size as a kei truck with a box body. CBP treats vans built mainly for passengers as passenger vehicles, so the duty is lower than a truck’s. A plain cargo van pays the truck rate.
What kei vans asked
$4,977–
Typical: about $9,900.
What 26 kei vans 25 years or older asked at one dealer on Nov. 10, 2026. Asking prices, not what anyone paid. One dealer, so use it as a guide, not a market.
What duty does a van pay? →What is a kei van?
What it is, and the vans we found for sale.
What is a kei van?
A kei van is a boxy microvan built to Japan’s kei class: 660 cc or less, about 11 feet long. CBP’s January 2026 ruling describes two of them: a 1992 Subaru Sambar Van, 129.7 inches long with a 660 cc gasoline engine, and a 1990 Suzuki Every, about 130 inches long with a 650 cc engine. Both seat a driver and passenger in front, and the second row has seats bolted to the floor with no barrier between them and the cargo area, plus sliding doors with windows and a rear liftgate with a window. (CBP ruling HQ H302977 ↗.) That is the same length as the 1990s kei trucks on this site.
Which vans, and what they asked
- Subaru Sambar6 priced, typical $16,900$4,977–
$18,995 - Suzuki Every4 priced, typical $6,700$5,995–
$6,836 - Daihatsu Atrai4 priced, typical $9,100$7,844–
$11,995 - Honda Street4 priced, typical $6,800$5,982–
$12,995 - Mitsubishi Town Box2 priced$10,995–
$12,900 - Honda Vamos2 priced$9,600–
$16,995 - Daihatsu Hijet2 priced$6,615–
$11,900 - Mitsubishi Bravo1 priced$9,800
- Subaru Domingo1 priced$10,080
26 priced vans, 10 of them under $8,000. Kei Truck Direct, first page of its kei-vans list, Nov. 10, 2026: 33 vans were 25 years or older, 7 of them say “Contact for price”. Newer vans (2017–2025) are left out because they are not 25-year-old imports. The Subaru Sambar vans asked the most (up to $18,995). Kei truck prices are separate.
What duty does a kei van pay?
Duty is charged on the truck or van’s purchase price. A van built for passengers is usually cheaper to import than a truck.
- Kei truckGoods vehicle (tariff 8704.31). CBP rulings on the Daihatsu Hijet mini dumper and other mini trucks.25%
- Kei van built for passengersWindows, carpeting, A/C, rear seats: a passenger vehicle at 2.5% base (tariff 8703.21.00). The total from Japan is 15% on one reading and 12.5% on another: see the box below.12.5% to 15%
- Plain cargo vanA van with rear bench seats but a bare cargo area was ruled a goods vehicle (tariff 8704.31.00). The ruling was on a Nissan S-Cargo, which is not a kei van.25%
- On a $5,000 purchase price: a truck pays 25%
- $1,250
- A van built for passengers pays 12.5% to 15%
- $625 to $750
- The van saves
- $500 to $625
Where the 15% comes from, and why it may be 12.5%
On Jan. 28, 2026, CBP ruled that the Sambar Van and Every, which have rear seats, windows, carpeting and air conditioning, are passenger vehicles: tariff 8703.21.00, with a general rate of 2.5% (HQ H302977 ↗). The ruling says it does not address any additional duties. The tariff schedule has a Section 232 vehicle line for passenger vehicles, minivans and cargo vans that are products of Japan with a normal rate under 15%: it sets 15% in total (tariff line 9903.94.41 ↗, read Nov. 10, 2026; CBP notice ↗). In May 2023 CBP ruled the other way for the Nissan S-Cargo (not a kei van: 1,480 cc), which had second-row bench seats but a bare, uncarpeted cargo area with no seatbelts: a goods vehicle at 8704.31.00, 25% (HQ H318061 ↗). So how the van is built decides the rate. We then read note 33 to the tariff schedule (Nov. 10, 2026): the Section 232 vehicle lines, including 9903.94.41, apply only to the tariff numbers listed in its subdivision (b), which includes 8703.22.01 and up and 8704.31.01 but not 8703.21.01, the number for an engine up to 1,000 cc, which a kei van has. By that text the 15% line may not cover a kei van. If it does not, the Section 301 action on Japan (in effect July 24, 2026) tops the 2.5% base rate up to 12.5% in total, unless one of its Annex lists (published as images, which we could not read) exempts it. So the answer is 15% or 12.5%, and we cannot say which. Ask your broker, in writing, which rate your van pays before you ship. Import cost calculator
Are kei vans street legal?
What the official text says, and what it does not show.
Is a kei van street legal where I live?
Our 51 state pages cover kei trucks. We read fourteen big states’ official text for vans (below) and did not research the other 36 or DC. Illinois’ statute was read from an Internet Archive copy of the state’s site (June 2025), because the live site would not load for us; we did not read Ohio’s van rules. One more state statement names vans: Massachusetts’ RMV reinstated kei truck, car and van registrations from Sept. 18, 2024, a policy, not a statute. For any state, ask your DMV about the exact van and its year, and get the answer in writing before you buy. The federal 25-year import rule is the same as for trucks.
Fourteen states, read at the official text
- ArizonaThe title rule (R17-4-206) covers “a foreign-manufactured vehicle imported to the United States” and exempts one “older than 25 years” from the conversion certificates. No body style is named. Read from Cornell’s copy of the Administrative Code.Any import
- CaliforniaThe DMV’s imported-vehicle page covers any direct import and asks for emissions and smog evidence, so a van is no easier than a truck. Only the weight certificate is for trucks and pickups.Same as trucks
- ColoradoHB25-1281 defines a “kei vehicle” as a vehicle, not a truck, with an engine of 1,000 cc or less, 140 inches long or less, four or more tires, “an enclosed passenger cab”, imported, 25 years or older. A van fits. Our Colorado page says titling starts Jan. 1, 2028; roads posted 55 mph or less.Vans fit
- FloridaThe “mini truck” definition (Fla. Stat. 320.01(44)) says “truck”, with a top speed of 55 mph. A van is not a truck in that text, so the 35 mph street rule may not cover it. How FLHSMV registers a kei van is not shown.Trucks only
- GeorgiaThe Revenue Department bars titling and registering “Japanese kei vehicles, minitrucks and similar vehicles”, even with an out-of-state title. That wording is broader than trucks, so a van is very likely covered. It does not use the word “van”.Kei vehicles barred
- Illinois625 ILCS 5/3-401(c-1) says a vehicle “may not be registered by the Secretary of State unless that vehicle: (1) was originally manufactured for operation on highways” (or was modified from, or assembled from parts for, such a vehicle). It names no body style, so it covers a van as much as a truck. We read it from an Internet Archive copy (June 2025) of the state’s site; the live site would not load.Any vehicle not built for highways
- MichiganThe Secretary of State says kei-class vehicles “including mini-trucks and microvans 25 years old and older” can be titled and registered for on-road use, with import papers if never titled in the US. Under 25 years: off-road title only.Microvans named
- New YorkThe DMV “will not register or title any Kei-class vehicle” without proof of federal safety and EPA emissions compliance. “Any Kei-class vehicle” includes vans, and a 25-year-old van does not have that proof, so it is no easier than a truck.All kei-class
- North CarolinaA “mini-truck” is a vehicle “designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property”, 130 inches long or less (G.S. 20-4.01), on roads posted 55 mph or less. A passenger van is not addressed. Read from FindLaw’s copy: the state site blocked us.Defined by use
- OregonThe DMV says kei class vehicles “cannot be titled or registered in Oregon because they were not manufactured for U.S. highways”. Only “mini-trucks” can be titled, as an off-road ATV. A van is not a mini-truck.No road route
- PennsylvaniaPennDOT defines a “mini truck” as a kei vehicle “used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property”, 130 inches long or less. Road registration only with a Dec. 1, 2021 grandfather letter. A van used for passengers is not addressed.Defined by use
- TennesseeThe Revenue Department’s import checklist is for any imported vehicle: certificate of origin, bill of sale, HS-7 and a photo of the US safety label, which a 25-year-old van does not have. No body style or kei wording. Our Tennessee page says county clerks reportedly differ.Any import
- TexasS.B. 1816 (in force June 2025) covers a “miniature vehicle”: four or more tires, complies with federal law, not a golf cart or off-highway vehicle. It does not say “truck”, so a van is not excluded by the text. Whether TxDMV titles a 25-year-old van is not shown.No body style named
- VirginiaDMV policy VLIC-3.330 (revised Feb. 25, 2025) covers “any vehicle” brought into the US, and its table lists a vehicle over 25 years old as exempt from safety-standard proof, with full registration. No body style is named.Any import
- WashingtonWAC 308-56A-115(5) asks for a CBP Entry Summary form with the ownership document for “my vehicle … from a foreign country”, and names no body style. We found no mini-truck or van provision in the RCW or WAC text we read. Whether the State Patrol VIN inspection or DOL accepts a 25-year-old kei van is not shown: the DOL page we read does not discuss imports and the State Patrol page would not load.Any foreign vehicle
Read Nov. 10, 2026: the Texas bill text, Florida Statutes 316.2122 and 320.01 (2025), the California DMV imported-vehicle page, the Michigan Secretary of State FAQ, Georgia Revenue Policy Bulletin MVD-2023-05 the PennDOT mini trucks FAQ, Colorado’s HB25-1281, North Carolina G.S. 20-4.01 and 20-121.1 (FindLaw copy), Arizona R17-4-206 (Cornell copy), Virginia DMV policy VLIC-3.330, the New York DMV and Tennessee Revenue import pages and the Oregon DMV vehicle types page. Statutes and agency pages only, no DMV staff or case law.
Kei vans for sale near the typical price
Five vans of different models, picked because their prices are closest to the typical price. Each link opens the dealer’s own page for that van.
- 2000 Honda Vamos ↗Kei Truck Direct, NY · 71,520 mi · seen Nov. 10$9,600
- 1996 Mitsubishi Bravo ↗Kei Truck Direct, NY · 46,292 mi · seen Nov. 10$9,800
- 1999 Daihatsu Atrai ↗Kei Truck Direct, NY · 79,396 mi · seen Nov. 10$9,995
- 1997 Subaru Domingo ↗Kei Truck Direct, NY · 61,800 mi · seen Nov. 10$10,080
- 1999 Mitsubishi Town Box ↗Kei Truck Direct, NY · 85,630 mi · seen Nov. 10$10,995
Asking prices on the day we looked. A van may be sold by now, and these are not offers or recommendations. All dealers by state.
Kei vans: questions
What is a kei van?
A boxy microvan built to Japan’s kei class: 660 cc or less and about 11 feet long. Vans such as the Subaru Sambar Van and Suzuki Every seat a driver, a passenger and rear-seat passengers, with sliding side doors and a rear liftgate.
How much does a kei van cost?
At one dealer on Nov. 10, 2026, 25-year-old kei vans asked $4,977 to $18,995, and the typical price was about $9,900. These are asking prices from one dealer’s first page, not a market survey.
Is a kei van cheaper to import than a kei truck?
Often, in duty. CBP ruled in January 2026 that two kei vans built for passengers are passenger vehicles (2.5% base rate), and the tariff schedule line for Japan-made vehicles (15% in total) may not list a kei van’s tariff number, in which case the total is 12.5%; either is lower than the 25% for a kei truck. A plain cargo van can be ruled a truck, at 25%. Ask your broker which rate your van pays, in writing.
Are kei vans street legal?
We read fourteen big states’ official text. Michigan names microvans (25 and older can go on-road), Colorado’s definition covers any vehicle with an enclosed passenger cab, Georgia bars “kei vehicles” in general, Texas, Arizona and Virginia name no body style, Florida’s mini-truck rule says “truck”, North Carolina and Pennsylvania define a mini truck by use, California’s imported-vehicle rules cover any import, New York’s refusal covers “any Kei-class vehicle”, and Oregon names no road route for vans. Massachusetts reinstated kei truck, car and van registrations in 2024. For any state, ask your DMV about the exact van and year.
Does a kei van have to be 25 years old?
For the federal import rule, yes, counted from the month it was built, the same as for a truck.
Do kei vans have rear seats?
Many do, including the two vans in CBP’s January 2026 ruling. But rear seats alone do not decide the duty: CBP looks at how the van is built, such as windows, carpeting and other passenger features. Check the exact van.
Where these facts come from
What we did: read CBP ruling HQ H302977 (Jan. 28, 2026) in full, the US tariff schedule lines for passenger vehicles and the Japan Section 232 line, CBP’s notice on the Japan agreement, CBP ruling HQ H318061 (May 23, 2023, Nissan S-Cargo), and Kei Truck Direct’s own kei-vans list (first page, Nov. 10, 2026), writing down every van 25 years or older with its price and a link. We also read the Texas bill text, Florida Statutes 316.2122 and 320.01, California’s imported-vehicle page, Michigan’s Secretary of State FAQ, Georgia’s policy bulletin, PennDOT’s FAQ, Colorado’s HB25-1281, North Carolina’s statutes, Arizona’s administrative code and Virginia DMV’s import policy, the New York, Tennessee and Oregon pages, and our own state data for Massachusetts.
What this does not cover: state rules for vans outside the states above (Washington: only the title rule WAC 308-56A-115 was read, not DOL or State Patrol import guidance; Ohio’s van rules were not read and Illinois came from an archived copy of the statute; North Carolina and Arizona were read from copies of the law, not the state sites), other dealers’ prices, the Annex I and II exemption lists of the Section 301 notice (images), whether 8703.21.01 vans are covered by 9903.94.41 in CBP practice, how CBP would rule on a specific van, specs for each van model beyond the two in the ruling, and any trend. Duty rates change, so confirm with a customs broker. General information, not legal or customs advice.
How we check facts: our method.
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