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Road legal in what states?

Discussion in 'EPA Regulations' started by bclongdrive, Aug 10, 2010.

  1. bclongdrive

    bclongdrive New Member

    Does anyone have a list of States where mini trucks can be driven on the road legally?

    Thanks!
    Brett
     
  2. Stuff99

    Stuff99 Moderator Staff Member

    if you have canadian plates you are road legal in the USA.
     
  3. Might have to look into dual citzenship :O)
     
  4. Daner

    Daner Member

    off road highway vehicle in North Dakota
    contrary to the name they are legal on 2 lane highways
    truck must have seat belts, steering wheel, real seats not like an atv seat, legal non knobby tires, and the highway patrol has to come out and make sure it's all good.
    idk about other states
     
  5. wreck

    wreck Member

    Good info. I know a guy from Hillsboro that was checking mine out yesterday wondering if it would be legal in ND.
     
  6. Stuff99

    Stuff99 Moderator Staff Member

    good news from ND
     
  7. erixun

    erixun Member

    Here is a quick down and dirty to give you some idea, of course this doesnt cover any city / county ordinances and may not be completely up to date... of course check with your DMV office.

    http://www.iihs.org/laws/minitrucks.aspx
     
  8. Daner

    Daner Member

    Great info there on that site Thanks!
     
  9. crisco

    crisco New Member

    yes, great info... also the following quote from the above site should help some others on here feel more at ease:

    "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. Seventeen 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)."
     
  10. wreck

    wreck Member

    Here's another tip: If you do get one registered in a state that they aren't legal in don't assume it will be clear sailingjust because you have a plate & insurance. Any guesses how I know this one???
     
  11. Acerguy

    Acerguy Moderator Staff Member

    Inquiring minds want to know. :D
     
  12. erixun

    erixun Member

    There has to be a great background story behind this.... :pop::pop::pop:
     
  13. Stuff99

    Stuff99 Moderator Staff Member

    :pop::pop::pop::pop::pop::pop::pop:
     
  14. wreck

    wreck Member

    OK - here's the story.

    I live in MN & bought my truck from a family member in SD. So when I was driving through SD and grabbed the paperwork for the truck from my cousin with the agreememnt to buy if MN titled & plated it as the truck was completely worthless to me w/o plates. I brought the title in to the local deputy registrar and did the title transfer. When the title went across someones desk in StPaul they choked slightly and asked for pics of the truck. I emailed the pics and they issued the title and plates as a regular motor vehicle.

    Feb, Mar, Apr, & into May I used the truck as my daily driver w/o any problems. I know for a fact that the local PD ran the plate to confirm that I hadn't registered it as a Tracker or done something sketchy to get plates. I have a business in my town so they know me & would even waive on ocassion. On Mothers Day I was outside of town on running out to a local farm. It was 8:30am and there was zero cars on the road. The first car I come across was a MN trooper and he politely stopped me and gave me a warning ticket stating that minitrucks weren't legal in MN.

    The next morning I went into the local PD and spoke with the chief about the stop. He said yeah they aren't technically legal but knew mine was legit as far as the licensing went. He told me about a local ordinance coming up for vote soon regarding golf carts, atv's and mini-trucks. He told me about the MN senate vote coming up too. I asked him if he wanted me to park it till all that was sorted out, "nope, your'e fine" he said.

    About 10 days later I get a typed & hand signed letter in the mail from the state saying that my plates and title were being revoked with a name & number to call with questions. I called the number and talked to the lady and was informed that the trooper called and talked to the director of that department to get my plates and title pulled. She told me the state made a mistake plating the vehicle so they had to pull them. I asked her if the state was going to buy the truck from me since I now have a $4000 boat anchor in my garage that I would have never bought if they wouldn't have plated it. Feel free to guess the answer on that.

    There is a couple things that burn my a$$ about the situation.
    They knew exactly what they were titling. I did nothing fraudulant to aquire plates for the vehicle. If any of us make a mistake we have to live with it but not the state.

    The chicken$h*t way the trooper went about it not by mentioning anything to me about getting my plates pulled, And even calling the director of the right dept to get them pulled.He never said anything during the stop. He even dropped by some minitruck info a couple days after the stop. I think there are a couple kinds of LEO's, the public servant protect & serve type of guy AND the guy that got dirt kicked in his face/ wedgies/ etc as a kid. I think the bulk of LEO's fall into the first catagory, Pretty sure the trooper I ran across falls into the second.

    OK - I'm done.
     
  15. erixun

    erixun Member

    That is BS! So is there is any recourse? Appeal process? Is there a specific law stating they are not allowed? According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website says it is a local option in your state. Whatever that means.

    And are you sure it was that trooper? If he just gave you a warning maybe he relayed the story to another dick in the department who does "lunches" with the director. Who knows, either way, I agree it is BS. They should have fixed the error with the department of motor vehicles... as in not to allow any more.... but leave yours alone, it was already done. Especially since your local PD was ok with it, and I guarantee the cops ran your plate as you were driving around, they wondered what the %$#@ that thing was!

    Do you know if the street legal atv vote thing passed will pass and will that change anything?

    Sorry about your experience... that certainly sucks.
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2011
  16. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    I'd stay cool and clam and wait on the local ordinance. Take your truck down there at the meeting and let the powers to be look at it and or drive it.
    About a year ago we had the city of Lockhart,Tx make golf carts, side by sides ect. legal within the city limits. Several small east Texas communities have done the same.
    Its all about educating the right people that have the final say.
    Keeping a cool head is always highly recommended.
     
  17. wreck

    wreck Member

    No recourse. Dead in the water till the local thing gets voted on then I'd be good to go. If it gets shot down I'll sell the truck then. Could be a couple months.

    I'm 300 miles from the office that handles this stuff so I doubt it was a "lunch" thing. I was told the trooper called in. He even went into the local license office and reprimanded them.


    I've already spoken with the chief about that and offered up the truck for the city councel to touch/drive/whatever. He thought it was a good idea and said he might take me up on the offer.
     
  18. socsmm6

    socsmm6 Member

    there has to be one of those ambulance chasing type lawyers that smells a good law suit out there somewhere that would love to get your case.
    good luck with your truck.
     
  19. Scooter

    Scooter Member

    As far as I know they are legal in Montana. I drove mind 175 miles on the Interstatate just to get it home on father's day and a couple time sense. As for title and plates. The DMV called it a 1/4 ton truck and gave me a life time plate. Insurance was no worries either. OK, don't everyone move to Montana.
     
  20. TetsuKuma

    TetsuKuma Member

    States with an OK attitude

    Washington state is good to go too. Licensed, titled (with Japanese import papers!), insured. Would not want to drive on the Interstate but anywhere else is good to go. Four years and counting. We have quite a few around now, some with Farm exempt stickers good for the life of the vehicle, some with regular plates.
     
  21. Guytouk

    Guytouk New Member

    legal in texas??

    With the link gaven by Erixun, Texas show ''no state law'' so if i have a Suz,Carry with left steering weel, plate in Quebec and insurance also with 14 in. tires, can i go on secondary road, i can understand i have no place on majeur hyway road but i been there and full of back contry road that can bring you almost anywhere ... Any info? Guytouk of the great north.

    But soon, spending winter there.....
     
  22. wreck

    wreck Member

    Forgot about this thread. As of ~10/15/11 mine is back on the road. The city passed the ordinance and so did the county. I need to stay off state controlled roads but city & county I'm fine.

    $20 annual permit from the city and since the insurance now sees it as an ATV it's $21/ year for full coverage insurance.
     
  23. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    Which County? I'm just trying to keep track for my records when I go for a Statewide bill (again) next year :pop:
     
  24. wreck

    wreck Member

    Polk County - City of Crookston
     
  25. Flying Fish

    Flying Fish New Member

    Just talked to the Assistant Police Chief in West Fargo, ND this afternoon. He gave the green light to use around town!
     
  26. wreck

    wreck Member

    Aren't they legal on all county roads in ND?
     
  27. Daner

    Daner Member

    Yep and even on 2 lane state highways but not legal on any 4 lanes. As long as the speed limit is below 65 I think it's ok.
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2011
  28. Flying Fish

    Flying Fish New Member

    Daner's right about being legal on all 2 lane state highways. But I wasn't sure about operating within city limits. In ND, the city ordinances are considered the governing body (according to the state century code). I guess all side-by-sides (gators, rangers, etc.) are ok in West Fargo city limits as long as they're registered and have blinkers, wipers, lights, etc. etc.

    Funny part is no one really seemed to know what a mini truck was! They just looked at it a lumped in with all other UTVs. I haven't heard from the Fargo PD, but I'll post something when I do.
     
  29. Hello; New here, but would like to comment. I live north of Dallas,Tx and have had mini trucks since 06. bought a container and then used them for a Security job for 2 yrs. I am ex Chief of Police of suburb of Ft. Worth and went on to be elected three times as Magistrate. The truck in my avitar is a 2000 Mitsubishi, auto, 4wd, a/c. I drive it everywhere, has a toll tag for NTTA. Is insured with State Farm. I tow bar/ or trailer in behind a 40 ft diesel pusher. Wife and I drove in all over Mo, Ark, Ok, Texas, NMex. I have never been pulled over by police.. I drove it last weekend from Ft. Worth (on I-35) 2-1/2 hours to Gatesville Prison to visit, and then back about 223 miles. ave 40 mpg at 110 KPH. Guess that kind of dispels the legality issue so to speak. The DOT law of each state has a reciprosity clause of each states traffice laws and if it were't so we couldn't drive to each state. A officer can only enforce law.. cannot interpet or legislate.. It is tagged in Texas, currently use it on a security assignment with a major oil company on drilling sites.
    Note: The law will work for you, as well as against you.
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2012
  30. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    Just a warning, they aren't street legal in Texas so your tag is invalid. Just like those guys who got busted a few years back for importing high-end Japanese sports cars and supposedly making them street legal with titles.

    More than one person on this forum has had their titled mini get impounded or the title seized because the title/plates weren't legally issued. You probably won't get fined or have your truck impounded due to your status as an ex-police chief but not all of us are that lucky.
     

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