Mini trucks in New Hampshire, built for the farm, the woodlot and the camp
Read from New Hampshire's own statutes and motor vehicle office.
A truck 25 years or older imported for road use meets a New Hampshire DMV that has no rule written for kei trucks, so road registration is decided truck by truck. A newer truck imported as off road equipment and governed to 25 miles per hour runs on your own land with no registration, and by size it falls within the state's utility terrain vehicle class, which registers with Fish and Game for trails. Both carry wood, sap, feed and gear across farms, woodlots and camps.
Your lane
Which truck are you buying?
New Hampshire treats the two kinds of kei truck differently. Pick yours and this answers for it.
A truck 25 years or older imported for road use meets a New Hampshire DMV with no written rule on kei trucks.
Road use unclearTitle. Model year 1999 and older is not titled. A model year 2000 or 2001 truck bought abroad is titled under Saf-C 1906.04(c) on its HS-7 and foreign registration.
Registration. Decided by the DMV truck by truck when the papers are presented. No rule says how HS-7 box 1 is read.
- No statute or DMV page names kei or mini trucks
- The state inspection program has been suspended since 13 February 2026
Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.
What about a truck 25 years or older?
New Hampshire law does not name kei trucks, and the DMV decides when the papers are presented. Model year 1999 and older is not titled here. We do not promise road use before the DMV decides.
A newer truck imported as off road equipment, governed to 25 miles per hour with an EPA certified nonroad engine, falls within New Hampshire's utility terrain vehicle size limits and its OHRV law.
Utility terrain vehicleWhere it can run
Land you own or lease without registration. Other land with written landowner permission, or verbal permission on designated club trails. Approved trails and trail connectors once registered. Not on the right of way of a public way except where the chapter allows. Never on interstate, toll or limited access highways. Crossings at about ninety degrees after a complete stop.
Title. New Hampshire does not title OHRVs.
Registration. RSA 215-A:1 VI makes any mechanically propelled vehicle used for pleasure or recreational purposes an OHRV, and paragraph XXIV classes a utility terrain vehicle, designed or adapted for travel over surfaces other than maintained roads, no more than 2,000 pounds unladen dry and no more than 65 inches wide, as an OHRV. OHRVs register with Fish and Game and the registration expires each 1 May. RSA 215-A:21 II needs no registration for an OHRV operated solely on land owned or leased by the owner. No one under 18 may register one.
- RSA 215-A:6 III: a reasonable and prudent speed, with prima facie limits of 10 miles per hour near other people and at junctions, 20 on highway rights of way and 35 on approved trails and connectors unless posted
- RSA 215-A:29 I: a person under 14 off land they own or lease must be accompanied at all times by an adult of at least 18, and anyone 12 or older needs approved OHRV training or a valid driver's license
- RSA 215-A:13-a: operators under 18 wear headgear meeting FMVSS 218, and RSA 215-A:29 XXI has UTV operators and passengers under 18 wear a seat belt where one is fitted
- RSA 215-A:14: a headlight and taillight at night, brakes that stop within 40 feet from 20 miles per hour and at least one mirror
- RSA 215-A:12: total vehicle noise no more than 96 decibels on the A scale
Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.
A newer truck comes in only as nonroad equipment, permanently governed to a top speed and with a nonroad engine certified by EPA before import. It pays the same 25 percent truck duty. What that engine needs.
What about a newer truck governed to 25 miles per hour?
On land you own or lease it needs no registration. Beyond that it falls within the utility terrain vehicle limits of 2,000 pounds dry and 65 inches wide, and OHRVs register with Fish and Game. Riders under 14 off their own land need an adult along, and riders 12 and up need OHRV training or a driver's license.
Private land and the farm
On your own ground in New Hampshire.
On private land
On land its owner owns or leases a kei truck needs no OHRV registration, and a truck used only for work is not an OHRV.
The code, section by section
- RSA 215-A:21 II: no OHRV may be operated unless registered, but no registration is required for an OHRV operated solely on land owned or leased by its owner.
- RSA 215-A:1 VI: an OHRV is a vehicle used for pleasure or recreational purposes, so work use alone falls outside the chapter.
Who decides here
Ask the office that decides.
New Hampshire's law does not settle a kei truck on the road plainly, so the office below makes the call on each truck. We ask it with you before you buy.
The deciding office
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles, Title Bureau
Saf-C 1906.04 New and Used Vehicles Purchased Outside the United States: "(c) In the event a used vehicle is purchased in a foreign jurisdiction, the applicant shall furnish the following to the bureau: ... (4) A properly executed verification of vehicle identification number, form TDMV 19A ... (5) Properly executed import documentation, such as the declaration form HS-7, that verifies federal motor vehicle safety ... standards". No statute or rule names kei or mini trucks.The office pagedmv.nh.gov, read 28 October 2026
County by county
The rules in detail.
Where a newer off road truck or a UTV can run in New Hampshire, county by county, as each county's and town's own acts read. Every county on the map above opens its own page.
Statewide
A governed kei truck can be an OHRV in New Hampshire and so use the roads towns and the statute open to OHRVs. RSA 215-A:1 VI makes an OHRV any mechanically propelled vehicle used for pleasure or recreation on rubber tires, tracks or a cushion of air where the operator sits in or on it, with no limit of size or design. The truck also fits the utility terrain vehicle limits of 215-A:1 XXIV at about 55 inches and 1,540 pounds against 65 inches wide and 2,000 pounds unladen dry, a weight limit that rises to 3,499 pounds on 1 May 2028. Whether it was designed or adapted for travel off maintained roads, the UTV test, is a question for Fish and Game, which registers OHRVs. No ruling on a mini truck was found. Under 215-A:21 II it needs no OHRV registration on land the owner owns or leases, and a truck used only for work and not for pleasure is not an OHRV at all. Anywhere else it needs Fish and Game registration. Crossing a road takes a driver's licence or the state OHRV course under 215-A:6 X, and under 215-A:29 a rider under 14 off the family's land needs an adult along. No farm rule puts it on a road. A 25 year kei truck is a road vehicle only if the DMV titles and registers it, which no rule settles. A road registered vehicle is an OHRV only while used for off highway recreation, and 215-A:6 XII keeps an OHRV registered for the road off designated OHRV trails, so a plated truck drives ordinary roads instead.
Belknap County To confirm
In Belknap County no town road opened to OHRVs was found in this pass, so a governed kei truck registered as an OHRV keeps to land it may use and crosses roads only.
In town To confirm
No town street opening was found in the codes read.
County roads Closed
New Hampshire counties keep no public roads. Every local road, class IV to VI, belongs to a town, which opens it under RSA 215-A:6 IX. RSA 215-A:6 IX, read 28 October 2026
State highways Closed
Closed to OHVs.
Carroll County To confirm
In Carroll County no town road opened to OHRVs was found in this pass, so a governed kei truck registered as an OHRV keeps to land it may use and crosses roads only.
In town To confirm
No town street opening was found in the codes read.
County roads Closed
New Hampshire counties keep no public roads. Every local road, class IV to VI, belongs to a town, which opens it under RSA 215-A:6 IX. RSA 215-A:6 IX, read 28 October 2026
State highways Closed
Closed to OHVs.
Cheshire County To confirm
Marlow's town roads carry OHRVs in season by the state's trail page, and the act behind it was not read, so in Cheshire County a governed kei truck registered as an OHRV should check each town before it leaves the trail.
In town To confirm
- Some Marlow. The Bureau of Trails says maintained town roads used by the Marlow club close 4 November and unmaintained town roads close by 15 December unless snow comes. The town's act was not read. Bureau of Trails advisory, read 28 October 2026, read 28 October 2026
County roads Closed
New Hampshire counties keep no public roads. Every local road, class IV to VI, belongs to a town, which opens it under RSA 215-A:6 IX. RSA 215-A:6 IX, read 28 October 2026
State highways Closed
Closed to OHVs.
Coos County Some routes
Coos County holds the state's OHRV road network, with stretches of Routes 3 and 145 and roads in Pittsburg, Clarksville, Stewartstown, Berlin and North Stratford open by statute and town streets open in Berlin and Stratford by their own acts, so a governed kei truck registered with Fish and Game as an OHRV can use them in season.
In town Some
- Some Berlin. City roadways inside the urban compact are open to OHRVs only to reach the Connector Trail by the shortest route and to reach local businesses and services. The Connector Trail runs from Jericho Mountain State Park to Route 110, then Wight Street, Hillside Avenue, York Street, Granite Street, Mason Street, East Mason Street, Hutchins Street and Success Pond Road to the Success line. Streets close when the Bureau of Trails closes the snowmobile trails and reopen on 23 May or the state's date. The council may open streets for named events of two days or less. Code of Ordinances, Chapter 13, Article IV, Division 2, Sec. 13-112, amended through 20 June 2022, read 28 October 2026
- Some Stratford. Christie Road east from the Mag Trail, Perham Road between Christie Road and State Snowmobile Route 7, McMann Road between Charlie's Trail and Bryan's Road, Potato Hill Road from Bog Road to Bog Brook, Percy Road from the Blueberry Hill Trail to about 250 feet short of Holbrook Hill Road, Bog Road from the end of the state section to about 250 feet short of the Bog Pond dam, Diamond Road between about 135 and 810 feet west of Route 3 and Old Mill Road for about 675 feet south of its north junction with Route 3. Potato Hill and Christie roads are sensitive areas at 10 mph. The board reviews the list at least once a year. Town of Stratford OHRV Road Use Policy, approved 19 January 2021, read 28 October 2026
- Some Colebrook. The selectmen adopted an ordinance and policy on OHRV, ATV and UTV permits and use on 10 January 2022 after two public hearings, with permits and decals from June 2022, as the town report states. The ordinance and the roads it opens were not read. Ordinance of 10 January 2022, as the 2022 town report states, read 28 October 2026
- Some Gorham. A 2021 OHRV ordinance lets OHRVs use named town streets only to reach the designated parts of Routes 2 and 16, with a licence and a registration decal and no riding at night, as a search listing quoted it. The text has since left the town's website and was not read in full. 2021 OHRV Ordinance, as quoted, read 28 October 2026
- To confirm Pittsburg. Town roads were not read. The state highways through Pittsburg open by statute are listed below.
County roads Closed
New Hampshire counties keep no public roads. Every local road, class IV to VI, belongs to a town, which opens it under RSA 215-A:6 IX. RSA 215-A:6 IX, read 28 October 2026
State highways Segments open
- Back Lake Road in Pittsburg from the town dump to Route 3 RSA 215-A:10 IV(c), read 28 October 2026
- Route 3 in Pittsburg from Back Lake Road to Route 145 RSA 215-A:10 IV(c), read 28 October 2026
- Route 145 in Pittsburg and Clarksville from Route 3 to Cedar Stream Road RSA 215-A:10 IV(c), read 28 October 2026
- Diamond Pond Road in Stewartstown from the town owned section south to Charles Heath Road RSA 215-A:10 IV(c), read 28 October 2026
- Jericho Lake Road in Berlin from Route 110 to Jericho Mountain State Park RSA 215-A:10 IV(c), read 28 October 2026
- The reduced speed section of Route 3 in North Stratford village, as needed to reach services RSA 215-A:10 IV(c), read 28 October 2026
- Further segments the Bureau of Trails may open in Coos with DOT and Safety approval, such as the Route 2 and 16 parts Gorham's ordinance points to. No list of them was found. RSA 215-A:10 IV(a) and NHDOT Declaratory Ruling and connector policy of 6 October 2017, read 28 October 2026
Berlin Sec. 13-112: all state and city law and all motor vehicle traffic law on city streetsBerlin Sec. 13-112: an unlicensed operator accompanied by a licensed adult of 25 or olderBerlin Sec. 13-112: yield to pedestrians, single file in the paved travel lane, not the shoulderBerlin Sec. 13-112: no OHRV on city streets from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.Berlin Sec. 13-112: working head and tail lightsStratford policy: single file at the far right, off the shoulder, 20 mph or 10 mph in sensitive areas, half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunsetRSA 215-A:21 II: Fish and Game OHRV registration, except on land the owner owns or leasesRSA 215-A:6 III: prima facie 20 mph on highway rights of way and approved class IV to VI roads, 35 mph on trail connectors and approved trailsRSA 215-A:6 I: a lighted headlight and taillight from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunriseRSA 215-A:6 IX: keep to the extreme right and yield to all conventional motor vehicle traffic on an opened roadRSA 215-A:6 X: a driver's licence or the OHRV safety course to cross a public way
Grafton County Towns only
Lisbon opens its town streets and low speed class VI roads to OHRVs riding to the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail from late May to early November, so a governed kei truck registered with Fish and Game as an OHRV can use them, crossing US 302 only at the painted crossing.
In town Some
- Some Lisbon. Any locally maintained town street and any class VI road posted 35 mph or under, to reach the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail, a class IV road or a state approved OHRV trail. US 302 is crossing only, at a painted route from School Street to Hydro Boulevard in front of 6 South Main Street. Closed 4 November to 23 May and from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. The board reviews the ordinance each year by press report. Ordinance, Operation of Off Highway Recreational Vehicles on Town Roads, approved 9 May 2022, effective 23 May 2022, read 28 October 2026
- Some Haverhill. The Bureau of Trails describes a town road ride linking North Haverhill to the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail in Woodsville. The town's act was not read. Bureau of Trails advisory, read 28 October 2026, read 28 October 2026
County roads Closed
New Hampshire counties keep no public roads. Every local road, class IV to VI, belongs to a town, which opens it under RSA 215-A:6 IX. RSA 215-A:6 IX, read 28 October 2026
State highways To confirm
- Grafton is one of two counties where the Bureau of Trails may open state highway segments with DOT and Safety approval, RSA 215-A:10 IV(a). The statute names none in Grafton and no designation was found. Lisbon's ordinance keeps OHRVs off US 302 but for one crossing. RSA 215-A:10 IV(a); Lisbon ordinance of 2022, read 28 October 2026
Lisbon ordinance: licensed under RSA 215-A:29 and a registration decal under 215-A:21Lisbon ordinance: travelled portion, single file, normal traffic patternsLisbon ordinance: prima facie limit of 25 mphLisbon ordinance: no riding from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, or from 4 November to 23 MayLisbon ordinance: working head and tail lights and mufflers meeting RSA 215-A:12Lisbon ordinance: headgear with a strap under 18Lisbon ordinance: eye protection unless the OHRV has a windshieldRSA 215-A:21 II: Fish and Game OHRV registration, except on land the owner owns or leasesRSA 215-A:6 III: prima facie 20 mph on highway rights of way and approved class IV to VI roads, 35 mph on trail connectors and approved trailsRSA 215-A:6 I: a lighted headlight and taillight from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunriseRSA 215-A:6 IX: keep to the extreme right and yield to all conventional motor vehicle traffic on an opened roadRSA 215-A:6 X: a driver's licence or the OHRV safety course to cross a public way
Hillsborough County To confirm
In Hillsborough County a 2026 law lets Windsor open two state roads to OHRVs and Hillsborough's connecting roads carry them in season by the state's trail page, but no act was read that opens a road, so a governed kei truck registered as an OHRV should ask the town first.
In town To confirm
- To confirm Windsor. The select board may open Windsor Road and Black Pond Road under RSA 215-A:10 IV(e), see below. No opening was found. RSA 215-A:10 IV(e), as added by 2026 chapter 150, effective 3 August 2026, read 28 October 2026
- Some Hillsborough. The Bureau of Trails says the class V town roads connecting the Henniker and Hillsborough trails close at sunset on 3 November. The town's act was not read. Bureau of Trails advisory, read 28 October 2026, read 28 October 2026
County roads Closed
New Hampshire counties keep no public roads. Every local road, class IV to VI, belongs to a town, which opens it under RSA 215-A:6 IX. RSA 215-A:6 IX, read 28 October 2026
State highways To confirm
- Windsor Road in Windsor from the Hillsborough line to Black Pond Road, and Black Pond Road from Windsor Road to Miller Road, may be opened by the select board after a hearing and abutter notice with DOT and Safety approval. No opening was found. RSA 215-A:10 IV(e), 2026 chapter 150, effective 3 August 2026, read 28 October 2026
Merrimack County Some routes
Merrimack County carries OHRVs on a statutory connector along Route 114 in Henniker and on town road sections in Henniker and Hopkinton by town acts that were not read, so a governed kei truck registered with Fish and Game as an OHRV can use the connector in season and should check each town road.
In town Some
- Some Henniker. Town Ordinance Chapter 120, Article V, Operation of Off Highway Road Vehicles, lists permitted travel routes on town roads. On 19 August 2025 the select board held a hearing under RSA 215-A:6 IX on OHRV use of Dodge Hill Road, Hemlock Corner Loop and Colleague Pond Road. The Bureau of Trails says the class V connecting roads close 3 November. The chapter itself was not read because the town's site refused the request. Chapter 120, Article V, named in select board minutes of 5 August 2025, read 28 October 2026
- Some Hopkinton. The Bureau of Trails names road sections on Bound Tree Road and Pine Street that close 4 November, and the town noticed a hearing for 26 May 2026 to raise the OHRV speed on Pine Street in Section 5.04 of its ordinance from 10 to 25 mph. The ordinance was not read. Town OHRV ordinance, Section 5.04, as noticed, read 28 October 2026
County roads Closed
New Hampshire counties keep no public roads. Every local road, class IV to VI, belongs to a town, which opens it under RSA 215-A:6 IX. RSA 215-A:6 IX, read 28 October 2026
State highways Segments open
- The trail connector along and across Route 114 in Henniker at the southwest end of Mink Hill Road, May through November, for as long as Henniker and the private land south of Route 114 stay open to public OHRV use. RSA 215-A:10 IV(d), read 28 October 2026
RSA 215-A:21 II: Fish and Game OHRV registration, except on land the owner owns or leasesRSA 215-A:6 III: prima facie 20 mph on highway rights of way and approved class IV to VI roads, 35 mph on trail connectors and approved trailsRSA 215-A:6 I: a lighted headlight and taillight from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunriseRSA 215-A:6 IX: keep to the extreme right and yield to all conventional motor vehicle traffic on an opened roadRSA 215-A:6 X: a driver's licence or the OHRV safety course to cross a public way
Rockingham County To confirm
In Rockingham County no town road opened to OHRVs was found in this pass and the Rockingham Recreational Trail is a rail trail, not a road, so a governed kei truck registered as an OHRV keeps to land it may use and crosses roads only.
In town To confirm
No town street opening was found in the codes read.
County roads Closed
New Hampshire counties keep no public roads. Every local road, class IV to VI, belongs to a town, which opens it under RSA 215-A:6 IX. RSA 215-A:6 IX, read 28 October 2026
State highways Closed
Closed to OHVs.
Strafford County To confirm
Strafford keeps OHRVs off its class V roads and the county's other towns were not read, so in Strafford County a governed kei truck registered as an OHRV keeps to land it may use and crosses roads only.
In town To confirm
- Closed Strafford. No OHRV on any class V road except a crossing under RSA 215-A:6 X, no ATV or trail bike on town or school property and no OHRV on another's land in mud season, from the end of steady snow cover to 31 May. Regulation 2007R1, Regulation of Off Highway Recreational Vehicles, effective 20 March 2007, in the town ordinances updated 11 July 2024, read 28 October 2026
County roads Closed
New Hampshire counties keep no public roads. Every local road, class IV to VI, belongs to a town, which opens it under RSA 215-A:6 IX. RSA 215-A:6 IX, read 28 October 2026
State highways Closed
Closed to OHVs.
Sullivan County To confirm
Claremont opened roads to OHRVs in 2022 by report and Lempster's class VI roads carry them by the state's trail page, but no act was read, so in Sullivan County a governed kei truck registered as an OHRV should check each town first.
In town To confirm
- Some Claremont. The council endorsed a code change letting OHRVs use all class VI roads and named class V roads, and the state OHRV study commission's minutes of June 2023 say the city opened its roads to OHRVs around the clock in 2022. The adopted ordinance was not read. City code change of 2022, as reported, read 28 October 2026
- Some Lempster. The Bureau of Trails says trail bikes may use only the class VI roads open to OHRVs, which tells that some are open. The town's act was not read. Bureau of Trails advisory, read 28 October 2026, read 28 October 2026
County roads Closed
New Hampshire counties keep no public roads. Every local road, class IV to VI, belongs to a town, which opens it under RSA 215-A:6 IX. RSA 215-A:6 IX, read 28 October 2026
State highways Closed
Closed to OHVs.
Engines and EPA
Why the engine decides which truck comes in.
The same three facts hold in New Hampshire and every other state.
The 25 year truck
It comes in on age
A 25 year old kei truck in original configuration clears both agencies on age. No Registered Importer and no Independent Commercial Importer is needed.
EPA's provision asks only that the truck is in its original configuration with the same model of engine it left the factory with.
40 CFR 85.1511(f)(2)eCFR, read 28 October 2026The newer truck
EPA asks for a certified engine
A newer kei truck comes in as nonroad equipment, permanently modified so its top speed is 25 mph or less, with its engine covered by an EPA certificate of conformity before it reaches US Customs. The governor stays for the life of the truck, and removing it is tampering, a federal offense.
Mini-trucks, importing used motor vehicles as nonroad vehiclesEPA, read 28 October 2026Engine size
Why 30 kilowatts decides a newer truck's engine
EPA sorts nonroad gasoline engines by maximum power, not size. Every kei engine is under 1,000 cc, so an engine of 30 kW or less may certify to the small engine standards, and 30 kW is the line that decides. Today's stock kei engines are rated above it, and a speed governor does not lower an engine's maximum power.
Every kei engine family EPA has certified for mini trucks is a lower power certified configuration, between 14.46 and 29.9 kW, under part 90 or part 1054. A certified mini truck engine is that configuration, not the stock engine.
40 CFR 1054.1, the small engine ruleseCFR, read 28 October 2026Small nonroad spark ignition engine certificatesEPA, read 28 October 2026New Hampshire, the five answers
Road, title, land, inspection and what is next.
Some of New Hampshire's answers rest on a general rule or a page that would not open, so they are marked to confirm. We confirm them with the office before a truck goes there.
The roadCan I drive it on the road?
New Hampshire law does not name kei trucks. Its title rule for a used vehicle bought abroad asks for import papers such as the HS-7, and neither statute nor rule says how a 25 year exemption is read, so the DMV's Title Bureau decides truck by truck.
- Saf-C 1906.04(c): a used vehicle purchased in a foreign jurisdiction is titled on the application, the seller's original registration, a report of sale, a VIN verification on form TDMV 19A and properly executed import documentation such as the declaration form HS-7
- The rule describes that import documentation as verifying federal safety, bumper and theft standards. HS-7 box 1 declares a 25 year exemption rather than compliance, and no rule or DMV page says how the Bureau reads it
- No New Hampshire statute, Saf-C rule or DMV page defines, allows or refuses kei trucks or mini trucks. Saf-C 500 on registration has no import or federal label text
- Vehicle safety requirements stay in force under RSA chapter 266 whatever the status of the inspection program
Saf-C 1906.04(c); RSA 261:3; RSA chapter 266. No kei specific law
Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.
TitleHow do I title and register it?
New Hampshire does not title vehicles of model year 1999 or older. A model year 2000 or 2001 truck bought abroad is titled under Saf-C 1906.04(c) on its foreign registration, a VIN verification and its HS-7.
The steps
- Confirm the truck's model year. Model year 1999 or older is not titled in New Hampshire unless the owner asks
- For a titled truck, the town or city clerk prepares the title application and the Title Bureau receives the seller's original foreign registration, a report of sale, a VIN verification on form TDMV 19A and the HS-7
- Ask the Title Bureau before purchase how it reads HS-7 box 1 for the exact truck
- Start registration with the town or city clerk and finish it with the DMV
The documents
- Application for Certificate of Title, form TDMV 23 or 23B, prepared by the town or city clerk
- The seller's original or certified copy of the foreign registration, the Japanese export certificate
- Report of Sale or Transfer of a Non-Titled Motor Vehicle, form TDMV 22A, or a similar form
- Verification of Vehicle Identification, form TDMV 19A
- Import documentation such as the HS-7
- Bill of sale
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles, Title Bureau 603 227 4150, Registration 603 227 4030
LandCan I use it on a farm or private land?
A mini truck is well suited to New Hampshire farms, woodlots, sugarbushes and camps, working on private land with the owner's permission.
Class. Possibly a utility terrain vehicle under RSA 215-A:1 XXIV, a vehicle designed or adapted for travel over surfaces other than maintained roads, no more than 2,000 pounds unladen dry and no more than 65 inches wide. UTVs are classed as off highway recreational vehicles. Whether a mini truck counts as designed or adapted for that travel is not settled by any source found.
Registration. Off highway recreational vehicles register with New Hampshire Fish and Game. New Hampshire does not title OHRVs.
Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.
On the farm
No New Hampshire farm vehicle rule was found that reaches a mini truck.
Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.
InspectionWhat inspection or insurance applies?
Safety. The state vehicle inspection program has been suspended until further notice since the DMV's guidance of 13 February 2026, and stations no longer issue state stickers. Drivers remain responsible for a safe vehicle under RSA chapter 266.
Emissions. The OBD emissions test is part of the same suspended program. A federal court ordered the program kept on 27 January 2026 and the state has appealed, so this can change.
Insurance. No insurance rule specific to kei or mini trucks was found. Ask your insurer about cover for farm and private land use.
Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.
NextWhat is coming?
The utility terrain vehicle weight limit under RSA 215-A:1 XXIV rises from 2,000 to 3,499 pounds unladen dry, under 2026 chapter 211.
1 May 2028
The state's appeal of the federal order on the vehicle inspection program. The state law that ended annual inspections was to take effect 31 January 2026.
Pending at the First Circuit
No 2025 or 2026 bill on kei trucks or mini trucks was found in the General Court.
Checked 28 October 2026
Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.
Questions
Asked about New Hampshire.
Can I register a mini truck for the road in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire law does not name kei trucks, and the DMV has published no rule on them. Registration is decided when the papers are presented, so we do not promise road use here. A truck at least 25 years old with its federal import papers is the one to ask about.
What about a truck 25 years or older?
New Hampshire law does not name kei trucks, and the DMV decides when the papers are presented. Model year 1999 and older is not titled here. We do not promise road use before the DMV decides.
What about a newer truck governed to 25 miles per hour?
On land you own or lease it needs no registration. Beyond that it falls within the utility terrain vehicle limits of 2,000 pounds dry and 65 inches wide, and OHRVs register with Fish and Game. Riders under 14 off their own land need an adult along, and riders 12 and up need OHRV training or a driver's license.
Does it need a title?
New Hampshire does not title vehicles of model year 1999 or older unless the owner asks, so most older trucks travel on their bill of sale and import papers.
Where can I use one?
On farms, woodlots, sugarbushes, camps and other private land with the owner's permission.
Can I ride it on OHRV trails?
Trail vehicles register with Fish and Game. The state's utility terrain vehicle class covers machines up to 2,000 pounds and 65 inches wide that are designed or adapted for off road travel. Ask Fish and Game about the exact truck before you count on trail use.
Is an inspection required?
The state inspection program has been suspended since February 2026 while a court case runs. The owner is still responsible for a safe vehicle.
Upgrades
Upgrades in New Hampshire.
Height and lift. After a height or bumper change, a vehicle other than a private passenger vehicle, such as a kei pickup with a cargo bed, needs bumpers 16 to 30 inches high (RSA 266:9). Headlamps must be 24 to 54 inches (266:31(I)).
Tires and fenders. A vehicle without proper fenders must have fender guards or flaps to reduce throw and spray (RSA 266:57). Each tire needs a tread depth of at least 2/32 inch (266:48-a(I)). No tire size cap or trimming rule found.
Lights. At most 2 spot lamps and 3 auxiliary driving lamps at 12 to 42 inches (RSA 266:37). Aftermarket LED light bars, pod lights and roof lights may not be lit on a way (266:37(IV)). Private plows may show amber lights only while plowing (266:78-h).
Modification and inspection. A vehicle changed beyond the height or bumper limits may not be driven on any way without the director's prior approval (RSA 266:9). The director may set equipment standards by rule for vehicles altered into the special motor vehicle category (266:8-a).
From the upgrades chapter of Mini Truck Roadbook, the 2026 to 2027 edition, with the statute after each rule.
Getting it there
Where New Hampshire's truck comes ashore.
From the nearest port where a sailing from Japan is on record. Road miles are an estimate, the straight line times 1.2, not a routed drive.
Sources
Every source read, 28 October 2026
- dmv.nh.gov/search
- dmv.nh.gov/search
- dmv.nh.gov/vehicles-boats-and-titles/vehicle-registrations
- dmv.nh.gov/vehicles-boats-and-titles/inspections-emissions
- dmv.nh.gov/vehicles-boats-and-titles/exempt-vehicles
- gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XVIII/215-A/215-A-1.htm
- gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XVIII/215-A/215-A-mrg.htm
- gc.nh.gov/rules/state_agencies/saf-c1900.html
- gc.nh.gov/rules/state_agencies/saf-c500.html
- dmv.nh.gov/contact-us
- gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx
The public record of New Hampshire as read on 28 October 2026, not legal advice. Every kei truck pays the 25 percent truck duty, the chicken tax, whatever its age.
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