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South Dakota · Kei truck guide

South Dakota kei truck registration guide

Titled as an ATV · motorcycle plate · no interstate use

South Dakota does have a documented pathway to title and plate a kei truck, but not as a truck. The Division of Motor Vehicles Procedures Manual has a section headed 'Mini Trucks' that directs these vehicles to be titled as an ATV and issued a motorcycle plate, and the resulting vehicle may not be operated on the interstate highway system.

Bottom line for South Dakota

  • The DMV Procedures Manual treats an imported vehicle not built to US standards as an 'unconventional vehicle' and directs that it be titled as an ATV.
  • A motorcycle plate is issued, and a Four Wheel All-Terrain Vehicle affidavit must be submitted with the application.
  • The manual states the licensed unconventional vehicle may not be operated on the interstate highway. SDCL 32-20-13 makes interstate operation a Class 2 misdemeanor.
  • SDCL 32-20-13 requires a four-wheel ATV to be 200cc or more and to meet motorcycle equipment standards before it can be licensed under chapter 32-5.
  • The controlling agency document is dated 2016. Confirm current practice with the Division of Motor Vehicles and your county treasurer before buying.

Last reviewed

The contradiction

South Dakota helped write the AAMVA guidance — and did not follow it

South Dakota's motor vehicle agency is credited as a contributor to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators' 'Regulation of Off-Road Vehicles: Best Practices,' the document that recommends administrators use available statutory authority to prohibit registration and on-road use of off-road vehicles, expressly including mini trucks over 25 years old. Several states cited that guidance when they closed their doors to kei vehicles.

South Dakota itself did not close its door. Its own published Division of Motor Vehicles Procedures Manual contains a 'Mini Trucks' procedure that tells counties how to title and plate these vehicles rather than how to refuse them. Both things are true at once: South Dakota helped author the restrictive model guidance, and South Dakota kept a registration pathway open. The AAMVA document is a recommendation to member agencies, not law, and no state is bound by it.

That resolves the apparent conflict, but it does not make South Dakota a simple 'yes.' What you get is an ATV title and a motorcycle plate, not a truck registration — and the restrictions that come with that classification are real.

Registration

Titling & registration steps

  1. 1

    Clear federal import

    Import a vehicle at least 25 years old. Retain the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Entry/Immediate Delivery document, which the Procedures Manual requires to be attached to the application.

  2. 2

    Assemble the import documents the manual names

    The Mini Trucks procedure specifically calls for a Green Export Certificate, a Combined Transport Bill of Lading, and the CBP entry document. Have all three before you go to the counter.

  3. 3

    Apply through your county treasurer

    South Dakota titling and registration is processed by the county treasurer's office. The vehicle is titled as an ATV under the unconventional vehicle procedure.

  4. 4

    Submit the Four Wheel All-Terrain Vehicle affidavit

    The Procedures Manual requires this affidavit as part of the mini truck application.

  5. 5

    Meet motorcycle equipment standards

    SDCL 32-20-13 conditions licensing on compliance with the equipment requirements in chapters 32-15, 32-17, and 32-18. Confirm the specific items with the treasurer's office before purchase.

  6. 6

    Pay excise tax and receive a motorcycle plate

    Motor vehicle excise tax is due at the time of application for title. A motorcycle plate is issued for the vehicle.

The Mini Trucks procedure appears under the heading 'Unconventional Motor Vehicles' in the Division of Motor Vehicles Procedures Manual. The published version carries a 2016 date, so verify it is still current before relying on it.

Road use

Where you can drive

Permitted

Once licensed under SDCL 32-20-13, the vehicle may be used on public highways generally:

  • Public streets and highways, subject to the equipment requirements the statute imports
  • No posted-speed ceiling appears in SDCL 32-20-13 — unlike the 35 mph caps common in other states

Not permitted

  • The interstate highway system — expressly barred by both the Procedures Manual and SDCL 32-20-13
  • Operating a vehicle licensed under this section on the interstate is a Class 2 misdemeanor

What to watch

Open questions worth confirming

These are the points we could not fully settle from published sources, and they are the ones that would change the answer:

  • •The Procedures Manual is dated 2016. It remains published on the Department of Revenue site, but a decade-old agency manual is not proof of current counter practice.
  • •The Department of Revenue's public Off-Road Vehicles page states that off-road vehicles may not be registered and licensed for highway use. The mini truck procedure and SDCL 32-20-13 point the other way. Ask the treasurer which applies to your vehicle.
  • •The Procedures Manual describes the vehicle as imported as agriculture equipment. Whether your specific import paperwork matches that description may affect how the application is handled.
  • •County treasurers, not a central DMV counter, process these applications, so practice can vary between counties.

Official sources

South Dakota law & agency links

FAQ

Common questions

Can I register a kei truck in South Dakota?
There is a documented pathway, yes — but not as a truck. The Division of Motor Vehicles Procedures Manual has a 'Mini Trucks' procedure directing that these vehicles be titled as an ATV and issued a motorcycle plate. Because the controlling document is dated 2016, confirm it is still current with your county treasurer before buying.
Didn't South Dakota help write the AAMVA document that got mini trucks banned elsewhere?
Yes, and both facts are true. South Dakota's agency is credited as a contributor to AAMVA's 'Regulation of Off-Road Vehicles: Best Practices,' which recommends prohibiting on-road use of off-road vehicles including mini trucks. But AAMVA guidance is a recommendation to member agencies, not law, and South Dakota did not adopt the prohibition in its own published procedures.
What plate does it get?
A motorcycle plate. The Procedures Manual specifies that a motorcycle plate is issued and that a Four Wheel All-Terrain Vehicle affidavit must be submitted with the application.
Can I drive it on the interstate?
No. The Procedures Manual states the licensed unconventional vehicle may not be operated on the interstate highway, and SDCL 32-20-13 makes operating a vehicle licensed under that section on the interstate system a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Is there a speed limit restriction on other roads?
SDCL 32-20-13 does not impose a posted-speed ceiling, which sets South Dakota apart from states that cap mini trucks at 35 mph. The statute instead conditions licensing on meeting motorcycle equipment standards. Confirm the equipment list with your county treasurer.
What import documents does South Dakota specifically want?
The Mini Trucks procedure names three: a Green Export Certificate, a Combined Transport Bill of Lading, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Entry/Immediate Delivery document. Motor vehicle excise tax is due when you apply for the title.
Who processes the application?
Your county treasurer's office, not a central DMV counter. Because practice varies between counties, it is worth calling ahead and asking specifically about the Mini Trucks procedure in the Division of Motor Vehicles Procedures Manual.

The specific uncertainty in South Dakota is the age and status of the controlling document: the 'Mini Trucks' procedure we rely on appears in a Division of Motor Vehicles Procedures Manual whose published version is dated 2016, and the Department of Revenue's current public Off-Road Vehicles page states that off-road vehicles may not be registered for highway use. We could not reconcile those two agency sources from published material. Confirm current practice with the South Dakota Division of Motor Vehicles and your county treasurer before purchasing. This page is informational only and not legal advice.

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