Owners of Kei vehicles, rejoice. The temporarily restricted vehicles can now be legally registered again with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Kei is short for keijidosha, which means “light vehicle” in Japanese. They’re small, not exceeding 11.2 feet long and 4.8 feet wide. Their popularity in the United States has skyrocketed due to their compact size and cheap price.

The RMV announced that owners of Kei vehicles can legally register them effective Sept. 18, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Kei vehicles that are already registered may continue their existing registration and renewals, without interruption. Plans for a formal study of safety implications of Kei vehicles are under development, according to MassDOT.

This change comes after MassDOT stopped processing new registrations for Kei vehicles earlier this year, with plans to assess industry standards related to the vehicles following a recommendation from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators that Kei vehicles not be registered for use on roads.

“I think the confusion comes, then, that it’s just automatically assumed that if the federal government says it’s OK to bring the vehicle to the country, then wouldn’t one just expect that I could get a license plate and drive it down the roadway?” Paul Steier, director of vehicle programs with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, said in an interview with GBH. “And it’s two very distinct issues.”

Prior to that decision, Massachusetts appeared to be joining other states, including Maine and New York, in banning or restricting Kei vehicles. Some states like Alabama and Arkansas ban Kei vehicles from going on highways and impose speed restrictions on them.

For Montague resident Chad Champoux, this decision by the RMV to resume registrations of Kei vehicles takes away the stress of fearing he might be told that the registration for his 1990 Suzuki Carry was no longer valid. After searching online, he bought the vehicle in July 2023 and turned it into the “KEIgerator,” also known as “The Tiny Tap Truck.” Essentially a brewery on wheels, the KEIgerator is a dry hire rental service for brewing companies that are interested in having an outdoor alternative to serve their own drinks, as well as for weddings, private functions and other events.

“I didn’t personally get affected by it, because my vehicle was already titled and registered,” Champoux said. “But I was worried about getting a notice of, ‘Hey, your vehicle is no longer registered.’”

Randolph resident Arty Chados is also breathing a sigh of relief, while setting his sights on next steps. Chados has been a strong advocate for Kei trucks and spoke in support of the vehicles at a MassDOT meeting in July.

“It’s awesome that the RMV reversed that decision, but they still have to pass House bill 5357 because that will make Kei cars legal in Massachusetts,” Chados said, referencing a House bill that would require Massachusetts to comply with federal motor safety standards. “At this point, the registrar can still change their mind and reverse the decision again.”

The bill was recently referred to the House Rules Committee.

Chados, who discovered Kei trucks during the pandemic through Facebook Marketplace and has been hooked ever since, said it’s an important time for him and other owners of Kei vehicles to advocate for the bill’s passage.

“Everybody’s been reaching out to the state reps,” Chados said.

Chados compared the safety of his older cars and motorcycles to Kei trucks.

“I can’t stand wearing a helmet. When I enter a state with no helmet laws, I pull over at a safe location and stow my helmet and continue on my journey,” Chados said during the July meeting. “Apparently, this is safer than being in a Kei car.”

Like Chados, Champoux said if the pause on registering Kei vehicles was really about safety, the RMV should’ve banned older models of American vehicles that are still on the road and owned by many antique vehicles collectors.

In 2015, the National Library of Medicine conducted a study on the Kei vehicles and found they offer similar safety for drivers involved in frontal collisions as standard vehicles in low-impact conditions.

Chados called the “whole battle” between MassDOT and Kei vehicles owners “ridiculous.”

“They made us believe that it was all about safety,” Chados said. “It had nothing to do with safety and everything to do with the fact that AAMVA wants Americans to buy expensive American pickup trucks and SUVs.”

Mara Mellits writes for the Greenfield Recorder through the Boston University Statehouse Program.