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Washington
Mini trucks in Cowlitz County, Washington
Kei trucks in Washington work farms, orchards and timberland.
Cowlitz CountyWashington
Can I own one here
Owning one in Cowlitz County.
On your own land, yes
Owning a kei truck and working it on a ranch, a farm, a mine or private property does not depend on a road title. Some states still ask for a title or an off road registration.
A 25 year truck on the road
Road use unclear. Washington has no kei truck law. The DOL titles a vehicle from another country on its ownership document and a US Customs entry summary and asks nothing about federal standards, while its rules define a not eligible for road use comment for vehicles that do not meet federal safety standards as the State Patrol adopts them. No source says how either reaches a kei truck.
A newer governed truck
Off highway vehicle. An off-road vehicle title from the DOL. That title does not qualify it for road registration. RCW 46.09.320
Roads and towns
Roads and towns in Cowlitz County.
Roads open. Cowlitz County opens every county road posted 35 mph or less to licensed WATVs with helmets or a factory roll cage, along with three short state highway stretches on SR 503, SR 504 and SR 506.
In town To confirm
- To confirm Longview. The city is reported to require DOT approved tires on a WATV. Its code was not read.
County roads Open
Every county road posted 35 mph or less in unincorporated Cowlitz County. The chapter's own definition counts ATVs, UTVs and off-road vehicles as WATVs. Cowlitz County Code Chapter 12.65, Ordinance 19-046 of 21 May 2019 as amended by Ordinance 22-024 of 29 March 2022, read in a copy archived 27 November 2022, read 28 October 2026
State highways Segments open
- SR 503, Lewis River Highway, milepost 36.02 to 36.61 at Old Lake Merrill Road, 0.59 mile CCC 12.65.050, Table 1, Ordinance 22-024, 29 March 2022, read 28 October 2026
- SR 504, Spirit Lake Highway, milepost 9.90 to 10.76, 0.86 mile CCC 12.65.050, Table 1, Ordinance 22-024, 29 March 2022, read 28 October 2026
- SR 506, Morse Street, milepost 0.00 to 0.44 at Second Street, 0.44 mile CCC 12.65.050, Table 1, Ordinance 22-024, 29 March 2022, read 28 October 2026
Getting one here
From Japan to Cowlitz County.
The nearest ports with a sailing from Japan on record
- The Port of Tacoma, The Northwest Seaport Alliance South Harbor, about 100 road miles.
- The Port of Seattle, The Northwest Seaport Alliance North Harbor, about 150 road miles.
- The Port of Everett, about 150 road miles.
How to import a mini truck, step by step.
Trucks travel in containers, one to a 20 foot box with room for parts or three to a 40 foot box.
Road miles are an estimate, the straight line times 1.2.
The ground
Cowlitz County, counted.
4 active surface mines and quarries work Cowlitz County's ground. Cowlitz County has 361 farms and 198 cattle operations, by the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Farms in Cowlitz County hold 8,697 acres of woodland.
Importing a kei truck
The essentials, in short.
A truck under 25 can come in only as governed off road equipment, and only if its engine family held an EPA nonroad certificate for that model year. No kei engine family was certified for mini trucks before model year 2010, so a truck built after 31 October 2001 and before model year 2010 has no federal door until its 25th birthday.
Two lanes
A road truck must be 25 years old by its own build date. A newer truck comes in only as governed off road equipment with a certified engine.
The 25 percent duty
Every kei truck pays the 25 percent truck duty at the port, whatever its age.
The paperwork
The customs entry and the two federal declarations, DOT Form HS-7 and EPA Form 3520-1, travel with the truck to your title office.
The title
Keep every stamped paper with the truck. Your state title office asks to see them.
Contact
A question about the law in Cowlitz County?
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