Georgia CommonsHB 957: Motor vehicles; operation of miniature on-road vehicles on certain highways; provide
Last action March 31, 2026 · Senate Tabled
House Bill 957 would create a new Georgia vehicle category called 'miniature on-road vehicles', covering imported small vehicles like Japanese kei trucks, and set rules for registering, licensing, taxing, and driving them on local roads.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Currently Georgia law does not have a specific category for small imported vehicles built for roads in other countries, such as Japanese kei trucks and similar mini vehicles. This bill defines a 'miniature on-road vehicle' as an imported vehicle that can carry people, travels between 25 and 65 miles per hour, is no wider than 80 inches, has four or more wheels, a steering wheel, a non-straddle seat, and weighs less than 4,000 pounds, and is not a golf cart, ATV, or off-highway vehicle. The bill allows these vehicles to be registered and titled under rules similar to those for multipurpose off-highway vehicles, requires license plates identifying them as such, sets an annual license fee of $20, and applies a flat ad valorem (property) tax based on a $100 valuation, similar to antique vehicles. It requires safety equipment such as headlights, brake lights, taillights, a rearview mirror, and safety belts, limits operation to municipal and county roads (with authority to cross state highways), and lets local governments ban their use on local roads as long as they post notice. Most provisions take effect October 1, 2026, except a license plate size provision that takes effect January 1, 2032.
What the bill does
- Creates a legal definition for 'miniature on-road vehicles' (small imported vehicles like kei trucks) in Georgia's motor vehicle code (O.C.G.A. § 40-1-1).
- Allows these vehicles to be registered and issued license plates without a certificate of title, similar to other unconventional vehicles.
- Sets an annual license fee of $20.00 for miniature on-road vehicles, the same as for motorcycles and multipurpose off-highway vehicles.
- Applies a flat property tax based on a $100 valuation to these vehicles, similar to how antique or hobby vehicles are taxed.
- Requires the vehicles to have headlights, brake lights, taillights, a rearview mirror, and safety belts, and limits where they can be driven.
- Gives local governments the power to ban these vehicles from local roads, provided they post warning signs at the affected roads.
Who it affects
Owners and importers of small foreign-market vehicles such as kei trucks and mini vans, the Department of Revenue and county tag offices that handle registration and taxes, local city and county governments that can restrict where the vehicles are driven, and drivers sharing the road with these vehicles.
Why it matters
People who import small foreign vehicles for personal or work use would get a clear legal path to register, plate, and drive them on Georgia roads, something not clearly addressed before. Local governments would also gain explicit authority to keep these vehicles off certain roads if they choose.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds a detailed definition of 'miniature on-road vehicle' to O.C.G.A. § 40-1-1, covering speed, width, weight, wheel count, and steering requirements.
- Section 2 exempts miniature on-road vehicles more than 25 years old, or newer ones certified as federally compliant by a registered importer, from standard certificate of registration rules.
- Sections 3 through 5 require distinct license plates for these vehicles and set a January 1, 2027 deadline for the state to make those plates available, with a related plate-size rule change effective January 1, 2032.
- Section 6 sets the annual license fee at $20.00, matching motorcycles and multipurpose off-highway vehicles.
- Section 8 requires safety equipment (headlights, brake lights, taillights, mirror, seat belts) and restricts operation to municipal and county roads, allowing crossing of state highways.
- Section 9 lets local governments prohibit miniature on-road vehicles on local roads, provided they post traffic-control signs at affected roads or intersections.
- Section 10 applies a flat ad valorem tax based on a $100.00 valuation to these vehicles, similar to the treatment of antique and hobby vehicles.
- Section 11 sets the general effective date as October 1, 2026, with the license plate size change in Section 4 delayed until January 1, 2032.
From the bill
“'Miniature on-road vehicle' means any motorized vehicle designed and manufactured for use upon roadways in another country that has been imported into the United States with a valid certificate of title or registration from the exporting country”
“Miniature on-road vehicles shall be operated only on highways that are part of a municipal street system or county road system, provided that such operation has not been prohibited through ordinance or resolution within a local jurisdiction”
Status timeline
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
Show full history (10 actions)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Rob Clifton (R, HD-131)
- John Corbett (R, HD-174)
- Holt Persinger (R, HD-119)
- Beth Camp (R, HD-135)
- Kimberly New (R, HD-040)
- Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)
- Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 9, 2026
160 yea, 5 nay (2 not voting, 8 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)
Topics
- kei trucks
- vehicle registration
- license plates
- motor vehicle law
- property taxes