The Drive seemed into not solely Massachusetts’ ban on kei automobiles, however the group that appears to be backing these bans in a number of states: The American Affiliation of Motor Car Directors, which seems to be the supply of among the ban language. From the Drive:
Homeowners whose automobiles are already registered have additionally been warned that their tags can be revoked, and that they’ll’t be renewed. The RMV is reportedly refusing to even title the automobiles, in line with The Autopian, leaving homeowners with issues reselling their autos, too. These modifications are mirrored on the RMV’s web site, the place the state acknowledges the exemption to the identical laws it makes use of to justify its crackdown. Whereas states do in reality have the authorized authority to determine what autos will be registered, the RMV wouldn’t have gotten as huge of a backlash if it really found out what a kei automotive is first.
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First, the partial checklist consists of the Toyota LiteAce van and associated TownAce pickup—neither of that are kei-class autos. Second, the rules for figuring out autos not on the instance checklist may also apply to domestically made, FMVSS-abiding automobiles. Particularly, it calls out autos older than 25 years with VINs shorter than 17 characters, which might naturally embody pre-1981 home automobiles. Lastly, we have now motive to imagine the RMV didn’t write the checklist itself, as an similar checklist was beforehand printed by the Pennsylvania DMV to help its personal ban.
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The [American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators] is a lobbying group that rose to notoriety in JDM proprietor circles when certainly one of its inner paperwork was cited as a motive for banning kei vehicles in Rhode Island. The doc, since relocated on (or deleted from) the AAMVA web site (mirrored above) advocated for ceasing registration of “mini-trucks,” which is how the group referred to kei vehicles on the time. It up to date this verbiage to “off-road autos” to argue for his or her ineligibility in June 2021, instantly previous the Rhode Island ban. That occasion successfully set the precedent for the coverage enacted this 12 months in Massachusetts, the place homeowners have noticed a distinguished connection between the RMV and AAMVA.
Colleen Ogilvie, secretary and treasurer for the AAMVA’s northeast area, can also be the Registrar for the Massachusetts RMV. In line with the Regulation Workplace of Patrick J. Murphy, the Registrar “can revoke your […] car registration […] in the event that they subjectively decide that your operation of a car poses a right away risk to public security.” In different phrases, the Registrar can rescind car registrations arbitrarily, which can clarify how the agenda of a personal curiosity got here to be state coverage.
The full piece over on the Drive is value a learn, because it delves into the connections between the AAMVA and DMVs across the nation — in addition to investigating simply why the AAMVA has such disdain for cute little Japanese runabouts. As of final week, it appears the RMV is again down, as officers are reviewing the ban and paused the coverage of revoking registrations whereas it considers the ban. Lovers within the state are giving the battle their all in hopes of preserving the flexibility to drive the autos they love. With a bit of luck, they’ll win.
