Jump LinksIt's Just Enough Truck To Get The Job DonePrivate Titling Agencies Can Help Get Your Acty Legal, But Beware Of ScammersSmall trucks are back in fashion lately. We still love our full-size Ford F-150s and Ram 1500s, but smaller pickups like the Ford Maverick have been flying off the lots. But what if you want to go even smaller? The 196-inch long, 191-horsepower 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz is about as tiny as it gets here in the US. Any smaller than that and you'd be better off looking into utility golf carts, right? Wrong!You can buy a real truck that's shorter than a hatchback, but you're not going to find it at a typical dealer. We're talking about the Honda Acty pickup, a humble Japanese work truck that has turned out to be a hit here in the US, particularly in rural communities where they're perfectly suited for farm work. A Look At The Honda Acty Pickup Truck Bring a Trailer The Honda Acty has been around since the late 1970s, and it's been offered in a range of pickups and vans, but the model you're most likely to see here in the US will be a third-gen work truck. Most American buyers will likely go with all-wheel drive and the 52-hp powertrain, introduced shortly after the third-gen's 1999 model year debut.One of the coolest things about the Honda Acty is that it's actually a mid-engine vehicle, so you can brag about your mid-engine Japanese import to your friends and let them think you're driving an Acura NSX or something.The engine is a Honda E07A, part of a powerplant family that we never got here in the US, at least not officially. E0s are a line of three-pots that have powered Honda's kei cars, like the Honda Today and the Honda Vamos, since the late 1980s. The engine has largely been phased out in favor of Honda P engines for newer kei cars, but new Acty trucks still packed an E0 as late as 2020. A turbocharged variant of the E0 cranks out 63 hp in Japan-only hatchbacks like the Honda That's. And, no, that's not a typo, it's actually called the Honda That's. It's Just Enough Truck To Get The Job Done Bring a Trailer What makes the Honda Acty so appealing for farm work is, in large part, it's compact size. No matter your configuration, the truck's curb weight comes in within a few hundred pounds of a single ton, and a 95.3-inch wheelbase makes for a very agile work truck that won't have you calling in a team of spotters every time you need to make a three-point turn.A big part of the Acty's appeal is that it's just enough truck for doing work around farms, ranches, golf courses, you name it. Full-size, and even compact trucks, demand expensive maintenance, insurance, and refueling. You need to keep them street-legal and in working order, and that's a lot of hassle for something that will never leave private property. Exactly How Legal Are Honda Acty Trucks In The US? Bring a Trailer You can import, own, and drive whatever you want on private property. Kei trucks are not allowed on interstate highways, and you wouldn't want to drive on one anyway, given the Acty's inability to keep up with 65 mph speed limits. Kei trucks are subject to the same 25-year-rule as other imports. Kei trucks are flat-out illegal on public roads in some states, including (as of the time of this writing) New Mexico, Oregon, New York State, and Georgia, to name a few. In states where kei trucks are legal, there may be special provision for their use on public roads. First off, it's 100% legal to buy and operate a Honda Acty truck, even a brand-new one, without any sort of inspection whatsoever as long as you never take it off your own private property. Automotive laws in the US don't really govern your car, they govern public roads. But, if your Acty isn't road-legal, that means you need to be ready to load it up onto a trailer or a flatbed every single time you need to take it off the premises. So, if kei trucks are allowed in your state, it's not a bad idea to make sure yours is road-legal.Before buying an Acty truck, it's a good idea to look at the laws in your jurisdiction. These trucks might be road-legal in your state, but, in Maine, for instance, you're only allowed to drive a kei vehicle for 500 yards at a time on public roads, or a little over a quarter mile. Some of these provisions seem preposterous, sure, but hey, the law doesn't always make sense. We still have to find a way to safely navigate it.Given that most Acty imports are used exclusively for farm work, you shouldn't have too much to worry about. But, you should know exactly what you are and aren't allowed to do before rolling onto a public road. What Will An Imported Honda Acty Cost You In 2026? Bring a Trailer A 25-year-old Honda Acty is legal in the US, but the truck never saw official sale in North America. This means that you're not going to find it at the local Honda dealer. Your best bet is going to be dedicated import sellers like CarFromJapan.com, where we found the following listings, all deliverable to Baltimore, Maryland. A 49,161-mile 1999 Acty selling for $3,120, for a total cost of $5,151 with cost and freight. A 77,191-mile 2000 Acty selling for $1,500, or $3,163 C&F. A 93,847-mile 2000 Acty selling for $1,650, or $3,307 C&F. A 32,505-mile 1999 Acty selling for $5,400, or $7,431 C&F, currently available for $400 off thanks to a holiday sale. A 42,573-mile 1999 Acty selling for $2,550, or $4,581 C&F. These listings are just to give you an example of what's out there. You might be able to find something on your own through Craigslist, or you might know of a gray market importer that can hook you up with a good deal. But, these listings should go to show just how cheap these trucks are, and that's another big part of their appeal. Even with the cost of freight thrown in, you're still unlikely to spend more than $5,000 on a low-mileage Acty. Private Titling Agencies Can Help Get Your Acty Legal, But Beware Of Scammers Finally, if you plan on taking this truck on the road, even for short trips to the gas station and back, you'll need to get it titled, and wearing a valid license plate. This can be done at the DMV, but many mini-truck drivers recommend going through private titling agencies. Unfortunately, that's an industry rife with scammers. In fact, more than 400 JDMs in Florida had their titles revoked a few years back when the fraudsters in charge of getting them legal were arrested.Our advice: start by trying to deal directly with the DMV, and talk to a private titling agency if nobody at the DMV knows how to help you out. Talk to fellow mini-truck owners, look into whoever they recommend, and make sure you're not dealing with some fly-by-night operation. Or, just keep your Acty on your own property and refuel it with a Jerry can, and skip all the headaches.
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