TRANSPORTATION / MOTOR VEHICLE INFORMATION

Driver License
New residents to New Mexico must apply for a license within 30 days and before they can accept employment that involves operating a motor vehicle. You must surrender any driver license issued by any other state or country to the Motor Vehicle Division at the time of application. All first-time licensees in New Mexico between the ages of 18 to 24 are required to take the “None for the Road” awareness class.

The “None for the Road” course is not administered by the Taxation and Revenue Department’s Motor Vehicle Division but is offered as a self-study course available by mail. The Motor Vehicle office does provide a flyer that gives complete information about the course and how to obtain materials. Young drivers under the age of 18 must operate on a graduated driver license until they meet the requirements for an unrestricted license. The three different levels of graduated licenses are instructional permit, provisional license, and unrestricted driver license.

Bring your certificate of completion for the “None for the Road” course, if required, and all necessary identification to any Motor Vehicle Division field office. Documentation includes your social security card or another form of identification that states your social security number. Proof of identification and age may take the form of your original birth certificate or a certified copy, a U.S. passport or foreign passport, or your current driver license from another state or county. Proof of New Mexico residency is also required. Even if you surrender a current and valid comparable driver license, you must still pass a vision test.

Vehicle Registration
Vehicles must be registered at the Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days after relocating to New Mexico. Fees are calculated according to the weight and year of the vehicle and are payable by check or cash. Proof of emissions testing in the Metropolitan Albuquerque region (Bernalillo County and sections of adjacent counties) as well as proof of insurance will be required. Other documentation you will need to bring to the Motor Vehicle Division field office includes the certificate of title, current registration, the odometer reading, proof of New Mexico residency, your New Mexico address, and a vehicle identification inspection certificate signed by a full-time law enforcement officer or by an employee at a local MVD Field Office. The proof of insurance must include the policy number and the insurance carrier name.

For more information about driver licensing or vehicle registration and titling in New Mexico, contact:

Motor Vehicle Division
New Mexico Department of Taxation & Revenue
888-683-4636
888-MVD-INFO
www.mvd.newmexico.gov

MVD TELEPHONE DIRECTORY

Driver Citations
888-683-4636

Driver Services
888-683-4636

None for the Road
877-663-7465

Title Information
888-683-4636

Vehicle Registration
888-683-4636

Vehicle Services
888-683-4636

REGIONAL FIELD OFFICES

Bernalillo MVD
829 Camino del Pueblo
Bernalillo
505-867-5171

Las Vegas MVD
2522 Ridge Runner Road
Las Vegas
505-425-8122

Los Alamos MVD
997 Central
Los Alamos
505-662-4243

Rio Rancho MVD
4114 Sabana Grande
Rio Rancho
505-891-5014

Rio Rancho Express MVD
2316 Southern Boulevard
Rio Rancho
505-896-4750

Santa Fe MVD
2544 Camino Edward Ortiz
Santa Fe
505-476-1500

Taos MVD
1038-B S. Salazar Street
Taos
505-758-4226

Emissions Testing
At this time, only residents of the Albuquerque metropolitan area in Bernalillo county are required to comply with emissions inspection testing.

Required Insurance
New Mexico requires a liability policy (or surety bond or cash deposit) with a minimum of $25,000 coverage for bodily injury to or death of one person, $50,000 coverage for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons, and $10,000 for property damage in any one accident. Proof of this insurance must be provided at the time the vehicle is registered.

Automobile Safety
New Mexico ranks among the top three states in the nation in terms of seat belt laws and enforcement, according to a recent report by the National Safety Council. The state requires that all passengers wear seat belts regardless of their seating position in the vehicle or their ages.

The child restraint act requires that each person under the age of 18 be property secured in a child passenger restraint system (child safety seat or booster seat) or by a safety belt. Children under age 1 must be property secured in a rear-facing child safety seat that meets federal standards and must be position in the rear seat of a vehicle that has a rear seat. If no rear seat is available, it is important to deactivate the passenger side airbag for the child’s safety.

Children ages 1 through 4, regardless of their weight, or those who weigh less than 40 pounds must be properly secured in a child passenger restraint device that meets federal standards. Children ages 5 through 12 must be secured in a child passenger restraint device or by a seat belt in the rear seat.

Drivers who violate either the seat-belt law or the child restraint act are subject to a penalty and the loss of two points on his or her New Mexico driver license. These laws are primary, which means that no other violation need occur for a law enforcement officer to pull the driver over and issue a citation. Several organizations are willing to loan out child safety device to those who are unable to afford the purchase. For further information or answers to specific questions, contact:

New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau
New Mexico Department of Transportation
Traffic Safety Bureau
Santa Fe
505-827-0427
800-541-7952
www.nmshtd.state.nm.us

Safer New Mexico Now
Albuquerque
505-332-7707
www.safernm.org