Kei trucks in New Mexico earn their keep on farms, ranches and private land

Your lane

Which truck are you buying?

New Mexico treats the two kinds of kei truck differently. Pick yours and this answers for it.

a truck 25 years or older imported for road use under the federal age exemptions

Road use unclear

Title. MVD title on a CBP vehicle release, a port of entry document showing the VIN, a VIN inspection and an NCIC clearance. The written procedure also asks for a NHTSA bond release letter, which a 25 year entry does not carry.

Registration. No New Mexico source names road registration for a kei truck. The MVD decides each application.

Owners must conform to safety and emission standards established by the USDOT and the EPA prior to applying for New Mexico title and registration. MVD manual chapter 8 section U

The rule for a 25 year truckmvd.newmexico.gov, read 28 October 2026

What about a truck 25 years or older?

The MVD titles a vehicle built for sale abroad on a CBP vehicle release, a port of entry document showing the VIN, a VIN inspection by a certified inspector and an NCIC clearance. Its procedure also lists a NHTSA bond release letter, which a 25 year entry does not have, so ask the MVD what it accepts before you apply.

a newer truck imported as off road equipment, governed to 25 miles per hour and carrying an EPA certified nonroad engine

Private land only

Where it can run

Privately held land and agricultural operations.

Title. The two statutory OHV definitions disagree on a governed work truck, so no OHV title path is settled.

Registration. None on privately held lands or in agricultural operations. NMSA 66-3-1005

An off-highway motor vehicle is designed by the manufacturer for operation exclusively off the highway or road. NMSA 66-3-1001.1
A recreational off-highway vehicle has non-highway-legal tires, a maximum speed capability greater than 35 miles per hour, a gross vehicle weight rating no greater than 1,750 pounds and a 17-character VIN.
The MVD will not register an off-highway vehicle as street legal even if it is modified.
Where the OHV rules apply, operators and passengers under 18 wear a helmet meeting FMVSS 218 or ECE 22.05 and eye protection. An operator under 18 needs an off-highway safety training permit.
Federal law admits this truck as nonroad equipment governed to 25 miles per hour, never as a road vehicle.

The rule for a newer off road truckmvd.newmexico.gov, read 28 October 2026

Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.

A newer truck comes in only as nonroad equipment, permanently governed to a top speed and with a nonroad engine certified by EPA before import. It pays the same 25 percent truck duty. What that engine needs.

What about a newer truck imported as off-road equipment?

It works on privately held land and in agricultural operations, which need no OHV registration. New Mexico's off-highway classes cover vehicles the maker designed for off-highway use and recreational machines that top 35 miles per hour, so a governed work truck fits none of them cleanly.

Owning one

Owning one in New Mexico.

For a 25 year road truck. The first title step by step, the papers, every fee the statute sets, tax, insurance, emissions and the rest. Each line carries its cite, read 28 October 2026.

The frame numberThe statutes do not ask for a 17 character VIN, and MVD's manual..To confirm

The statutes do not ask for a 17 character VIN, and MVD's manual leans the other way. The title application describes the vehicle by its 'serial number' and its 'engine or other identification number provided by the manufacturer of the vehicle', to the extent the data exists, NMSA 66-3-4(A)(2). The inspection at first registration is 'for its identification number or engine number', 66-3-4(B), and the division checks 'the engine or other standard identification number provided by the manufacturer' against its records and the national crime information center, 66-3-8. The code also knows a number 'placed under assignment of the division', 66-3-507(A), but writes no process for assigning one. A Japanese frame number such as DA63T-123456 is the maker's number, so on the words of the statute the truck is titled under it as it stands. The manual says otherwise in one line. Its prescreen of every title application tells staff to check each document for 'Errors on vehicle identification number (VIN) (All vehicles model year 1981 and newer must have 17 characters.)'. The manual defines an Assigned VIN as 'a unique vehicle identification number assigned to a motor vehicle by the division' and writes it for two cases only. The first is a homemade or shop built vehicle, whose number the division assigns and the owner must have machined, stamped, die punched or otherwise inscribed on the driver side door post. The second is a recovered stolen vehicle or other law enforcement need with no public VIN, where the Dealer Licensing Bureau sends a foil tag to a certified Level 3 VIN inspector who fixes it to the vehicle, and the title then shows the chassis VIN as primary and the New Mexico assigned VIN as secondary. A factory built Japanese truck with its maker's number is neither. Form MVD-10002 has a Secondary ID Number box. The statute wins where it speaks and both are noted, but the counter is MVD's, and whether it titles the frame number, adds an assigned number or refuses is not written and no case was found. Read 28 October 2026.

Sources, 7

Fees set by statuteTitle $5.00

The state's own amounts, as its code read on 28 October 2026. The first figure in each line is the one that applies at title.

Fee	Amount	What the statute says
Title	$5.00	$5.00 for a vehicle title, built from a $2.00 administrative fee on each transaction, NMSA 66-2-16(A), and a $3.00 fee for a transaction on the initial issuance or transfer of a title or registration, which counts as one transaction all operations at one time for one vehicle 'including the inspection required by Section 66-3-4', NMSA 66-6-19(A). MVD's Fees Manual, revised 24 August 2026, lists the same two fees and MVD's Form 10901 prints 'VEHICLE TITLE: $5.00'. MVD's registration page says to pay 'the title fee' without giving a number. Read 28 October 2026.
Registration	see note	A truck pays by declared gross weight. NMSA 66-6-4(B) sets $40 for 1 to 4,000 pounds, and a truck under 26,000 pounds pays 80 percent of that rate, $32, after five years of registration counted from the date the vehicle was first registered in this or another state, 66-6-4(C). A truck of 26,000 pounds or less is registered on its gross vehicle weight, 66-6-4(E). Three more charges ride on each twelve months of registration, a $2.00 additional registration fee for the financial responsibility program, 66-6-6.1, a $0.50 beautification fee, 66-6-6.2, and a $1.50 tire recycling fee, 66-6-4(G), and the $2.00 administrative fee, 66-2-16, is collected once for the transaction. MVD's Fees Manual totals $46.00 a year for a truck in its first five years and $38.00 a year after, and MVD words the range as $38.00 to $207.00 for one year or $76.00 to $414.00 for two years on a truck of 26,000 pounds or less. Registration is staggered by month, one year or two, NMSA 66-3-19(A). The five years run from first registration and not from the model year, and a Japanese registration is not a registration 'in this or another state', so on the words of 66-6-4(C) a kei truck first registered in New Mexico pays the $40 rate for its first five years of registration however old it is. MVD's table is headed '1st Five Years' and '6th Year & Older' and does not say which count it uses, so ask. The farm vehicle rate of two thirds reaches only a farm vehicle with a declared gross weight of more than 6,000 pounds, 66-6-4(F). A truck is 'every motor vehicle designed, used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property', 66-1-4.17(Q), so a kei truck with a bed fits it, though the class is the MVD's to assign. The passenger vehicle fees in 66-6-2 were raised by Laws 2026, chapter 4, and MVD's web page still prints the older passenger range of $27.00 to $62.00. The truck fees in 66-6-4 have not been amended since 2007 and the amounts agree with the Fees Manual. Read 28 October 2026.
Plates	see note	No fee for the standard plate. MVD's standard plates page says 'No fees or forms necessary' and 'Fee: None', and the yellow and red design and the turquoise Centennial design cost the same. The department issues a registration plate with the registration, NMSA 66-3-14(A), and the Fees Manual has no row for a standard plate. A year of manufacture plate for a vehicle 30 or more years old is a one time $25.00 on top of the registration fees, NMSA 66-3-423(C), $27.00 at MVD's counter with its administrative fee, and must be an authentic New Mexico plate issued in the vehicle's model year, which a Japanese market truck never had. A horseless carriage plate is $10.00 with a $5.00 revalidation every five years, NMSA 66-3-27, which MVD totals as $17.50 and $9.50, and is for a vehicle at least 35 years old owned as a collector's item and used solely for exhibition and educational purposes. Read 28 October 2026.
Motor vehicle excise tax	see note	Motor vehicle excise tax, 4 percent of the price paid, NMSA 7-14-4, paid at the title application. See tax. Read 28 October 2026.
Late transfer	see note	Late transfer. A transferee who does not apply for the new title within 30 days of the transfer is guilty of a penalty assessment misdemeanor, NMSA 66-3-103(B), assessed at $25.00, 66-8-116. MVD collects a $20.00 late transfer penalty at the counter, and the penalty applies to a foreign title too. MVD Form 10282, Notice of Additional Requirements, may waive it if it is 10 days old or less. The statute and MVD's fee differ and both are noted. Read 28 October 2026.
Late registration	$10.00	Late registration, the greater of $10.00 or, if the vehicle is operated or transported 31 days or more after the registration expired, 75 percent of the registration fee, NMSA 66-3-19(E). MVD allows no grace period. Read 28 October 2026.
Excise tax penalty	see note	Excise tax penalty, 50 percent of the tax if the owner does not apply for a title within 90 days of the transfer or, for a transfer outside New Mexico, within 90 days of bringing the vehicle in, NMSA 7-14-8. MVD words it as a rise from 4 percent to 6 percent. Read 28 October 2026.
Reinstating a registration suspended for no insurance or an unpaid fee	see note	Reinstating a registration suspended for no insurance or an unpaid fee. NMSA 66-5-33.1(A) sets $25.00 and MVD's insurance page, its chapter 6 and its chapter 11 all say $30.00. The statute wins and both are noted. Read 28 October 2026.
Temporary registration permit for an individual	see note	Temporary registration permit for an individual, valid up to 30 business days, NMSA 66-3-6(A), issued on an application accompanied by the proper fees and taxes, with the $2.00 administrative fee and the actual cost of the permit, 66-3-6(K). The actual cost was not found. Read 28 October 2026.
Air Care emissions test in Bernalillo County	see note	Air Care emissions test in Bernalillo County, charged by the station. No rule read sets the test fee, the city says each station posts its own, and the retest within 90 days of a failed test is free at the Vehicle Pollution Management Division. See emissions. Read 28 October 2026.
Off-highway registration	see note	Off-highway registration, if the truck is registered as an off-highway motor vehicle, $17.00 under NMSA 66-3-1004(A)(1) plus an off-highway user fee set by rule and capped at $40.00, 66-3-1004(A)(2), plus $1.00 for the litter control and beautification fund, 66-3-1004(G). MVD's Fees Manual shows the user fee at $30.00 and the whole at $50.00 with the $2.00 administrative fee, for two years, plus the $5.00 title and the excise tax. See ohv. Read 28 October 2026.
Online renewal takes up to 5 percent off the base fee and MVD adds a credit card fee of	see note	Online renewal takes up to 5 percent off the base fee and MVD adds a credit card fee of $1.65 under $275 or 1.99 percent over $275, so the saving is less than 5 percent. Read 28 October 2026.
Agency page and statute on the excise tax	see note	Agency page and statute on the excise tax. The Fees Manual still prints 'Excise Tax 3% of sale price' under NMSA 7-14-4, and chapter 6 section E of MVD's manual still reprints the old three percent text. The statute has read four percent since 1 July 2019, Laws 2019, chapter 270, section 44, and MVD's titles page and chapter 6 section D use 4 percent. The statute wins and both are noted. Read 28 October 2026.

Sources, 14

Tax at title80 percent state rate at title

New Mexico charges a motor vehicle excise tax once, when the truck is titled. It is imposed on the sale of every vehicle that must be registered, and every original or later title is presumed a sale unless the vehicle came as a voluntary transfer without consideration or by operation of law, NMSA 7-14-3. The rate is four percent of the price paid, 7-14-4, which Laws 2019, chapter 270, section 44 (House Bill 6) raised from three percent on 1 July 2019, and the applicant pays it at the title application, 7-14-5. The price paid is the net purchase price of the vehicle itself, including charges for accessories, transportation, delivery and dealer preparation, less any trade in, 3.11.4.7 NMAC. If the price paid does not represent the vehicle's value as acquired, the rate applies to its reasonable value, 7-14-4. MVD's section U on foreign vehicles says to use the greater of the N.A.D.A. value or the purchase price, and its chapter 6 uses the higher of the declared price or 80 percent of the N.A.D.A. average trade in value for a used vehicle sold by someone other than a licensed dealer. The rule writes that 80 percent presumption for transfers between related parties and other non arm's length transfers only, and adds that for a vehicle the guide does not cover 'the comparable value reported by any comparable guide may be used', 3.11.4.14 NMAC. MVD says it accepts the stated price from the title or bill of sale where no N.A.D.A. value can be found for the vehicle, which is the likely case for a kei truck, and accepts a licensed dealer's invoice price. What MVD does with ocean freight, customs duty and broker charges the buyer paid is not written. An owner who disputes the value applies for a refund on Form MVD-10208 with an appraisal. Credit for tax paid elsewhere: if the vehicle was acquired in an out of state transaction on which a gross receipts, sales, compensating or similar tax was levied 'by another state or political subdivision thereof', or on tribal land by the tribe, the tax paid may be credited against New Mexico's on the same vehicle, 7-14-7. The words reach a state, its subdivisions and a tribe, and MVD's titles page says 'another state's' tax. Nothing read extends the credit to a tax levied by Japan, so a Japanese consumption tax is not credited on the words, and nothing read says MVD has been asked. A person who acquires a vehicle out of state for personal use 30 days or more before establishing a New Mexico domicile owes no tax, 7-14-6(A). The tax is a one time tax, and the sources read show no yearly vehicle tax in New Mexico besides the registration fee. The statute text is from the Internet Archive copy of 10 January 2025 of the official compilation and MVD's pages of 2026 still say 4 percent. Read 28 October 2026.

Sources, 7

Insurance25/50/10 minimum

The minimums. $25,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person, $50,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons and $10,000 for injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident, 25/50/10, or $60,000 in all if the evidence is a surety bond or a cash deposit, NMSA 66-5-208. The limits are in 66-5-208, the section on evidence of financial responsibility. Section 66-5-205(A) and (B) are the duties, that no owner shall permit and no person shall drive an uninsured motor vehicle on the streets or highways of New Mexico unless exempted. MVD's insurance page, its registration pages and chapter 11 of its manual give the same limits. Read 28 October 2026.

When it is required. Every vehicle registered for the road. The Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act covers the passenger car, light truck and farm truck classes whatever the weight. MVD asks for proof of insurance showing the VIN at first registration. The department may not renew a registration unless the owner affirms a policy, NMSA 66-5-234(B). It does not cover off-highway vehicles, so an off-highway registration needs no insurance, but a recreational off-highway vehicle or all-terrain vehicle opened onto a paved street by a local act must be insured, NMSA 66-3-1011(C)(4). The Act exempts, among others, an implement of husbandry or special mobile equipment only incidentally operated on a highway, a motor vehicle driven on a highway only to cross it from one property to another and any motor vehicle whose owner has given the department a signed statement that it will not be operated on the highways of New Mexico, NMSA 66-5-207(B), (C) and (F). A truck kept on private land or working a farm or ranch that never uses a road has no insurance duty on those terms, and a registered truck put in storage is reported on the Affidavit of Non-Use, Form MVD-11268, filed at least once a year. Read 28 October 2026.

Liability insurance is required on every registered vehicle driven on a road. The owner or operator carries evidence of it in the vehicle at all times, on paper or on a portable electronic device, NMSA 66-5-229(C) and (D). Driving or permitting an uninsured vehicle is a misdemeanor, 66-5-205(E), punished under 66-8-7(B) by a fine of not more than $300 or imprisonment of not more than 90 days or both, and the charge fails if the person produces valid evidence in court, 66-5-205(F). New Mexico no longer relies on the insurance information the owner gave at registration. Insurers report policies electronically to the New Mexico Insurance Identification Database (IIDB) that MVD uses, and a vehicle shows as insured the next business day after the report. A vehicle that does not show gets a Verification of Mandatory Automobile Insurance letter, 30 days later a Notice of Suspension of Registration, and the owner must then return the registration to MVD within ten days of the division's certified notice or face the penalties of the law, NMSA 66-5-230, which MVD's insurance page words as returning the registration and the plate. MVD says an uninsured vehicle driven on the road is subject to a citation and license plate confiscation. Reinstating a suspended registration is $25.00 in the statute, 66-5-33.1(A), and $30.00 on MVD's pages, and both are noted. MVD's FAQ words the insurer as one licensed to do business in New Mexico in one answer and says out of state insurance is acceptable if it meets the limits and the owner files an Affidavit of Non-Use or Out-of-State Insurance in another, so ask which applies to a truck garaged here. Read 28 October 2026.

What the insurer will ask. The IIDB matches the policy to the registration by VIN. MVD asks at first registration for proof that 'specifically indicat[es] the Vehicle Identification Number', and a policy declarations page if the card lacks the number. Its first answer to a vehicle that shows as uninsured is that the VIN on the policy does not match the VIN on the registration, and it tells the owner to have the insurer correct the policy and report it. For a kei truck the number on the policy must be the number on the New Mexico title, the frame number or an assigned number, written exactly, character for character. Ask the insurer before the MVD visit whether it can write a policy on a frame number, and keep the policy in step if the title ends up carrying a different number. The IIDB call center is 866 891 0665. A New Mexico garaging address and the truck's year, make and model are what any policy will ask for. No insurer is named here and no premium is quoted. Read 28 October 2026.

Sources, 6

EmissionsTested in named areasA 25 year kei truck registered to an owner in..

Bernalillo County, the whole county, under the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board's rule 20.11.100 NMAC, which the code lets a county or municipality adopt by ordinance and has the division enforce at registration, NMSA 66-3-7.1(A). It covers a spark ignition motor vehicle with four or more wheels and a GVW over 1,000 and under 10,001 pounds, of model year 1975 or newer, registered to an owner domiciled in the county, 20.11.100.2(A)(1) and 20.11.100.7(LL). MVD's manual lists the Bernalillo County zip codes whose owners must show an emissions certificate to register, 87008 to 87198 in the list at chapter 2 section H
A vehicle registered in another county or state that is more than four years old and is driven into or present in Bernalillo County 60 or more days a year, 20.11.100.2(A)(2), and a fleet vehicle registered elsewhere but primarily operated there, 20.11.100.2(A)(4)
The rest of the state has no periodic test. MVD says 'Emission Testing is required only in Bernalillo County' and EPA's list of state and local inspection and maintenance programs, updated 18 September 2026, has one New Mexico entry, the program MVD's emission testing page describes

A kei truck. A 25 year kei truck registered to an owner in Bernalillo County is tested. The rule exempts a new vehicle for four years, a vehicle that burns a gasoline and oil mixture, a competition vehicle, an implement of husbandry or road machinery not regularly operated on public streets and highways, a vehicle sold between licensed dealers, a vehicle with a GVW of 10,001 pounds or more, an electric vehicle and 'vehicles that are 35 years old or older', 20.11.100.2(B). A 25 year truck is not exempt by age. Diesels fall outside the rule because it covers spark ignition engines, and the city's page lists diesel vehicles as not tested. Another exemption is for 'other vehicles that are not regularly operated on public streets and highways after providing satisfactory proof to the program manager', 20.11.100.2(B)(5), which is the route for a truck kept on a ranch. The age line is stated three ways. The rule says 35 years old or older, the city's page says up to 35 years old, 1992 and newer, and MVD's emission testing page says 1991 and newer, so a model year 1991 truck is exempt on the rule and the city's page and tested on MVD's, and the rule governs. A vehicle is tested when it is sold and when its title is transferred and every two years after, 20.11.100.14(A), and MVD's manual says the same, so the first New Mexico title of an import is a test. A vehicle may not be registered until it passes or the program issues an extension for repairs, for unavailability or for a test from another state, 20.11.100.2(A)(1). Which test a truck takes follows its model year and its engine computer. A model year 1995 or older truck that does not support on board diagnostics takes the two speed idle test, 20.11.100.17, and a 1996 or newer truck takes the on board diagnostics test, the gas cap pressure test and the visible smoke inspection, with the two speed idle test at 100 parts per million hydrocarbons and 1.0 percent carbon monoxide if the program manager finds it incompatible with on board diagnostics. The gas cap test covers model years 1975 to 2005. Every tested truck is also inspected for the presence of a properly connected catalytic converter or converters, 20.11.100.17(B)(1), and a vehicle with required features or components removed or rendered inoperative fails, 20.11.100.17(B)(2). Which test a Japanese market truck of the 1990s gets, and what the check expects of a truck built without a catalytic converter, are not written, and the program manager decides. A failed truck is repaired and retested, with one free retest at the division headquarters within 90 days of the failed test, and a time extension for documented repairs or an estimate of $300 or more, limited to one per vehicle. Read 28 October 2026.

Sources, 8

Safety inspectionNew Mexico runs no periodic safety inspection of a passenger vehicle..

New Mexico runs no periodic safety inspection of a passenger vehicle or truck. Chapter 66 of the code, searched in full in the Internet Archive copy of 23 August 2026, provides for two inspections of a private vehicle, the identification number inspection at registration, NMSA 66-3-4(B), and the emissions test where a county or municipality adopts one by ordinance, 66-3-7.1, and for no periodic safety or noise inspection. A 2023 bill that would have let a class A county or a municipality in one set up a mandatory vehicle safety or noise inspection, Senate Bill 48, did not pass. The VIN inspection at title is an identity check and not a safety check. The code does reach the condition of the truck three ways. The division may refuse, suspend or revoke a registration or title when 'the vehicle is mechanically unfit or unsafe to be operated or moved upon the highways', NMSA 66-3-7(B). Driving or moving a vehicle in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person, or without the required equipment, is a penalty assessment misdemeanor, 66-3-801(A) and 66-3-901, assessed at $50.00 under 66-8-116. And for a reconstructed, rebuilt or homemade vehicle MVD's manual has staff check the equipment on Form MVD-10053 and stop if any is missing or not working. The imported vehicle section, section U, asks for no equipment check. Read 28 October 2026.

Sources, 7

Licence, equipment and renewalA valid driver licence to drive a motor vehicle on a highway, NMSA..

The licence

A valid driver licence to drive a motor vehicle on a highway, NMSA 66-5-2(A). The ordinary licence is the Class D non-commercial licence, which authorizes the holder to drive any single vehicle of less than 26,001 pounds gross vehicle weight, 18.19.5.30 and 18.19.5.112 NMAC as MVD's driver manual states them. A Class E licence for farm and ranch drivers carries the Class D privileges. No endorsement is needed for a kei truck, which has four wheels, and the motorcycle endorsements apply to two and three wheeled motorcycles. No driver licence is needed to operate an off-highway motor vehicle off the paved road, NMSA 66-3-1010. Read 28 October 2026.

On the road

Lighted lamps from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise and whenever persons and vehicles are not clearly discernible at 500 feet ahead, NMSA 66-3-802(A)
On a truck less than 80 inches wide, two headlamps on the front, and on the rear one red tail lamp, one red or amber stop lamp and two red reflectors, one at each side, NMSA 66-3-809. The same section applies in place of the general headlamp, tail lamp and reflector sections to a truck, 66-3-808. The headlamps give a selectable upper and lower beam, 66-3-830
A white light that makes the rear plate legible from 50 feet, wired to light with the headlamps. It is in the tail lamp section, NMSA 66-3-805(C), which 66-3-808 sets aside for a truck, and MVD's Vehicle Equipment Affirmation lists a plate lamp for every vehicle, so fit one
Stop lamps that show red, amber or yellow and work when the service brakes are applied, and turn signals visible from the front and the rear on a vehicle made after 1 January 1954, NMSA 66-3-807 and 66-3-828
Brakes adequate to control, stop and hold the vehicle, with two separate means of applying them that each act on at least two wheels, brakes on all wheels in contact with the road for a truck, a parking brake that locks the rear driving wheels and a stop from 20 miles an hour in 30 feet on a dry level road, NMSA 66-3-840
A horn audible under normal conditions from not less than 200 feet, and no siren, whistle or bell, NMSA 66-3-843
A muffler in good working order and in constant operation, with no cutout or bypass, and an engine and emission equipment adjusted to prevent excessive fumes or smoke, NMSA 66-3-844(A) and (B)
On a gasoline vehicle of the 1968 model year or newer, the factory installed emission devices or their replacements kept in good working order, NMSA 66-3-844(C)
A mirror that shows the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear, NMSA 66-3-845
A windshield, driver's side window and rearmost window kept free of signs and nontransparent material, outside mirrors if the rearmost window is not used for driving visibility and a windshield wiper that the driver controls and that is kept in good working order, NMSA 66-3-846
Tires with no metal or hard surface in contact with the road and no cleat, spike or projection beyond the tread except tire chains and snow tires with metal studs when needed, NMSA 66-3-847
Safety glazing in the doors, windows and windshield of a truck's driver's compartment, for a vehicle sold as new on or after 1 January 1954, NMSA 66-3-848
Safety belts at the left and right front seats of an automobile of the 1964 model year or newer sold at retail, NMSA 66-3-874, as MVD's Vehicle Equipment Affirmation words it for vehicles of 1964 and later models
No vehicle on a highway in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person, NMSA 66-3-801(A) and 66-3-901(A)

Plates and renewal

One registration plate, issued with the registration at no extra fee, in the yellow and red design or the turquoise Centennial design, NMSA 66-3-14(A). Renewals bring a validating sticker only, 66-3-17(A). The plate goes on the rear of the vehicle, fastened horizontally at least 12 inches above the ground, 66-3-18(A). New Mexico is a plate to owner state, so on a sale the owner takes the plate off and within 30 days puts it on another vehicle of the same class or has MVD cancel it, 66-3-101(B), and a plate does not go on the newly acquired vehicle until its registration is complete, 66-3-101(D). Registration is staggered by month and runs one year or two, 66-3-19(A), and expires on the last day of the month on the sticker. MVD allows no grace period, and the late penalties are in fees. An owner renews online with a credit card, at a kiosk in Albuquerque, by phone on 888 683 4636, by mail or at an MVD field office. For a Bernalillo County truck MVD checks the Air Care database at renewal. A year of manufacture plate, NMSA 66-3-423, and a horseless carriage plate, 66-3-27, are in fees. Neither suits a working truck. Read 28 October 2026.

The off highway decalIf MVD registers the truck as an off-highway motor vehicle it takes..To confirm

The decal. If MVD registers the truck as an off-highway motor vehicle it takes an 'OH' registration sticker on the rear, NMSA 66-3-1003, on a staggered registration that MVD's chapter 16 and its Fees Manual of 2026 put at two years, though its chapter 2 says three. The fees are $17.00, an off-highway user fee set by rule and capped at $40.00, and $1.00 for the beautification fund, 66-3-1004, which MVD's Fees Manual totals at $50.00 for two years with its $2.00 administrative fee, plus the $5.00 title and the 4 percent excise tax. The Act does not apply to a person who operates an off-highway motor vehicle on privately held lands, or to one operated exclusively on privately held lands where the appropriate tax or fee has been paid in lieu of the registration fee, or to one used for agricultural operations, NMSA 66-3-1005(B) and (F), and a vehicle exempted that way needs no registration, 66-3-1(A)(11). Read 28 October 2026.

The course. None for an adult, and no driver licence is needed off the paved road, NMSA 66-3-1010. A person under 18 must complete a safety training course given by an organization the Department of Wildlife certifies and receive an off-highway motor vehicle safety permit, 66-3-1010.2, and may not operate without the permit, without eye protection and a securely fastened helmet that meets the department's standard or while carrying a passenger, 66-3-1010.3(B). A person aged 10 to 17 must be visually supervised at all times by a parent, a guardian or a licensed adult unless at least 13 with a motorcycle licence and a permit or at least 15 with a driver licence, instructional permit or provisional licence and a permit, 66-3-1010.3(C). Read 28 October 2026.

Whether a kei truck can be an off-highway motor vehicle at all is unsettled, and the answer is MVD's. The Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Act, NMSA 66-3-1001 to 66-3-1020, defines an off-highway motor vehicle in 66-3-1001.1(E) as one 'designed by the manufacturer for operation exclusively off the highway or road'. The Motor Vehicle Code defines it in 66-1-4.13(B) as a vehicle 'operated or used exclusively off the highways of this state and that is not legally equipped for operation on the highways'. A kei truck was built for Japanese roads. MVD's own chapter 2 lists as an off-highway motor vehicle 'any other vehicle that is operated or used exclusively off the highways of this state and that is not legally equipped for operation on the highways of this state', naming dune buggies, and its chapter 16 adds golf carts. That reads the class by use and equipment, though it names no vehicle that a maker built for the road. MVD's chapter 16 also says it 'will not register off-highway vehicles as street legal' even if modified. A 25 year truck that MVD titles and registers as a highway vehicle is outside the off-highway class and needs none of this. Where a registered off-highway motor vehicle may go: it may never use a limited access highway or freeway, and it may not use a paved street or highway except to cross one after a complete stop and as close to a right angle as possible, NMSA 66-3-1011(A) and (B). The one road route in the Act, 66-3-1011(C), is an ordinance or resolution of a local authority or the State Transportation Commission that opens a paved street to a recreational off-highway vehicle or an all-terrain vehicle, and a kei truck is neither. A recreational off-highway vehicle is designed for non-highway tires and has a top speed over 35 miles an hour, a gross vehicle weight rating no greater than 1,750 pounds, an engine under 1,000 cubic centimeters and a 17 character VIN, 66-3-1001.1(E)(4), and an all-terrain vehicle is 50 inches wide or less with a straddle seat and handlebars, 66-3-1001.1(E)(1). No road act read opens a paved street to the truck. It may run unpaved roads that no local, state or federal rule closes, 66-3-1010.3(A)(12). It may not run on state game commission land or on state parks land except where those agencies allow, 66-3-1011(F) and (G). The operator must have the registration certificate on hand. The vehicle needs a spark arrester approved by the Forest Service, a headlight that lights objects at 150 feet and a taillight seen at 200 feet when visibility is 500 feet or less, and it may make no more than 96 decibels, 66-3-1010.3(A)(8) to (11). A newer truck imported as governed off-road equipment is not a road vehicle, and the two definitions leave it with no settled off-highway class either, so it works privately held land and agricultural operations, which need no registration, 66-3-1005. Read 28 October 2026.

Sources, 6

Questions

Is a kei truck street legal in New Mexico?

Not confirmed. New Mexico has no kei truck law. The MVD's written procedure for a vehicle built for sale outside the United States, revised in 2018, asks for a CBP vehicle release showing the DOT HS-7 declaration, a hold of at least 30 days with a NHTSA bond release letter and EPA standards. A truck entered at 25 years under Box 1 carries no bond and no bond release letter, and the procedure does not mention the 25 year exemption, so the MVD decides each application and no approval of a kei truck was found. If the MVD does title and register it as a truck, it is an ordinary highway vehicle. It takes one plate, a Class D driver licence, the equipment on the equipment list and liability insurance of 25/50/10, and it needs an emissions test only in Bernalillo County. Ask the MVD on 888 683 4636 before you buy. A newer truck imported as governed off-road equipment is not a road vehicle.

Which roads can it use?

That depends on how the MVD registers it. Titled and registered for the road as a truck, it may use any road a registered vehicle may. Registered as an off-highway motor vehicle, it may not use a paved street or highway at all except to cross one after a complete stop, and it may never use a limited access highway or freeway. It may run unpaved roads that no local, state or federal rule closes. The local act that opens paved streets under NMSA 66-3-1011(C) covers recreational off-highway vehicles and all-terrain vehicles only, and a kei truck is neither. It may not use state game commission land or state parks land except where those agencies allow. On privately held land and in agricultural operations it needs no registration.

What does the MVD need to title an imported kei truck?

Form MVD-10002, the Application for Vehicle Title and Registration, the Japanese export certificate with a certified English translation, a bill of sale that states the price and the Affirmation Certifying Ownership, Form MVD-10010. Bring the CBP Form 7501 or DD1252 showing the VIN, the DOT HS-7 declared under Box 1 and the EPA Form 3520-1, because section U asks for a CBP vehicle release. A VIN inspection by a Certified VIN Inspector is required and the MVD runs the NCIC check itself. Bring proof of insurance showing the VIN, proof of identity and two proofs of New Mexico residency. The Air Care result is needed only for an owner in Bernalillo County. Apply within 30 days of the purchase to avoid a late transfer penalty. The MVD manual asks for a NHTSA bond release letter that a 25 year entry does not have, and what the MVD accepts in its place is not written.

My truck has a frame number, not a 17 character VIN. Can New Mexico title it?

Not confirmed. The statutes ask for the maker's serial number and engine or other identification number and not for 17 characters, so a Japanese frame number reads as the number for the title. The MVD manual tells staff that every vehicle of model year 1981 and newer must have 17 characters, and it assigns its own number only for a homemade or shop built vehicle or a recovered stolen vehicle with no public VIN. A factory built Japanese truck is neither, and no page says what the MVD does, so the MVD decides. Whichever number the title carries is the number your insurance policy must carry, because the MVD matches the policy to the registration by VIN.

What does it cost to title and register a kei truck in New Mexico?

The title is $5.00. The motor vehicle excise tax is 4 percent of the price paid, due when you apply, with a 50 percent penalty after 90 days. Registration for a truck of 4,000 pounds or less is $40 a year for its first five years of registration plus $6.00 of add-on charges, $46.00 in all, and $38.00 a year after five years, with a two year registration at double less one $2.00 administrative fee. A kei truck first registered in New Mexico has no earlier state registration, so on the words of the statute it pays the $46.00 rate at first. Tax paid to another state may be credited and nothing read credits a Japanese tax. A late transfer penalty is $20 at the counter after 30 days, and a registration more than 30 days late pays 75 percent of the fee. The MVD fee manual still prints a 3 percent excise tax, and the statute says 4 percent.

Does a kei truck need an emissions test or a safety inspection in New Mexico?

An emissions test only if the owner lives in Bernalillo County or drives there 60 or more days a year. A gasoline vehicle under 35 years old and under 10,001 pounds is tested when it is sold and every two years, so a 25 year kei truck is tested, and the rule exempts a vehicle that is 35 years old or older and one not regularly operated on public streets. The test checks for a connected catalytic converter, and which test a Japanese market truck gets is not written. Nowhere else in the state is there a test. New Mexico runs no periodic safety inspection. The VIN inspection at title checks identity and not safety.

What insurance does a kei truck need in New Mexico?

Liability of at least $25,000 for one person's injury, $50,000 for two or more and $10,000 for property damage in any one accident on any registered vehicle, or $60,000 in a surety bond or a cash deposit. The insurer reports the policy to the state database, which matches it to the registration by VIN, so the policy must carry the truck's number exactly as the title shows it or the registration is suspended after a 30 day notice. Driving uninsured is a misdemeanor. An off-highway registration needs no insurance. A truck kept on private land that never uses a road has no duty if the owner files the statement of non-use with the MVD.

Do I need an off-highway registration for a kei truck?

Not if the truck stays on privately held land or works in agricultural operations. The Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Act exempts both. A truck titled for the road is outside the off-highway class and needs none. If the MVD agrees that a truck is an off-highway motor vehicle, the registration is $50.00 for two years with an 'OH' sticker, plus the $5.00 title and the 4 percent excise tax. An operator under 18 needs a safety permit and a helmet. The MVD says it will not register an off-highway vehicle as street legal, and whether a truck built for Japanese roads fits the Act's definition is unsettled.

The official pages

Who decides here

Ask the office that decides.

New Mexico's law does not settle a kei truck on the road plainly, so the office below makes the call on each truck. We ask it with you before you buy.

The deciding office

New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division

888 683 4636

MVD Vehicle Procedures Manual chapter 8 section U, revised 9 May 2018: Upon importing foreign manufactured vehicles, owners must conform to safety and emission standards established by the USDOT and the EPA prior to applying for New Mexico Title and Registration. The applicant must provide a vehicle release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), indicating the vehicle has met the following requirements: Vehicle meets Department of Transportation requirements per DOT HS-7 Declaration form. Vehicles must be held for at least 30 days from the import date and include a NHTSA Bond Release letter confirming the vehicle safety. Vehicle meets EPA standards.

The office pagemvd.newmexico.gov, read 28 October 2026

County by county

The rules in detail.

Where a newer off road truck or a UTV can run in New Mexico, county by county, as each county's and town's own acts read. Every county on the map above opens its own page.

Statewide

A governed kei truck is not an ATV or a recreational off-highway vehicle in New Mexico, so no route on this map is open to it. NMSA 66-3-1011(C) lets a town, a county or the State Transportation Commission open a paved road to those two classes only, and every town and county act read here rests on it. A recreational off-highway vehicle must be designed for travel on non-highway tires for recreational use, with a top speed over 35 mph, a gross vehicle weight rating no greater than 1,750 pounds, an engine under 1,000 cc and a 17 character VIN, 66-3-1001.1(E)(4). A truck governed to 25 mph fails the speed test and a Japanese frame number is not a 17 character VIN. Whether it is an off-highway motor vehicle at all is unsettled. The Act asks whether the maker designed it exclusively for off-highway use, which a kei truck built for Japanese roads was not, while the Motor Vehicle Code, 66-1-4.13(B), asks only whether it is used off the highways and not legally equipped for them. If the MVD registers one as an OHV, the Act closes only paved streets and highways, so it may run unpaved roads no county or town has closed, cross a highway after a full stop and run beside one to reach a riding area, but never a paved street. If the MVD will not, it works private land and agricultural operations, which need no OHV registration, 66-3-1005. A 25 year truck the MVD titles and registers for the road is a highway vehicle that 66-1-4.13(B) leaves out of the OHV class and needs none of these routes, but the MVD's import procedure asks for a NHTSA bond release a 25 year entry never carries, so whether it will title one is its call alone.

NMSA 1978 66-3-1011nmonesource.com, read 28 October 2026

Bernalillo County None found

Bernalillo County bars OHVs from its paved roads, trails and parks while Albuquerque, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and Tijeras open no street to them.

In town Closed

Closed Albuquerque. The town's code on American Legal was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. The only hits are a ban on vehicles in drainage channels and arroyos and the open space rules. town code as published on American Legal, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Closed Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. The town's code on American Legal was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on American Legal, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Closed Tijeras. The town's code on Municode was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on Municode, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026

County roads Closed

Ordinance 2022-3 bars OHVs from paved county streets and highways except to cross, and from walking trails and county parks. The department lists the county as strictly prohibited. The act reaches paved roads only. Ordinance No. 2022-3, adopted February 2022, codified as County Code 82-5 to 82-5.4, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Catron County Roads open

Catron County opens its paved county roads to ROVs and ATVs with a licensed and insured driver in a helmet, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town To confirm

To confirm Reserve. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Every paved street or highway owned and controlled by the county is open to ROVs and ATVs. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. Ordinance No. 001-2016, adopted in special meeting 8 December 2016, recorded 9 December 2016, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Ordinance 001-2016: one or more headlights and taillights that comply with the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle ActOrdinance 001-2016: brakes, mirror and mufflersOrdinance 001-2016: a valid driver's licence, instruction permit or provisional licence and an off-highway motor vehicle safety permitOrdinance 001-2016: insurance under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility ActOrdinance 001-2016: eye protection and a safety helmetOrdinance 001-2016: ATVs 35 mph and ROVs 45 mph, or the posted limit if lower

Chaves County Roads open

Chaves County opens its county roads to OHVs with a licensed and insured driver and Roswell opens its paved streets to side by sides, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Open Roswell. Paved streets owned and controlled by the city are open to recreational or utility off-highway vehicles that meet the state ROV definition. Walking trails and city parks are closed. Roswell Code 24-11 to 24-15, Ordinance No. 17-15, 11 January 2018, read 28 October 2026
Open Dexter. Riding an ATV on any street or alley in town or on a state highway is unlawful, and Lake Van property is closed. A side by side UTV with registration, insurance, head, tail and brake lights, seat belts and child restraints is exempt from that ban. Read on a one page town sheet with no adoption record. Town of Dexter ATV Ordinance 2019, section 8-1-1-A, read in the copy the department hosts, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Hagerman. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Lake Arthur. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Any road or street owned or controlled by the county, paved or gravel, but not inside a municipality unless the municipality has opened its own streets. 45 mph or the posted limit on paved county roads, a reasonable speed no higher than 45 mph on gravel or dirt. Ordinance No. O-099, adopted 21 May 2018, effective 21 June 2018, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Ordinance O-099: headlights and taillights that comply with the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle ActOrdinance O-099: brakes, mirrors and mufflersOrdinance O-099: a valid driver's licence or permit and an off-highway motor vehicle safety permit as the Act requiresOrdinance O-099: insurance under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility ActOrdinance O-099: eye protection and a helmet for an operator under eighteen

Cibola County Roads open

Cibola County and Grants open their paved roads and streets to ROVs and ATVs with a licensed and insured driver in a helmet, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Open Grants. Paved streets owned and controlled by the city are open to ROVs and ATVs, ATVs at 35 mph and side by sides at 45 mph or the posted limit if lower. City of Grants ordinance adopted 13 June 2016, its number unreadable on the copy read, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Milan. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Every paved street owned and controlled by the county is open to ROVs and ATVs. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. Ordinance No. 16-01, effective 21 July 2016, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Ordinance 16-01: headlights and taillights that comply with the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle ActOrdinance 16-01: brakes, mirror and mufflersOrdinance 16-01: a valid driver's licence, instruction permit or provisional licence and an off-highway motor vehicle safety permitOrdinance 16-01: insurance under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility ActOrdinance 16-01: eye protection and a safety helmetOrdinance 16-01: ATVs 35 mph and ROVs 45 mph, or the posted limit if lower

Colfax County Towns only

Colfax County has no act opening paved county roads, while Angel Fire and Cimarron open their streets to side by sides and ATVs and state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Closed Raton. The town's code on American Legal was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on American Legal, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Open Angel Fire. Paved streets owned and controlled by the village are open to ROVs and ATVs at the posted limit. Ordinance No. 2017-07, adopted 10 October 2017, read 28 October 2026
Open Cimarron. All village streets are open to OHVs and ATVs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., stopping and parking included. State highways are closed except to cross at a village street. Ordinance No. 281, adopted 10 October 2018, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Eagle Nest. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Maxwell. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Springer. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Some

No county act opens paved county roads, so they stay closed to OHVs, NMSA 66-3-1011(A). The Act closes only paved streets and highways, so a registered OHV is not barred from an unpaved county road the county has not closed. none. The Department of Wildlife register of paved road acts, kept under 18.15.3.15 NMAC, lists no act for the county, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Angel Fire Ordinance 2017-07: the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C), the posted speed limitCimarron Ordinance 281: no operation between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Curry County Towns only

Curry County has no act opening paved county roads, while Clovis opens its paved streets to side by sides and ATVs and state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Open Clovis. Paved streets owned by the city are open to an off-highway motor vehicle as state law defines it, which for paved roads means ROVs and ATVs. Clovis Code 10.05.010, Ordinance No. 2210-2023, 2 December 2023, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Grady. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Melrose. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Texico. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Clovis 10.05.010: headlights, taillights, brakes, mirrors and mufflersClovis 10.05.010: a valid driver's licence or permit and the safety permit the Act requiresClovis 10.05.010: insurance, eye protection and a helmet under eighteen

De Baca County Roads open

De Baca County opens its paved county roads to side by sides but not ATVs, with a licensed and insured driver of sixteen or more, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town To confirm

To confirm Fort Sumner. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Every paved street or highway owned and controlled by the county is open to ROVs. ATVs are not permitted on paved county roads. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. Ordinance No. 2023-01, adopted 26 September 2022 and recorded in Book 119 at pages 434 to 439, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Ordinance 2023-01: a valid driver's licence, not a learner's permit or a motorcycle licenceOrdinance 2023-01: an OHV education card from the Department of Game and Fish if eighteen or youngerOrdinance 2023-01: insurance under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act, not a homeowner's policyOrdinance 2023-01: registration at the MVD for residents or in the home state for nonresidentsOrdinance 2023-01: lights, brakes, mirrors including a driver's side mirror, mufflers, a horn and a Forest Service spark arresterOrdinance 2023-01: a driver at least sixteen, supervised by a licensed adult of twenty one or more until eighteenOrdinance 2023-01: seat belts where fitted, single file and the posted speed limit

Doña Ana County Roads open

Doña Ana County opens its paved county roads to ROVs and ATVs, Las Cruces opens its streets to permitted UTVs and Mesilla opens its own streets, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Open Las Cruces. Paved streets and highways owned and controlled by the city are open to ROVs, which the code also calls UTVs, that carry a city permit, DOT approved tires, a safety glass windshield and a muffler, at 45 mph or the posted limit if lower. ATVs are not named. Las Cruces Code 27-12-7-9.2, Ordinance No. 2915 of 2 March 2020 as amended by Ordinance No. 2930 of 6 July 2020, read 28 October 2026
Open Mesilla. Paved town streets are open to ROVs and ATVs. The multi-use trails stay closed, as do the state highways through town, Avenida de Mesilla, Motel Boulevard, Union Avenue and University Avenue. Mesilla Town Code 10.15.040, Ordinance No. 2020-01, read 28 October 2026
Closed Anthony. The town's code on American Legal was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. Its traffic code lists the state OHV offences in its penalty schedule only. town code as published on American Legal, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Closed Hatch. The town's code on American Legal was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on American Legal, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Closed Sunland Park. The town's code on American Legal was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on American Legal, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026

County roads Open

Every paved street or highway owned and controlled by the county is open to ROVs and ATVs, ATVs at 35 mph and ROVs at 45 mph or the posted limit if lower. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. County ordinance enacted 22 August 2017 and recorded 24 August 2017, instrument 1719817, codified as County Code chapter 312, article III, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

County ordinance of 2017: headlights and taillights that comply with the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle ActCounty ordinance of 2017: brakes, mirrors and mufflersCounty ordinance of 2017: valid driver's licences or permits and the safety permits the Act requiresCounty ordinance of 2017: insurance under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility ActCounty ordinance of 2017: eye protection and a helmet for an operator under eighteenCounty ordinance of 2017: ATVs 35 mph and ROVs 45 mph, or the posted limit if lower

Eddy County Roads open

Eddy County opens its paved county roads to ROVs and ATVs with a licensed and insured driver, while Carlsbad and Artesia keep their streets closed and state highways stay crossing only.

In town To confirm

Closed Carlsbad. The town's code on Municode was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on Municode, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Closed Artesia. The town's code on American Legal was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on American Legal, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Hope. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Loving. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Every paved street or highway owned and controlled by the county is open to ROVs and ATVs as the ordinance defines them, and to no other OHV. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. Ordinance No. O-18-95, adopted and recorded 7 August 2018, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Ordinance O-18-95: a valid driver's licence, not a learner's permit or a motorcycle licenceOrdinance O-18-95: an OHV education card from the Department of Game and Fish if eighteen or youngerOrdinance O-18-95: insurance under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act, not a homeowner's policyOrdinance O-18-95: registration at the MVD for residents or in the home state for nonresidentsOrdinance O-18-95: lights, brakes, mirrors including a driver's side mirror, mufflers, a horn and a Forest Service spark arresterOrdinance O-18-95: safety belts in ROVs, eye protection and helmets for anyone under eighteenOrdinance O-18-95: the posted speed limit

Grant County Roads open

Grant County opens its paved county roads and five Commission approved state highway segments north of Silver City to side by sides only, and Silver City and Bayard open their streets to side by sides with an adult driver.

In town Some

Open Silver City. Paved town streets are open to ROVs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a driver eighteen or older. ATVs and every other OHV are barred in town, and trails, open space, riparian zones, stream beds and parks are closed. Silver City Code 50-3, amending the Uniform Traffic Ordinance, as amended through Ordinance No. 1319 of 11 July 2023, read 28 October 2026
Open Bayard. City streets are open to ROVs with a driver eighteen or older or one under eighteen with a full licence. ATVs are not permitted in city limits. Ordinance No. 4-2019, adopted 9 September 2019, amending the traffic code adopted at Bayard Code 38-1, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Hurley. The town is listed on Municode but no code text was searchable there, and no OHV act was found.
To confirm Santa Clara. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Every paved street or highway owned and controlled by the county is open to ROVs only. No other OHV may use them. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. Ordinance No. O-17-03, adopted 19 September 2017, read 28 October 2026

State highways Segments open

ROVs only, never ATVs, on NM 15 from mile marker 6.2 near Pinos Altos to NM 35 at mile marker 25.2, NM 35 from McKnight Canyon Road, Forest Road 152, at mile marker 12.2 to NM 15 at mile marker 27.4, NM 153 from NM 211 at mile marker 0.0 to mile marker 3.9, NM 211 from NM 293 at mile marker 4.0 to NM 153 at mile marker 5.4 and NM 293 from NM 211 at mile marker 0.0 to mile marker 4.8. The grant is contingent on a county and NMDOT agreement, signage and county patrols. Whether those were completed was not confirmed. State Transportation Commission Resolution No. 2018-11 (SEP), adopted 20 September 2018, on Grant County Resolution R-18-27, read 28 October 2026

Ordinance O-17-03: a valid driver's licence, not a learner's permit or a motorcycle licenceOrdinance O-17-03: an OHV education card from the Department of Game and FishOrdinance O-17-03: insurance under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act, not a homeowner's policyOrdinance O-17-03: registration at the MVD for residents or in the home state for nonresidentsOrdinance O-17-03: lights, brakes, mirrors, mufflers, a horn, safety belts for everyone and a Forest Service spark arresterOrdinance O-17-03: eye protection and helmets for anyone under eighteen

Guadalupe County To confirm

Guadalupe County has no act opening paved county roads and the Santa Rosa and Vaughn codes were not found, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town To confirm

To confirm Santa Rosa. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Vaughn. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Harding County Roads open

Harding County opens its county roads to ROVs and ATVs on the state's paved road conditions, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town To confirm

To confirm Mosquero. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Roy. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

County owned and controlled roads and highways are open to ROVs and ATVs under the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C), at the posted limit or any lower limit the State Transportation Commission sets. A recital describes an ROV of up to 3,500 pounds gross weight, under 85 inches wide and under 3,600 cc, wider than the state definition, but the resolution authorizes ROVs only under 66-3-1011(C). Resolution 2017-17, passed 15 December 2016 as dated on its face, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Resolution 2017-17: the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C), headlights and taillights, brakes, mirrors and mufflers, a valid licence and safety permit, insurance, eye protection and a helmet under eighteenResolution 2017-17: the posted speed limit or a lower Commission limit

Hidalgo County Towns only

Hidalgo County has no act opening paved county roads, while Lordsburg opens its paved streets to side by sides by day and state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Open Lordsburg. Paved streets owned and controlled by the city are open to ROVs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the posted limit. ATVs are forbidden inside city limits. Ordinance 2017-01, adopted 12 October 2017, enacting code section 12-7-9.7, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Virden. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Lordsburg Ordinance 2017-01: no operation between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.Lordsburg Ordinance 2017-01: the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C)

Lea County Towns only

Lea County has no act opening paved county roads, while Eunice, Jal and Tatum open their streets to side by sides and Hobbs and Lovington keep theirs closed.

In town Some

Closed Hobbs. The town's code on Municode was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. The code adopts the Uniform Traffic Ordinance and lists the state OHV offences in its penalty schedule only. town code as published on Municode, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Closed Lovington. The town's code on American Legal was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. The code lists the state OHV offences in its penalty schedule only. town code as published on American Legal, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Open Eunice. Paved streets owned and controlled by the city are open to ROVs and ATVs at the established limit. The city's Municode copy is current only to 2012 and does not carry this ordinance. Ordinance No. 525, adopted October 2018 with the day left blank on the copy read, read 28 October 2026
Open Jal. Paved streets owned and controlled by the city are open to ROVs and ATVs at the established limit. Ordinance No. 2021-005, adopted 22 February 2021, codified at Jal Code 70.18, read 28 October 2026
Open Tatum. Paved streets owned and controlled by the town are open to ROVs at the posted limit. Walking trails and town parks stay closed. Tatum Code chapter 238, adopted 28 April 2026, read 28 October 2026

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Eunice Ordinance 525: registration under NMSA 66-3-1003Eunice Ordinance 525: insurance showing the vehicle's VIN, not a homeowner's policyTatum chapter 238: a valid driver's licence, instruction permit or provisional licence and insurance

Lincoln County Roads open

Lincoln County and Ruidoso open their paved roads and streets to side by sides but not ATVs, and the village reports Commission approved stretches of NM 48 and NM 37.

In town Some

Open Ruidoso. Paved streets owned and controlled by the village are open to ROVs at the posted limit. Walking trails and village parks stay closed. Ruidoso Code 82-81 to 82-85, Ordinance No. 2017-03 of 10 January 2017 as amended by Ordinance No. 2018-09 of 13 November 2018, read 28 October 2026
Closed Ruidoso Downs. The town's code on American Legal was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on American Legal, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Closed Capitan. The town's code on Municode was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. Its only hit bars motorized vehicles from parks and bike trails. town code as published on Municode, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Carrizozo. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Corona. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Every paved street or highway owned and controlled by the county is open to ROVs. ATVs are not permitted on paved county roads. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. Ordinance 2018-02, adopted 16 October 2018, recorded 17 October 2018, read 28 October 2026

State highways Segments open

Portions of NM 48 at Ruidoso, with the route extended north along NM 48 and NM 37 toward the Bonito Lake turnoff, ROVs only. Read on the village's page, which gives no resolution, date or end points. State Transportation Commission authorization named on the Village of Ruidoso OHV page, the resolution itself not read, read 28 October 2026

Ordinance 2018-02: a valid driver's licence, not a learner's permit or a motorcycle licenceOrdinance 2018-02: an OHV education card from the Department of Game and Fish if eighteen or youngerOrdinance 2018-02: registration and insurance that is not a homeowner's policyOrdinance 2018-02: lights, brakes, mirrors, mufflers, a horn, a Forest Service spark arrester and seat belts where fittedOrdinance 2018-02: eye protection and helmets for anyone under eighteen

Los Alamos County None found

Los Alamos County keeps every paved street closed to OHVs except to cross, and state highways stay crossing only.

In town Closed

Closed Los Alamos. Los Alamos County is an incorporated county, one government for the county and its townsites, so the county code governs here. No paved street is open to OHVs except to cross. Los Alamos County Code 38-500, Ordinance No. 85-218 of 1995 as amended by Ordinance No. 02-236 of 17 December 2013, read 28 October 2026

County roads Closed

No person may operate an OHV on any paved street except to cross. An OHV with a validating sticker may be moved beside a street only by non-mechanical means to reach a riding area. The department lists the county as strictly prohibited. Los Alamos County Code 38-499 to 38-504, current through Supplement 73, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Luna County Roads open

Luna County opens every county road outside Deming and Columbus to OHVs, and Deming opens its streets to side by sides with an adult driver, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Open Deming. ROVs with a driver eighteen or older may use any road, street or highway owned and controlled by the city, and ATVs only its dirt roads, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 45 mph or the posted limit if lower. NMDOT roads in town, Pine Street, 8th Street, Florida Street and Country Club Road among them, stay closed. Ordinance No. 1319, adopted 21 February 2023, adding Title 7 chapter 5 to the city code, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Columbus. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Every designated county road outside Deming and Columbus, maintained or not, with its rights of way and easements, is open to OHVs. State and federal roads are not. Ordinance 112, adopted and recorded 9 June 2022, codified as Luna County Code chapter 70, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Ordinance 112: headlights, taillights, brakes, mirrors, mufflers and a Forest Service spark arresterOrdinance 112: a valid driver's licence or permit and the safety permit the Act requiresOrdinance 112: insurance under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility ActOrdinance 112: registration, plate and validation sticker as the Act requiresOrdinance 112: eye protection and, for an operator under eighteen, the licence and supervision rules of NMSA 66-3-1010.3

McKinley County Towns only

McKinley County has no act found opening paved county roads, while Gallup opens its paved streets to side by sides and ATVs with a licensed and insured driver in a helmet.

In town Open

Open Gallup. Paved streets owned and controlled by the city are open to OHVs as state law defines them. Walking and biking trails and city parks stay closed. Gallup Code title 6 chapter 6, Ordinance No. 2016-9, 23 August 2016, read 28 October 2026

County roads Some

No county act opens paved county roads, so they stay closed to OHVs, NMSA 66-3-1011(A). The Act closes only paved streets and highways, so a registered OHV is not barred from an unpaved county road the county has not closed. The department's register leaves McKinley County off its list entirely, and no county act was found. none. The Department of Wildlife register of paved road acts, kept under 18.15.3.15 NMAC, lists no act for the county, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Gallup 6-6-2: headlights, taillights, brakes, side mirrors on both sides and mufflersGallup 6-6-2: a valid driver's licence, instruction permit or provisional licence and an OHV safety permitGallup 6-6-2: insurance, eye protection and a safety helmet for every rider

Mora County Roads open

Mora County opens its paved county roads to ROVs and ATVs on the state's paved road conditions, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town To confirm

To confirm Wagon Mound. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Paved streets and roads owned and controlled by the county are open to ROVs and ATVs. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. Ordinance 2020-001, adopted 22 July 2020, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Ordinance 2020-001: the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C), lights, brakes, mirrors, mufflers, licence and safety permit, insurance and eye protection

Otero County Roads open

Otero County opens its paved county roads to ROVs and ATVs with a licensed and insured driver, while Alamogordo's and Cloudcroft's current codes leave town streets unclear and state highways stay crossing only.

In town To confirm

To confirm Alamogordo. Ordinance 1529 of 2016 opened paved city streets to OHVs. The current code, Ordinance 1567 of 29 May 2018, carries the Uniform Traffic Ordinance wording that an ROV or ATV may use a paved street if authorized by ordinance or resolution, and names no street. The department still lists the city as open. Alamogordo Code 24-12-7-9.2 as set by Ordinance No. 1567 of 29 May 2018 and Ordinance No. 1529 of 2016, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Cloudcroft. Ordinance 372 rewrote Uniform Traffic Ordinance 12-7-9.2 with the state's wording that an ROV or ATV may use a paved street if authorized by ordinance or resolution, and names no street. The department lists the village as open. Ordinance No. 372, adopted 9 August 2016, at Cloudcroft Code 6-1-1, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Tularosa. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Every paved street or highway owned and controlled by the county is open to ROVs and ATVs. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. The 2016 text the department links was replaced in full in 2022. Otero County Code chapter 224, Ordinance No. 16-06 of 5 July 2016 as amended in its entirety by Ordinance No. 22-05 of 18 November 2022, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Chapter 224: a valid driver's licence, not a learner's permit or a motorcycle licenceChapter 224: an OHV education card from the Department of Game and Fish if eighteen or youngerChapter 224: registration and insurance that is not a homeowner's policyChapter 224: lights, brakes, mirrors, mufflers, a horn, safety belts in ROVs and a Forest Service spark arresterChapter 224: eye protection and helmets for anyone under eighteenChapter 224: the posted speed limit

Quay County Towns only

Quay County has no act opening paved county roads, while Logan opens its paved streets to side by sides and Tucumcari keeps its streets closed.

In town Some

Closed Tucumcari. The town's code on Municode was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on Municode, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Open Logan. Paved streets controlled by the village are open to ROVs and golf carts under the village's conditions. Ordinance No. 2018-191, adopted 14 August 2018, read 28 October 2026
To confirm House. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm San Jon. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Logan Ordinance 2018-191: the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C) and the village speed limits

Rio Arriba County Towns only

Rio Arriba County has no act opening paved county roads, while Chama and Española open their streets to side by sides and ATVs and state highways stay crossing only.

In town Open

Open Chama. Any street or highway owned and controlled by the village is open to OHVs that meet the state equipment rules, ATVs at 35 mph and other OHVs at 45 mph or the posted limit if lower. Ordinance No. 2016-01, adopted 21 November 2016, effective 26 November 2016, read 28 October 2026
Open Española. Paved streets owned and controlled by the city are open to ROVs and ATVs at 30 mph or the posted limit if lower, never on a road posted over 50 mph, with a driver sixteen or older. Ordinance No. 2021-01, adopted 27 July 2021, effective 17 August 2021, codified as Española Code chapter 305 article V, read 28 October 2026

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Española chapter 305: registration, insurance, eye protection, a driver sixteen or older and a helmet under eighteenChama Ordinance 2016-01: the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C)

Roosevelt County To confirm

Roosevelt County has no act opening paved county roads and Portales keeps its streets closed, while the four villages' codes were not found.

In town To confirm

Closed Portales. The town's code on Municode was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on Municode, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Causey. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Dora. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Elida. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Floyd. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

San Juan County Roads open

San Juan County opens its county roads to ROVs and ATVs, and Farmington, Aztec and Bloomfield open their paved streets to side by sides, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Open Farmington. Paved streets owned and controlled by the city are open to ROVs with turn signals, a horn, a lit speedometer and mirrors on both sides, at 45 mph or the posted limit if lower. Walking trails and city parks stay closed. Farmington Code 25-3-136 to 25-3-140, Ordinance No. 2016-1286, 10 May 2016, read 28 October 2026
Open Aztec. Paved streets owned and controlled by the city are open to ROVs with turn signals, a horn, a lit speedometer and mirrors on both sides, at 45 mph or the posted limit if lower. Walking trails and city parks stay closed. Aztec City Code 24-26, on a code page dated 11 January 2024, read 28 October 2026
Open Bloomfield. Paved streets owned and controlled by the city are open to ROVs with turn signals, a horn, a lit speedometer and mirrors on both sides, at 45 mph or the posted limit if lower. Any other OHV is barred from city streets except to cross. Bloomfield Code 17-100 to 17-105, Ordinance No. 497, 14 December 2020, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Kirtland. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

County owned and controlled roads and highways are open to ROVs and ATVs under the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C), at the posted limit or any lower Commission limit. Resolution No. 15-16-50, adopted 17 May 2016, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Resolution 15-16-50: the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C), headlights and taillights, brakes, mirrors and mufflers, a valid licence and safety permit, insurance, eye protection and a helmet under eighteenFarmington, Aztec and Bloomfield: a safety permit, insurance, eye protection and a helmet for every rider in town

San Miguel County Roads open

San Miguel County opens its paved county roads to OHVs and Pecos opens every village road, while Las Vegas keeps its streets closed and state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Closed Las Vegas. The town's code on eCode360 was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. Its Uniform Traffic Ordinance 12-7-9.2 keeps paved streets closed except to cross. town code as published on eCode360, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Open Pecos. Every paved and unpaved road, street or highway owned and controlled by the village is open to OHVs and ATVs at posted limits. Ordinance 2017-001, adopted 14 August 2017, read 28 October 2026

County roads Open

County paved streets and highways are open to off-highway vehicles and ATVs. The ordinance defines an off-highway vehicle by use, any motor vehicle used only off the highways and not legally equipped for them, dune buggies and golf carts included, which is wider than the ROV and ATV classes state law lets a county open. Ordinance No. 08-09-2016, adopted 9 August 2016, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Ordinance 08-09-2016: headlights and taillights, brakes, mirrors and mufflersOrdinance 08-09-2016: a valid driver's licence, instruction permit or provisional licence and an off-highway motor vehicle safety permitOrdinance 08-09-2016: insurance, eye protection and a safety helmetOrdinance 08-09-2016: posted speed limits

Sandoval County To confirm

Sandoval County has no act opening paved county roads and Rio Rancho, Bernalillo and Corrales keep their streets closed, while three villages' codes were not found.

In town To confirm

Closed Rio Rancho. The town's code on eCode360 was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. Its Uniform Traffic Ordinance 12-7-9.2 keeps paved streets closed except to cross. town code as published on eCode360, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Closed Bernalillo. The town's code on eCode360 was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. Its only hits are noise rules. town code as published on eCode360, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Closed Corrales. No OHV may run on any public road or right of way of the village, paved, graded or improved, nor on trails on village right of way. Corrales Code 34-62(c), Ordinance No. 11-001, 11 January 2011, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Cuba. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Jemez Springs. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm San Ysidro. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Some

No county act opens paved county roads, so they stay closed to OHVs, NMSA 66-3-1011(A). The Act closes only paved streets and highways, so a registered OHV is not barred from an unpaved county road the county has not closed. The county code on Municode was searched and has no OHV act. none. The Department of Wildlife register of paved road acts, kept under 18.15.3.15 NMAC, lists no act for the county, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Santa Fe County Towns only

Santa Fe County has no act opening paved county roads and the City of Santa Fe bars OHVs, while Edgewood opens its streets to side by sides and ATVs.

In town Some

Closed Santa Fe. OHV use is prohibited within the city except on a designated course, track or trail or on private property with the owner's permission. Santa Fe City Code 12-7-9, Ordinance No. 2007-32, read 28 October 2026
Open Edgewood. Any street owned and controlled by the town is open to OHVs and ATVs at the posted limit. Walking trails and town parks stay closed. Ordinance No. 2023-006, adopted 13 June 2023, read 28 October 2026

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Edgewood Ordinance 2023-006: the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C) and posted limits

Sierra County Roads open

Sierra County opens its maintained county roads to ROVs and ATVs and Truth or Consequences and Elephant Butte open their streets, while state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Open Truth or Consequences. Maintained streets and roads owned and controlled by the city are open to ROVs and ATVs at the posted limit. Truth or Consequences Code 12-64, Ordinance No. 697, adopted 8 August 2018, read 28 October 2026
Open Elephant Butte. Any street or highway owned and controlled by the city is open to OHVs that meet the state equipment rules, ATVs at 35 mph and other OHVs at 45 mph or the posted limit if lower. Ordinance No. 163, adopted 20 July 2016, enacting chapter 72, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Williamsburg. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Open

Maintained streets and roads owned and controlled by the county are open to ROVs and ATVs. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. Ordinance No. 18-015, adopted and recorded 15 May 2018, read 28 October 2026

State highways Crossings only

The county asked the Commission to open paved sections of NM 51, NM 179, NM 181 and NM 195 in the county to OHVs. No Commission act on the request was found. Sierra County Resolution 110-159, adopted 18 April 2023, read 28 October 2026

Ordinance 18-015: headlights and taillights, brakes, mirror and mufflersOrdinance 18-015: a valid driver's licence, instruction permit or provisional licence and an off-highway motor vehicle safety permitOrdinance 18-015: insurance, eye protection and a safety helmet

Socorro County Towns only

Socorro County has no act opening paved county roads and the City of Socorro opens no street, while Magdalena opens its paved streets to side by sides and ATVs.

In town Some

Closed Socorro. The town's code on eCode360 was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on eCode360, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Open Magdalena. Paved streets owned and controlled by the village are open to ROVs and ATVs at the posted limit. Ordinance No. 2022-03, adopted 12 December 2022, read 28 October 2026

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Magdalena Ordinance 2022-03: the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011(C)

Taos County Roads open

Taos County opens its paved county roads to ROVs and ATVs and Questa and Red River open their streets, while the Town of Taos keeps its streets closed and stretches of NM 38 near Red River are reported open to side by sides.

In town Some

Closed Taos. The town's code on eCode360 was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on eCode360, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Open Questa. All village streets are open to OHVs and ATVs except between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. State highways are closed except to cross at a village street. Ordinance No. 2016-147, effective 24 January 2017, read 28 October 2026
Open Red River. Town streets are open to ROVs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a licensed driver of sixteen or more, single file, never on NM 38, Main Street, between Caribel Trail and Jayhawk Trail except to cross. ATVs are forbidden in town. Read on a town rules sheet, not the ordinance text. Town of Red River ROV rules sheet the department hosts, the ordinance itself not read, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Taos Ski Valley. The village is listed on Municode but no code text was searchable there, and no OHV act was found.

County roads Open

Every paved street owned and controlled by the county is open to ROVs and ATVs. Unpaved county roads are not closed by state law. Ordinance No. 2017-3, adopted 1 August 2017, recorded 8 August 2017 in Book 954 at page 246, read 28 October 2026

State highways Segments open

Segments of NM 38 and NM 578 around Red River open to ROVs only. A Commission agenda of 19 May 2022 carries a Red River request to designate new segments of NM 38. No resolution, segment list or outcome was read. State Transportation Commission agenda, 19 May 2022, item 10(f), read 28 October 2026

Ordinance 2017-3: registration under state lawOrdinance 2017-3: a valid driver's licence, instruction permit or provisional licence and an off-highway motor vehicle safety permitOrdinance 2017-3: insurance under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility ActOrdinance 2017-3: eye protection or a DOT approved windshieldOrdinance 2017-3: no operator under sixteen and a helmet for every passenger under eighteen

Torrance County Towns only

Torrance County has no act opening paved county roads, while Estancia opens its streets to side by sides and ATVs by day and state highways stay crossing only.

In town Some

Open Estancia. All town streets are open to OHVs and ATVs except between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. State highways are closed except to cross at a town street. Ordinance No. 02-2021, certified as adopted in December 2021, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Moriarty. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Encino. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Mountainair. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Willard. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Estancia Ordinance 02-2021: no operation between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., single file and helmets for anyone under eighteen

Union County Towns only

Union County has no act opening paved county roads, while Clayton opens most of its streets to side by sides and ATVs by day.

In town Some

Some Clayton. Paved town streets are open to ROVs and ATVs from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. First Street on US 64 and US 87 from North First Avenue to West Avenue may only be crossed, as may Main Street and Monroe Street on US 56 from West Avenue to North Fifth Avenue and any street next to a hospital, nursing home or public school. Ordinance No. 701, adopted 11 April 2018, codified as Clayton Code 72.30, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Des Moines. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Folsom. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.
To confirm Grenville. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Some

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Clayton 72.30: daylight hours only and the conditions of NMSA 66-3-1011

Valencia County Towns only

Valencia County has no act opening paved county roads, while Peralta and Bosque Farms open their streets to side by sides and ATVs by day.

In town Some

Closed Belen. The town's code on Municode was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. Its Uniform Traffic Ordinance 12-7-9.2 keeps paved streets closed except to cross. town code as published on Municode, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Closed Los Lunas. The town's code on Municode was searched for off-highway, all-terrain, off-road and UTV and opens no street, so paved streets stay closed to OHVs except to cross, NMSA 66-3-1011. town code as published on Municode, no OHV act, read 28 October 2026
Open Bosque Farms. All village streets are open to OHVs and ATVs except between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. State highways are closed except to cross at a village street. Read in the village's posted copy with blank signature lines. Its eCode360 code does not carry it. Ordinance No. 2020-01, dated as adopted 17 September 2020, read 28 October 2026
Open Peralta. All town streets are open to OHVs and ATVs except between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. unless used for agriculture. State highways are closed except to cross at a town street. Ordinance No. 2022-001, adopted 29 December 2022, read 28 October 2026
To confirm Rio Communities. No online code or OHV act was found for the town in this pass, so whether it opens a street is not known.

County roads Some

No county act opens paved county roads, so they stay closed to OHVs, NMSA 66-3-1011(A). The Act closes only paved streets and highways, so a registered OHV is not barred from an unpaved county road the county has not closed. The county code on American Legal was searched and has no OHV act. none. The Department of Wildlife register of paved road acts, kept under 18.15.3.15 NMAC, lists no act for the county, read 28 October 2026

State highways Closed

Closed to OHVs.

Peralta Ordinance 2022-001: no operation between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. except for agriculture, single file and helmets for anyone under eighteen

Engines and EPA

Why the engine decides which truck comes in.

The same three facts hold in New Mexico and every other state.

The 25 year truck

It comes in on age

A 25 year old kei truck in original configuration clears both agencies on age. No Registered Importer and no Independent Commercial Importer is needed.

EPA's provision asks only that the truck is in its original configuration with the same model of engine it left the factory with.

40 CFR 85.1511(f)(2)eCFR, read 28 October 2026

The newer truck

EPA asks for a certified engine

A newer kei truck comes in as nonroad equipment, permanently modified so its top speed is 25 mph or less, with its engine covered by an EPA certificate of conformity before it reaches US Customs. The governor stays for the life of the truck, and removing it is tampering, a federal offense.

Mini-trucks, importing used motor vehicles as nonroad vehiclesEPA, read 28 October 2026

Engine size

Why 30 kilowatts decides a newer truck's engine

EPA sorts nonroad gasoline engines by maximum power, not size. Every kei engine is under 1,000 cc, so an engine of 30 kW or less may certify to the small engine standards, and 30 kW is the line that decides. Today's stock kei engines are rated above it, and a speed governor does not lower an engine's maximum power.

Every kei engine family EPA has certified for mini trucks is a lower power certified configuration, between 14.46 and 29.9 kW, under part 90 or part 1054. A certified mini truck engine is that configuration, not the stock engine.

40 CFR 1054.1, the small engine ruleseCFR, read 28 October 2026 Small nonroad spark ignition engine certificatesEPA, read 28 October 2026

New Mexico, the five answers

Road, title, land, inspection and what is next.

The roadCan I drive it on the road?

New Mexico has no kei truck law. The MVD's written procedure for a vehicle built for sale abroad asks for conformity to federal safety and emission standards and a NHTSA bond release letter, and it has no lane for a vehicle imported at 25 years under the federal age exemption.

Upon importing foreign manufactured vehicles, owners must conform to safety and emission standards established by the USDOT and the EPA prior to applying for New Mexico title and registration. MVD Vehicle Procedures Manual chapter 8 section U, revised 9 May 2018
The applicant provides a CBP vehicle release showing the vehicle meets DOT requirements per the HS-7, a NHTSA bond release letter after at least 30 days, EPA standards and CBP requirements.
The two common port of entry documents are the CBP 7501 and the DD1252, with the VIN on them, a VIN inspection and an NCIC clearance.
Off-highway motor vehicles may never run on a limited access highway or freeway.
A local authority may open its own paved streets to recreational off-highway vehicles and all-terrain vehicles by ordinance or resolution. That path covers those two classes only.

MVD Vehicle Procedures Manual chapter 8 section U; NMSA 1978 66-3-1011

The road rulemvd.newmexico.gov, read 28 October 2026

TitleHow do I title and register it?

The MVD titles a vehicle built for sale outside the United States on a CBP vehicle release, a port of entry document showing the VIN, a VIN inspection and an NCIC clearance. Its written procedure also asks for a NHTSA bond release letter and EPA conformity.

The steps

Gather the federal entry papers that show the truck was released by CBP.
Have a certified inspector perform the VIN inspection.
Apply at an MVD field office with the ownership document and its certified translation. MVD's register pages say the first registration of a used vehicle in an owner's name is made at a field office, and partner offices are named for the VIN inspection.
MVD runs the NCIC check before it issues title.

The documents

CBP 7501 or DD1252 port of entry document showing the VIN
DOT form HS-7 declaration
NHTSA bond release letter, which the procedure lists without an age exception
Evidence the vehicle meets or is exempt from EPA standards
Foreign ownership document with a certified English translation
VIN inspection by a certified inspector
A notarized mileage statement where a kilometer odometer is converted to miles

New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division, 888 683 4636

Title and registrationmvd.newmexico.gov, read 28 October 2026

Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.

LandCan I use it on a farm or private land?

New Mexico registers off-highway motor vehicles through the MVD on a staggered two year term with an OH sticker on the rear. A vehicle operated only on privately held land or in agricultural operations is exempt.

Class. No class fits cleanly. NMSA 66-1-4.13(B) defines an off-highway motor vehicle as any motor vehicle operated or used exclusively off the highways and not legally equipped for them. NMSA 66-3-1001.1 says one designed by the manufacturer for operation exclusively off the highway or road. A kei truck was built for Japanese roads.

Registration. OHV title and two year registration through the MVD for public land use. None on privately held lands or for farm tractors, special mobile equipment or OHVs used for agricultural operations. NMSA 66-3-1005

Off road usemvd.newmexico.gov, read 28 October 2026

Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.

On the farm

Farm tractors, special mobile equipment and off-highway vehicles used for agricultural operations are exempt from OHV registration.

Farm usemvd.newmexico.gov, read 28 October 2026

InspectionWhat inspection or insurance applies?

Safety. The MVD requires a VIN inspection by a certified inspector and an NCIC clearance before titling an imported vehicle. No periodic safety inspection was found in the sources read.

Emissions. A periodic emissions test applies in Bernalillo County only, to a gasoline vehicle under 35 years old and under 10,001 pounds registered to an owner there, 20.11.100 NMAC. No emissions rule written for kei trucks was found, and the rest of the state has no test. See ownership.emissions.

Inspectionmvd.newmexico.gov, read 28 October 2026

Read from a secondary source or an older page. Confirm it with the office before you rely on it.

Insurance. Any off-highway vehicle run on a paved street under a local ordinance must be insured under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act, the same law that covers registered motor vehicles.

Insurancemvd.newmexico.gov, read 28 October 2026

NextWhat is coming?

No bill or rule change for kei trucks was found in New Mexico on 28 October 2026. We read it again before a truck goes there.

Questions

Asked about New Mexico.

Can I drive a kei truck on New Mexico roads?

New Mexico law does not name kei trucks. The MVD's written procedure for imports asks for federal conformity and a NHTSA bond release letter, and a truck imported at 25 years carries neither, so the MVD decides each application. The state's paved road rules for off-highway vehicles cover ATVs and recreational off-highway vehicles in towns and counties that allow them, not kei trucks.

Who decides?

The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division, 888 683 4636.

Do I need to register it to use it on my land?

No. New Mexico exempts vehicles operated only on privately held land and vehicles used for agricultural operations from OHV registration.

Is a change in the law on the way?

Bills in 2025 and 2026 to let counties open paved roads to off-highway vehicles did not pass. None of them named kei trucks.

What about a truck 25 years or older?

What about a newer truck imported as off-road equipment?

Upgrades

Upgrades in New Mexico.

Height and lift. No bumper, frame height, lift kit or suspension limit found (NMSA 66-3-801 to 66-3-901). Headlamps must sit 20 to 54 inches high per a summary (66-3-804(C)). Equipment must be in good working order and the vehicle in safe mechanical condition (66-3-901). (Unsure.)

Tires and fenders. No tire may have a block, flange, cleat or spike past the tread except farm machinery, reasonable tire chains and metal-stud snow tires (NMSA 66-3-847). No fender, mud flap, tire size, trimming, tread depth or spacer rule found by section title. (Unsure.)

Lights. By a summary, at most two spot lamps, two fog lamps at 12 to 30 inches, one auxiliary passing lamp at 24 to 42 and one driving lamp at 16 to 42 (NMSA 66-3-827). At most four headlamps and auxiliary lamps lit (66-3-834(B)). (Unsure.)

Modification and inspection. When a vehicle to be registered is specially constructed, reconstructed or foreign, that fact must be stated in the application. The section defines none of the three terms and describes no physical inspection (NMSA 66-3-5). (Unsure.)

From the upgrades chapter of Mini Truck Roadbook, the 2026 to 2027 edition, with the statute after each rule. A rule marked (Unsure.) rests on a source the book could not read in full.

Getting it there

Where New Mexico's truck comes ashore.

From the nearest port where a sailing from Japan is on record. Road miles are an estimate, the straight line times 1.2, not a routed drive.

Nearest port with a sailing from Japan on record

Port of Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the California door. Three container services sail from Kobe, Nagoya, Tokyo and Yokohama to San Pedro, and from there I-10 runs east to Phoenix and Texas, I-15 climbs north to Las Vegas and Utah and I-40 leaves Barstow for the middle of the country.

The road. I-10 into New Mexico.

about 800 road miles, straight line times 1.2

Sources

Every source read, 28 October 2026

The public record of New Mexico as read on 28 October 2026, not legal advice. Every kei truck pays the 25 percent truck duty, the chicken tax, whatever its age.

Contact

A truck for New Mexico.

Ask about a truck, a state or the papers, and we answer with what applies to you.

Reach us

Use the form on this page. We read every message.

Leave this empty

Contact us

A question about a truck, the law in your state or the papers. We read every message.

Name

State

County optional

Your message

I have read the Privacy Policy.

That did not send. Check the connection and try again.

No payment is taken here.

Got it

We read every message.

How it works

Mountain West

Neighbouring states.

All states

ArizonaOpen to road use ColoradoRoad use opens later IdahoRoad use with limits MontanaOpen to road use NevadaRoad use unclear UtahRoad use with limits WyomingRoad use with limits

Areas in New Mexico

Permian Basin