Section 66-3-1 - Vehicles subject to registration; exceptions. - New Mexico Statutes

66-3-1. Vehicles subject to registration; exceptions.

A.     With the exception of vehicles identified in Subsection B of this section, every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer and pole trailer when driven or moved upon a highway is subject to the registration and certificate of title provisions of the Motor Vehicle Code [66-1-1 NMSA 1978] except:

(1)     any such vehicle driven or moved upon a highway in conformance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Code relating to manufacturers, dealers, lien-holders or nonresidents;

(2)     any such vehicle that is driven or moved upon a highway only for the purpose of crossing the highway from one property to another;

(3)     any implement of husbandry that is only incidentally operated or moved upon a highway;

(4)     any special mobile equipment;

(5)     any vehicle that is propelled exclusively by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires though not operated upon rails;

(6)     freight trailers if they are:

(a)     properly registered in another state;

(b)     identified by a proper base registration plate that is properly displayed; and

(c)     identified by other registration documents that are in the possession of the operator and exhibited at the request of a police officer;

(7)     freight trailers or utility trailers owned and used by:

(a)     a nonresident solely for the transportation of farm products purchased by the nonresident from growers or producers of the farm products and transported in the trailer out of the state;

(b)     farmers and ranchers who transport to market only the produce, animals or fowl produced by them or who transport back to their farms and ranches supplies for use thereon; or

(c)     persons who transport animals to and from fairs, rodeos or other places, except racetracks, where the animals are exhibited or otherwise take part in performances, in trailers drawn by a motor vehicle or truck of less than ten thousand pounds gross vehicle weight rating bearing a proper registration plate, but in no case shall the owner of an unregistered trailer described in this paragraph perform such uses for hire; and

(8)     any such vehicle moved on a highway by a  towing service as defined in Section 59A-50-2 NMSA 1978.

B.     A certificate of title required pursuant to Subsection A of this section is not required for a vehicle of a type subject to registration owned by:

(1)     the government of the United States; or

(2)     a carrier that is from a jurisdiction that is not a participant in the International Fuel Tax Agreement, that is authorized by the United States government or an agency of the United States government to conduct cross-border operations beyond the commercial border zone pursuant to the provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement and that identifies New Mexico as the carrier's base jurisdiction.

C.     Every manufactured home shall be subject to the registration and certificate of title provisions of the Motor Vehicle Code, and each manufactured home shall at all times bear a current registration plate.