Out-Of-State TITLE & REGISTRATION

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE TRANSFERRING YOUR OUT-OF-STATE TITLE & REGISTRATION

Vehicles that require a Title in New Mexico – New Mexico requires more than just cars and trucks to be titled. The full list of vehicles that must have a certificate of title includes cars, trucks, SUVs, RVs and motorhomes, motorboats, buses, manufactured or mobile homes, ATVs, dune buggies, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and trailers.

States with Electronic Titles – Some states do not have physical certificates of title readily available. If that’s your case, you must contact your state’s DMV or MVD and request a physical title. New Mexico is a title-for-title state, which means that we can only transfer your title when a physical out-of-state title is provided.

90-Day timeframe if the vehicle was purchased – New Mexico gives you 90 days from the day of purchase to title your vehicle. A tax penalty will be imposed if you go over those 90 days. Your excise tax rate will increase from 4% to 6%. We encourage you to title your vehicle within the given timeframe so that you do not have to pay an extra 50% in tax penalties. Save your hard-earned money!

VIN Inspection – Your vehicle must be present at the MVD Now office that you visit when titling and registering your vehicle. This inspection is mandatory, and its purpose is to confirm that all of the VIN numbers match the vehicle that is being titled.  If your vehicle is not present, we may be able to schedule a mobile VIN inspection, where we travel to the vehicle to do the inspection on-site.

“And” or “OR” – Depending on the wording that is included on your out-of-state title, one or both of the owners will have to come in to process this title and registration transfer. For example… if your title says “Joe Smith and John Smith,” then both Joe and John will have to be present. If the title says “Joe Smith or John Smith,” then either Joe or John can come in on their own. On rare occasions, some states write “AND/OR.” In this instance, New Mexico considers this an “AND,” thus requiring both owners to be present.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR AN OUT-OF-STATE TITLE & REGISTRATION TRANSFER – PURCHASED VEHICLE

In most circumstances, these are the documents that are required when titling and registering an out-of-state vehicle that was recently purchased. Please read the description for every document, as it might not apply to your scenario.

• One (1) Valid Driver’s License or ID for each person that will be on the title
• Two (2) Proofs of New Mexico Residency if the Driver’s License or ID of the primary owner is not from New Mexico│ View list of acceptable NM residency documents
• One (1) Out-of-State Vehicle Title – we recommend bringing the title untouched and filling out a NM Bill of Sale between the buyer and seller.
• One (1) NM Bill of Sale – completely filled out by the buyer and seller if the title was not completed │ Download NM Bill of Sale here
• One (1) Passed Emissions Certificate – for all 35-year-old and newer motor vehicles in Bernalillo County Only. Diesel and Fully-Electric vehicles are exempt.
• One (1) Proof of Insurance – we can accept an auto insurance card, a copy of your current auto insurance policy, or a letter from your auto insurance company (on company letterhead) that verifies your auto insurance coverage.
• One (1) New Mexico VIN Inspection – this can be done at any MVD Now office as long as the vehicle is present.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR YOUR OUT-OF-STATE TITLE & REGISTRATION TRANSFER – OWNED VEHICLE

In most circumstances, these are the documents that are required when titling and registering an out-of-state vehicle that you currently own outright. Please read the description for every document, as it might not apply to your scenario.

• One (1) Valid Driver’s License or ID for each person that will be on the title
• Two (2) Proofs of New Mexico Residency if the Driver’s License or ID of the primary owner is not from New Mexico│ View list of acceptable NM residency documents
• One (1) Out-of-State Vehicle Title – if there are multiple owners, please read the “and/or” section found above on this page.
• One (1) Passed Emissions Certificate – for all 35-year-old and newer motor vehicles in Bernalillo County Only. Diesel and Fully-Electric vehicles are exempt.
• One (1) Proof of Insurance – we can accept an auto insurance card, a copy of your current auto insurance policy, or a letter from your auto insurance company (on company letterhead) that verifies your auto insurance coverage.
• One (1) New Mexico VIN Inspection – this can be done at any MVD Now office as long as the vehicle is present.

OUT-OF-STATE TITLE & REGISTRATION TRANSFER FOR FINANCED VEHICLES

If your vehicle is being financed, we will need to request the physical title from the lien holder. (View our Title Lein Request Page for more information on this process.) This process requires you to visit any of our MVD Now offices and provide us with your lien holder information. We then mail and fax an official MVD request to your lien holder so they can mail us your title. Once your title is in our office, we ask you to come in so we can finalize the title and registration transfer. After the transfer is complete, we mail the title back to the lien holder, and you receive your New Mexico license plate and registration.

Keep in mind that this process can take multiple weeks to complete. Most delays happen with your lien holder. If you want to expedite this process, we recommend that you contact your lienholder directly and ask them to mail the title as soon as possible. 

WHAT TO EXPECT AT MVD NOW

Here at MVD Now, we want to make your MVD visit as seamless as possible. Walk-ins are welcome, but we encourage you to schedule an appointment so you can guarantee zero wait time. There are two ways you can schedule an appointment. You can call us at 505-341-2MVD and we can schedule your appointment and also verify your documents over the phone. You also have the option of scheduling your own appointment through our online scheduler. If you schedule online, one of our MVD agents will call you to verify your documents before your appointment date. This will ensure that you bring all the necessary documents and prevents the dreaded “multiple trip” headache.

When you arrive at any of our offices, you will be greeted by a friendly MVD agent at the front door. They will help you check in for your appointment, verify your documents, and answer any questions that you may have. One of our other MVD agents will promptly assist you and process your transaction. Once completed, we collect payment and you are on your way! MVD Now also partners with local charities throughout the year. Currently, we are working with Make-A-Wish New Mexico. You have the option of rounding your MVD total to the nearest dollar or donating any other amount to this great foundation. Our goal is to deliver the most secure, efficient, professional, and friendly MVD services in town.