New Mexico Form MVD-10009 is required when the certificate of title does not contain a complete purchase price, odometer disclosure, buyer assignment, or required signatures. The title remains the primary ownership document, and the buyer must apply for title and registration within 30 days of the sale.

New Mexico also follows a plate-to-owner system. The seller removes the plate before delivering the vehicle and has 30 days to transfer it to another vehicle of the same class or return it to MVD for cancellation.

Three Documents Perform Three Different Jobs

New Mexico’s paperwork is easier to understand when each document is treated separately.

The bill of sale supports the title. It does not give the buyer authority to drive until the vehicle is also registered, plated, and insured.

When Is MVD-10009 Required?

The official MVD-10009 Bill of Sale is needed when the title is incomplete in one or more of these areas:

• Purchase price.

• Odometer disclosure.

• Assignment from seller to buyer.

• Buyer’s or seller’s required signatures.

• Available reassignment spaces.

• Other information needed to document the transfer.

The form may also be used as additional evidence of the transaction even when the title is complete.

“ANY ALTERATIONS OR ERASURES WILL VOID THIS DOCUMENT!”
— New Mexico MVD Form 10009

Do not use correction fluid, overwrite a number, or change the purchase price after signing. A fresh form should be completed when an error occurs.

What Information Does MVD-10009 Record?

The form requests:

• Exact sale amount.

• Vehicle year, make, model, and body type.

• Engine number when applicable.

• Full VIN.

• License plate number and issuing state.

• Odometer reading and mileage status.

• Lienholder information.

• Seller’s legal name and address.

• Buyer’s legal name and address.

• Seller’s and buyer’s signatures.

• Date of transfer.

The seller certifies that the vehicle is free of undisclosed liens or encumbrances and that the information is accurate.

Does MVD-10009 Need to Be Notarized?

MVD-10009 does not contain a notary block, and the standard form instructions do not impose notarization on the ordinary buyer and seller signatures.

Other New Mexico transfer documents may require notarization:

• MVD-10018, Affidavit of Gift, must be notarized.

• A representative signing for an owner generally needs a notarized power of attorney.

• Affidavits and special ownership statements can require acknowledgement.

• Estate or court-ordered transfers may require certified legal documents.

The notary requirement therefore depends on the document and type of transaction, not simply on the fact that a vehicle was sold in New Mexico.

What Does the Buyer Bring to MVD?

MVD does not accept a photocopy in place of the current original title for a normal used-vehicle transfer.

The Buyer Has 30 Calendar Days

The buyer must apply for title and registration within 30 days from the transfer or purchase date.

The original sale date controls the deadline. A buyer cannot create a new bill of sale with a later date to avoid a late-transfer penalty.

What Happens After Day 30?

A $20 late-transfer fee applies when the title application is filed after 30 calendar days.

When an unregistered vehicle is operated or transported, New Mexico can also assess:

• A $10 late-registration penalty.

• Seventy-five percent of the registration fee or $10, whichever is greater, when more than 30 days have elapsed.

These penalties are separate from title, registration, insurance, and excise-tax obligations.

What Happens After 90 Days?

A New Mexico resident who waits at least 90 days to apply for title can face a penalty equal to 50% of the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax.

Because the regular MVET rate is 4%, the penalty effectively increases the total tax to 6% of the taxable amount.

How the 4% Motor Vehicle Excise Tax Works

New Mexico imposes a Motor Vehicle Excise Tax on vehicles that must be registered in the state.

The standard calculation is:

4% × purchase price after an allowable trade-in credit

For a private sale, MVD can use the state-recognized vehicle value when the declared purchase price is less than 80% of the applicable average trade-in or wholesale value.

The tax is paid when the buyer applies for the title. Twenty-five percent of MVET revenue goes to the Local Governments Road Fund, while the remainder goes to the Highway Infrastructure Fund.

New Mexico Title, Registration and Insurance Costs

The title fee is $5. Passenger registration depends on the vehicle’s model year and weight.

New Mexico’s minimum liability insurance limits are:

• $25,000 for injury to or death of one person.

• $50,000 for injury to or death of two or more people.

• $10,000 for property damage in one accident.

Proof can generally be shown with an insurance card, policy copy, or insurer letter.

New Mexico Plates Stay With the Seller

New Mexico is a plate-to-owner state.

The seller must remove the New Mexico plate before delivering the vehicle. Within 30 days, the seller must either:

• Transfer the plate to another vehicle of the same class; or

• Take it to MVD for destruction or cancellation.

The plate should not remain on the vehicle for the buyer.

The Seller Should File MVD-10048

New Mexico provides MVD-10048, Notice of Vehicle Sold.

The form reports:

• VIN.

• Vehicle make, model, and model year.

• Former plate number.

• Sale date.

• Odometer reading.

• Whether the plate was removed.

• Buyer’s name and address.

• Seller’s name, address, and signature.

The notice tells MVD that the vehicle has been sold or transferred and is no longer in the seller’s possession. The seller should submit it promptly and retain a copy with the bill of sale.

Out-of-State Vehicles Need a VIN Inspection

Every vehicle coming into New Mexico from another state requires a VIN inspection.

The inspection is usually performed by an MVD employee or certified VIN inspector. Not every office performs inspections, and some offices require appointments.

MVD also checks the vehicle through the FBI’s National Crime Information Center. The title transaction cannot proceed unless that check returns clear or no record.

Bernalillo County Has a Change-of-Ownership Emissions Test

A qualifying vehicle registered in Albuquerque-Bernalillo County must pass an emissions test at change of ownership.

For 2026, the local program generally covers:

• Model-year 1992 and newer vehicles.

• Vehicles under 10,001 pounds.

• Gasoline and hybrid vehicles.

• Vehicles registered in Albuquerque-Bernalillo County.

Dedicated electric vehicles, diesel vehicles, heavy vehicles rated at 10,001 pounds or more, and certain other categories are exempt. New vehicles in the original owner’s possession receive a four-year exemption.

The city supports more than 130 certified Air Care stations and offers one free retest at its headquarters when a failed vehicle is retested within 90 days.

Gifts Require a Notarized Affidavit

A genuine gift is not subject to the 4% Motor Vehicle Excise Tax.

The donor and recipient must complete and notarize MVD-10018, Affidavit of Gift of Motor Vehicle or Boat. Both parties certify under oath that the transfer was a true gift.

Do not enter an artificial price such as $1 when no sale occurred. Use the gift affidavit and identify the transfer accurately.

Can the Buyer Obtain Only a Title?

New Mexico allows a title-only transaction in limited situations, including when:

• The vehicle is not operational.

• The buyer is rebuilding or restoring it.

• The vehicle cannot yet be insured.

• A gifted vehicle will be traded rather than driven.

The buyer still pays the title fee and any applicable excise tax. No plate is issued until insurance and registration requirements are completed.

How to Complete a New Mexico Private Sale

• Confirm that the seller is named on the original title.

• Compare the VIN on the title with the vehicle.

• Obtain a release for every recorded lien.

• Complete the title assignment, price, odometer, and signatures.

• Complete MVD-10009 when any required title information is missing.

• Remove the seller’s plate before delivering the vehicle.

• File MVD-10048 to notify MVD of the sale.

• Obtain a VIN inspection for an out-of-state vehicle.

• Complete the Bernalillo County emissions test when required.

• Apply for title and registration within 30 days and pay MVET.

Common New Mexico Mistakes

• Using MVD-10009 when the title itself has not been properly assigned.

• Altering or erasing information on the official form.

• Leaving the seller’s plate on the vehicle.

• Missing the 30-day title deadline.

• Using a new bill-of-sale date to avoid the late fee.

• Reporting an artificially low purchase price.

• Failing to submit the notarized gift affidavit.

• Bringing an out-of-state vehicle to an office that does not perform VIN inspections.

• Ignoring the Bernalillo County change-of-ownership emissions requirement.