Sell your car in New Mexico without a second trip to the MVD
New Mexico makes private car sales simpler than most states: no notary on the title, no statewide safety inspection, and a free one-page form that ends your liability the day the buyer drives off. The quirks are real but manageable — your plate stays with you, not the car, and Albuquerque-area sales come with an emissions test. Here's the whole picture.
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What New Mexico requires when you sell
| Notary | Not required for the sale itself — the title assignment is signed, never notarized. Notaries only enter for side paperwork: a power of attorney, a lien release on company letterhead, or the Affidavit of Gift (MVD-10018). |
|---|---|
| The title form | Ownership moves via the assignment on the back of the New Mexico Certificate of Title (MVD-10030): purchase price, odometer disclosure, both signatures. If that section is full or botched, the state Bill of Sale (MVD-10009) finishes the job, and MVD-10187 is the standalone odometer statement. |
| Lost your title? | File the Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title (MVD-10901) — the fee is $5.00 for a vehicle. Any MVD field office can issue one in state; by mail it goes to the Vehicle Services Bureau in Santa Fe with photocopies of your license and current registration. A lien still on record sends the duplicate to the lienholder instead. |
| Protect yourself after the sale | Mail the Notice of Vehicle Sold (MVD-10048) — the notification required by Section 66-3-101(A) NMSA 1978 — to the MVD's Sold Unit in Santa Fe. It records the buyer, sale date, and odometer, costs nothing, and false statements on it are fourth-degree-felony perjury, so it protects honest sellers with teeth. |
| License plates | New Mexico is officially a Vehicle Plate to Owner state. Take your plate off before the buyer leaves, then you have 30 days to have MVD assign it to another vehicle of the same class or turn it in to be cancelled. |
| Sales tax | The buyer pays the 4% Motor Vehicle Excise Tax when they title the car, on price paid minus any trade-in credit. On private sales, MVD substitutes N.A.D.A. book value when the declared price falls below 80% of average trade-in — and a buyer who waits past 90 days to title pays a 50% penalty on the tax. |
| Inspections | Only Bernalillo County — metro Albuquerque — tests emissions: 1991-and-newer gas vehicles up to 10,000 lbs GVW, every two years and at change of ownership; dedicated EVs and diesels are exempt. Separately, any used vehicle arriving on an out-of-state title needs a one-time VIN inspection before New Mexico will title it. |
Form numbers and fees verified against the New Mexico MVD's vehicle titles page as of August 2026 — double-check there before you file anything, since Santa Fe does occasionally move the furniture.
Asked by New Mexico sellers
Do I need a notary to sell a car in New Mexico?
No. The seller-to-buyer assignment on the back of the title is signed, not notarized. A notary only comes into play for related documents — a power of attorney, a lien release on a lender's letterhead, or the notarized Affidavit of Gift if you're giving the car away rather than selling it.
What do I do with my license plate after the sale?
Keep it — in New Mexico the plate belongs to you, not the car. Pull it before the buyer drives away, then within 30 days either have MVD assign it to another vehicle of the same class or take it in to be cancelled.
Who pays the 4% excise tax on a private sale?
The buyer, when they apply for the title. Be aware that MVD checks the declared price: anything under 80% of N.A.D.A. average trade-in value gets taxed at book value instead, so writing a token price on the assignment saves nobody money.
How do I stop being liable for a car I've sold?
Mail form MVD-10048, the Notice of Vehicle Sold, to the MVD's Sold Unit in Santa Fe. It's free, takes five minutes, and puts the buyer's name, the sale date, and the odometer reading on state record — your paper trail if the car collects tickets or worse afterward.