2020 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 66 - Motor Vehicles
Article 3 - Registration Laws; Security Interests; Anti-Theft Provisions; Bicycles; Equipment; Unsafe Vehicles; Off-Highway Motor Vehicles; Other Vehicles
Part 5 - SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES
Section 66-3-422 - Special registration plates; firefighters and volunteer firefighters.

A. The department shall issue special registration plates to a person employed as a New Mexico firefighter, upon the submission by the person of proof satisfactory to the department that the person is currently employed as a New Mexico firefighter, including submission of a signed consent form from the fire chief.

B. The department shall issue special registration plates to a person who is an active volunteer firefighter with a volunteer fire department recognized by the state fire marshal upon the submission by the person of proof satisfactory to the department that the person is currently an active member of a recognized volunteer fire department. Such proof shall include the submission of a signed consent form from the fire chief.

C. A person shall not falsely represent that the person is a New Mexico firefighter or volunteer firefighter if the person is not, in fact, a New Mexico firefighter or volunteer firefighter. The secretary shall determine what constitutes satisfactory proof of employment as a New Mexico firefighter or status as a volunteer firefighter.

D. A person who violates the provisions of Subsection C of this section is guilty of a penalty assessment misdemeanor.

E. A fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00), which is in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee, shall be collected by the department for the original issuance of the special registration plate for New Mexico firefighters and volunteer firefighters.

F. Ten dollars ($10.00) of the fee collected pursuant to Subsection E of this section shall be retained by the department and is appropriated to the department to defray the cost of making and issuing special registration plates for New Mexico firefighters and volunteer firefighters.

G. The amount of the fee collected pursuant to this section less any amount distributed pursuant to Subsection F of this section shall be deposited in the firefighters' survivors fund.

H. The secretary shall approve the final plate design for the special registration plates for New Mexico firefighters in accordance with New Mexico law. The secretary shall approve and issue a separate and distinctive plate clearly marked as "volunteer" for issuance to volunteer firefighters.

I. When a person holding a special plate pursuant to this section ceases to be employed as a firefighter or serve as an active volunteer firefighter, the person shall immediately remove the plate from the vehicle and return it to the secretary, at which time it shall be exchanged for a regular registration plate. A person who fails to remove and return a special plate as required by the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a penalty assessment misdemeanor. A firefighter who holds a special plate and retires may retain the special plate.

History: Laws 1998, ch. 21, § 1; 2000, ch. 70, § 1; 2007, ch. 154, § 1; 2018, ch. 74, § 18.

The 2018 amendment, effective July 1, 2018, reduced the penalty for falsely representing oneself as a firefighter or volunteer firefighter so as to be eligible to be issued a special registration plate pursuant to this section, made it unlawful to fail to remove and return a special registration plate as required in this section, provided a penalty, and made technical changes; in Subsection D, after "guilty of a", deleted "petty" and added "penalty assessment", and after "misdemeanor", deleted "and shall be sentenced pursuant to Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978"; and in Subsection I, added "A person who fails to remove and return a special plate as required by the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a penalty assessment misdemeanor."

The 2007 amendment, effective July 1, 2007, amended Subsection G to provide that the amount collected pursuant to this section shall be distributed to the firefighter's survivors fund.

The 2000 amendment, effective May 17, 2000, revised the section to include volunteer firefighters in its provisions; added Subsection B redesignating the remaining subsections and internal references; substituted "secretary" for "director" throughout the section, and added a provision for volunteer firefighter license plates in Subsection H.