New Mexico License Plate Lookup

Type the NM plate exactly as it reads on the car and keep New Mexico selected. The plate is only the way in: we match it to the car's VIN, and the VIN carries the history.

1. 1. Enter the plate

   Type the New Mexico plate and pick the state. Spaces and dashes don't matter.

2. 2. We find the car's VIN

   The plate turns into the car's 17-character VIN in seconds, and you see the decoded year, make and model before you pay.

3. 3. Open the full history report

   One payment of $9.99, no account. The report opens at once, with records from all states.

What the report includes

One report for the VIN behind the plate, searched across all states:

• Odometer readings in miles

  Dated readings from state safety and emissions inspections and auction sales, with a rollback check.

  All states

• Police-reported crashes

  Crashes involving this VIN, with the year, plus the damage recorded when the car was sold at auction.

  All states

• Salvage and auction history, with photos

  Insurance and salvage auction sales of this VIN: sale date, damage type, title, odometer at sale and the auction photos.

  All states

• Title brands

  Salvage, rebuilt, flood and junk brands, so you know what the title says before the seller tells you.

• Recalls and owner complaints

  Safety recalls and owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the model and model year.

  Model-level

• Factory specs

  Model year, make, model, trim, engine, transmission, drivetrain and assembly plant, decoded from the VIN.

  Every VIN

What MVD and its offices charge for titles, registration and plates, as published. Each row links its source.

When you buy a used car in New Mexico, you title it at MVD and pay the motor vehicle excise tax, set at 4% of the price paid (NMSA 7-14-4). The tax applies to private sales too, because the state presumes a sale every time a vehicle is titled (NMSA 7-14-3). Registration fees depend on the vehicle's weight and model year. In Albuquerque-Bernalillo County, a gasoline vehicle from 1992 or later under 10,001 lbs must pass an Air Care emissions test at the change of ownership. Testing costs about $30 at most stations. Check the title brand carefully. New Mexico law bars selling a salvage or nonrepairable vehicle unless the title shows that status, and once a nonrepairable certificate is issued, MVD will not title the car again. A car totaled in another state can arrive with a fresh-looking title here. A report pulls brands and odometer readings from every state.

Private sale

The seller signs the title over to you with the price and odometer reading. You apply for a New Mexico title at MVD and pay the 4% motor vehicle excise tax on the price, because New Mexico treats every titling as a taxable sale. In Bernalillo County, a used gasoline car needs a passing Air Care test at the change of ownership.

Dealer sale

The dealer handles the title application and collects the 4% excise tax. In Bernalillo County, a car you buy new is exempt from Air Care testing for 4 years while you own it.

Source: New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division (Taxation and Revenue Department)

New Mexico follows the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. 2721) and adds its own law:

NMSA 66-2-7.1

It is unlawful for any current or former MVD employee or contractor to disclose personal information from driver, title, registration or ID records, except to the person concerned, to government agencies, for vehicle and driver safety or theft matters, with the person's written consent, or for other listed uses. Violations are a misdemeanor.

Source: MVD