SENATE BILL

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2023

INTRODUCED BY

Peter Wirth

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; ENACTING A NEW SECTION OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE CODE TO AUTHORIZE CLASS A COUNTIES OR MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN CLASS A COUNTIES TO ENACT ORDINANCES ESTABLISHING MANDATORY VEHICLE INSPECTIONS FOR VEHICLE NOISE OR SAFETY MAINTENANCE; AMENDING SECTION 66-3-7 NMSA 1978 (BEING LAWS 1978, CHAPTER 35, SECTION 27, AS AMENDED) TO INCLUDE THE FAILURE TO PROVIDE PROOF OF RECEIVING A MANDATORY VEHICLE INSPECTION FOR VEHICLE NOISE OR SAFETY MAINTENANCE AS GROUNDS FOR REFUSING, SUSPENDING OR REVOKING VEHICLE REGISTRATION, ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF TITLE OR A TRANSFER OF REGISTRATION; PROVIDING A PENALTY.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 66-3-7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 35, Section 27, as amended) is amended to read:

     "66-3-7. GROUNDS FOR REFUSING, SUSPENDING OR REVOKING REGISTRATION OR CERTIFICATE OF TITLE.--The division may refuse, suspend or revoke registration or issuance of a certificate of title or a transfer of registration upon the [ground] grounds that:

          A. the application contains a false or fraudulent statement or that the applicant failed to furnish the required information or reasonable additional information requested by the division or that the applicant is not entitled to the issuance of a certificate of title or registration of the vehicle under the Motor Vehicle Code;

          B. the vehicle is mechanically unfit or unsafe to be operated or moved upon the highways;

          C. a commercial motor vehicle is operated by a commercial motor carrier that is prohibited from operating the vehicle by order of a state or federal agency;

          D. the division has [a] reasonable [ground] grounds to believe that the vehicle is a stolen or embezzled vehicle or that the granting of registration or the issuance of a certificate of title would constitute a fraud against the rightful owner or other person having valid lien upon the vehicle;

          E. the registration of the vehicle stands suspended or revoked for any reason as provided in the motor vehicle laws of this state;

          F. the required fee has not been paid;

          G. the motor vehicle excise tax has not been paid;

          H. the weight distance tax has not been paid;

          I. international fuel tax agreement taxes have not been paid;

          J. if the vehicle is a mobile home, the property tax has not been paid;

          K. the owner's address, as shown in the records of the division, is within a class A county or within a municipality that has a vehicle emission inspection and maintenance program and the applicant has applied at an office outside the designated county or municipality; [or]

          L. the owner is required to but has failed to provide proof of compliance with a vehicle emission inspection and maintenance program, if required in the county or municipality in which the owner resides; or

          M. the owner is required to but has failed to provide proof of compliance with a vehicle inspection program for vehicle noise or safety maintenance, if required in the county or municipality in which the owner resides."

     SECTION 2. A new Section 66-3-7.2 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

     "66-3-7.2. [NEW MATERIAL] ADOPTION OF A VEHICLE NOISE OR SAFETY MAINTENANCE INSPECTION ORDINANCE--PROOF OF INSPECTION REQUIRED FOR REGISTRATION--PENALTY.--

          A. A class A county or a municipality within a class A county may establish a mandatory vehicle safety maintenance or vehicle noise inspection ordinance. The ordinance may exempt or exclude certain categories or classifications of vehicles and may exempt or exclude a vehicle because of age or type of vehicle.

          B. The division shall not register a vehicle owned by a resident of a class A county or a municipality within a class A county with a mandatory vehicle safety maintenance or vehicle noise inspection ordinance unless proof of the required vehicle inspection or exemption from the requirement is presented, unless the ordinance of the municipality or county specifically excludes enforcement by the division.

          C. A county or municipality that enacts an ordinance pursuant to Subsection A of this section shall inform the director of the division about the ordinance and its requirements and exemptions within thirty days of its passage.

          D. It is a penalty assessment misdemeanor pursuant to Section 66-8-116 NMSA 1978 for any person to register a vehicle in a county or municipality that does not conduct a vehicle noise or safety maintenance program if the registered owner of that vehicle resides in a county or municipality conducting a vehicle noise or safety maintenance inspection program and the person registering the vehicle does so for the purpose of evading a vehicle noise or safety maintenance inspection program.

          E. As used in this section, "safety maintenance" means maintenance of windshields, mirrors, registration plates or other vehicle parts required to meet certain safety standards established by ordinance."

     SECTION 3. Section 66-8-116 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 35, Section 524, as amended) is amended to read:

     "66-8-116. PENALTY ASSESSMENT MISDEMEANORS--DEFINITION--SCHEDULE OF ASSESSMENTS.--

          A. As used in the Motor Vehicle Code and the Boat Act, "penalty assessment misdemeanor" means violation of any of the following listed sections of the NMSA 1978 for which, except as provided in Subsections D through F of this section, the listed penalty assessment is established:

COMMON NAME OF OFFENSE     SECTION VIOLATED     PENALTY                                                  ASSESSMENT

Vehicles subject to

  registration               66-3-1              $ 50.00

Improper display of

  registration plate         66-3-18                25.00 

Improper location of

  registration to

  avoid inspection           66-3-7.2            50.00

Failure to notify of

  change of name or

  address                   66-3-23                25.00

Lost or damaged registration,

  plate or title             66-3-24              25.00

Horseless carriage

  registration               66-3-27                25.00

Transfer of registration

  and title                  66-3-103               25.00

Expiration of dealer

  plates                    66-3-403               25.00

Special registration

  plates                    66-3-409, 66-3-412.1,

                             66-3-413, 66-3-415,

                             66-3-417, 66-3-419,

                             66-3-421, 66-3-422,

                             66-3-424.4, 66-3-424.5,

                             66-3-424.7, 66-3-424.9,

                             66-3-424.13, 66-3-424.16

                             and 66-3-424.28        75.00

Bicycle laws                 66-3-701

                             through

                             66-3-707               50.00

No license display           66-5-16                25.00

Failure to change

  address or name on

  license                   66-5-22                25.00

Permitting unauthorized

  minor to drive             66-5-40                50.00

Permitting unauthorized

  person to drive            66-5-41                25.00

Failure to obey sign         66-7-104               25.00

Failure to obey signal       66-7-105               25.00

Pedestrian signs and

  signals                   66-7-106

                             through

                             66-7-108               25.00

Speeding                     66-7-301

  (1) up to and including

      ten miles an hour

      over the speed limit                           25.00

  (2) from eleven up to

      and including fifteen

      miles an hour

      over the speed limit                           30.00

   (3) from sixteen up to

      and including twenty

      miles an hour over the

      speed limit                                    65.00

   (4) from twenty-one up to

      and including twenty-five

      miles an hour

      over the speed limit                          100.00

   (5) from twenty-six up to

      and including thirty

      miles an hour over the

      speed limit                                   125.00

   (6) from thirty-one up to

      and including thirty-five

      miles an hour over the

      speed limit                                   150.00

   (7) more than thirty-five

      miles an hour over the

      speed limit                                   200.00

Unfastened safety belt       66-7-372               25.00

Child not in restraint device

  or seat belt                66-7-369               25.00

Minimum speed                66-7-305               25.00

Speeding                     66-7-306               25.00

Improper starting            66-7-324               25.00

Improper backing             66-7-354               25.00

Improper lane                66-7-308               25.00

Improper lane                66-7-313               25.00

Improper lane                66-7-316               25.00

Improper lane                66-7-317               25.00

Improper lane                66-7-319               25.00

Improper passing     66-7-309 through 66-7-312     25.00

Improper passing             66-7-315               25.00

Controlled access

  violation                   66-7-320               25.00

Controlled access

  violation                   66-7-321               25.00

Improper turning             66-7-322               25.00

Improper turning             66-7-323               25.00

Improper turning             66-7-325               25.00

Following too closely        66-7-318               25.00

Failure to yield     66-7-328 through 66-7-331     25.00

Failure to yield             66-7-332               50.00

Failure to yield             66-7-332.1             25.00

Pedestrian violation         66-7-333                  

                             through

66-7-34025.00

Failure to stop      66-7-342 and 66-7-344

                        through 66-7-346            25.00

Railroad-highway grade

  crossing violation  66-7-341 and 66-7-343        150.00

Passing school bus           66-7-347              100.00

Failure to signal    66-7-325 through 66-7-327     25.00

Riding on motorcycles        66-7-355              100.00

Video screens in

  automobiles                 66-7-358               25.00

Driving on mountain

  highways                    66-7-359               25.00

Coasting prohibited          66-7-360              25.00

Animals on highway at

  night                       66-7-363               50.00

Failure to secure load       66-7-407              100.00

Operation without oversize-

  overweight permit           66-7-413               50.00

Transport of reducible

  load with special

  permit more than six miles

  from a border crossing      66-7-413              100.00

Driving while license

  administratively

  suspended                   66-5-39.2              25.00

Improper equipment    66-3-801 through

                     66-3-840 and 66-3-842

through 66-3-85150.00

Improper equipment           66-3-901               50.00

Improper emergency

  signal              66-3-853 through 66-3-857     25.00

Minor on motorcycle

  without helmet              66-7-356              300.00

Operation interference       66-7-357               50.00

Littering                    66-7-364              300.00

Improper parking     66-7-349 through 66-7-352

                           and 66-7-353             25.00 

Improper parking             66-3-852               25.00

Riding in or towing

  occupied house trailer      66-7-366               25.00

Improper opening of doors    66-7-367               25.00

No slow-moving vehicle

  emblem or flashing

  amber light                 66-3-887               25.00

Open container-first

  violation                   66-8-138               25.00

Texting while driving-

  (1) first violation         66-7-374               25.00

  (2) second and subsequent

  violation                                          50.00

Using a handheld mobile

  communication device

  while driving a     

  commercial motor vehicle    66-7-375

  (1) first violation                                25.00

  (2) second and subsequent

  violation                                          50.00.

          B. The term "penalty assessment misdemeanor" does not include a violation that has caused or contributed to the cause of an accident resulting in injury or death to a person.

          C. When an alleged violator of a penalty assessment misdemeanor elects to accept a notice to appear in lieu of a notice of penalty assessment, a fine imposed upon later conviction shall not exceed the penalty assessment established for the particular penalty assessment misdemeanor and probation imposed upon a suspended or deferred sentence shall not exceed ninety days.

          D. The penalty assessment for speeding in violation of Paragraph (5) of Subsection A of Section 66-7-301 NMSA 1978 is twice the penalty assessment established in Subsection A of this section for the equivalent miles per hour over the speed limit.

          E. Upon a second conviction for operation without a permit for excessive size or weight pursuant to Section 66-7-413 NMSA 1978, the penalty assessment shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). Upon a third or subsequent conviction, the penalty assessment shall be five hundred dollars ($500).

          F. Upon a second conviction for transport of a reducible load with a permit for excessive size or weight pursuant to Subsection N of Section 66-7-413 NMSA 1978 more than six miles from a port-of-entry facility on the border with Mexico, the penalty assessment shall be five hundred dollars ($500). Upon a third or subsequent conviction, the penalty assessment shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000)."

     SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2023.