What a New Mexico speeding ticket is

A New Mexico speeding ticket handed out by an officer is usually a uniform traffic citation for a violation of NMSA 1978 § 66-7-301 (speed regulation). The citation form carries both a penalty assessment notice and a notice to appear in court (NMSA § 66-8-128). It is not the same paper as a mailed city camera notice, such as an Albuquerque Automated Speed Enforcement fine notice; that separate track is described in its own section below. A city police officer may also cite a city traffic ordinance instead of the state statute. Confirm what your paper says.

US overview: What a speeding ticket notice is. Contrast: What an NYC speeding ticket is · What a California speeding ticket is · What a Florida speeding ticket is · What a Pennsylvania speeding ticket is · What a Virginia speeding ticket is · What a Colorado speeding ticket is · What a Maryland speeding ticket is · What a Tennessee speeding ticket is · What a Washington speeding ticket is.

A “penalty assessment misdemeanor” — what the NMSA says

NMSA § 66-8-7(A) (NMOneSource, official compilation, retrieved 8 Oct 2026) states “It is a misdemeanor for any person to violate any provision of the Motor Vehicle Code” unless the violation is declared a felony. NMSA § 66-8-116(A) defines a “penalty assessment misdemeanor” as a violation of a listed section “for which, except as provided in Subsections D through F of this section, the listed penalty assessment is established”, and speeding under § 66-7-301 is on that list. Subsection B: the term “does not include a violation that has caused or contributed to the cause of an accident resulting in injury or death to a person.” That is the statute’s statement.

NMSA § 66-8-117(A) (retrieved 8 Oct 2026): “Unless a warning notice is given, at the time of making an arrest for any penalty assessment misdemeanor the arresting officer shall offer the alleged violator the option of accepting a penalty assessment. The violator's signature on the penalty assessment notice constitutes an acknowledgment of guilt of the offense stated in the notice.” NMSA § 66-8-123(B): “If the arrested person declines to accept a penalty assessment notice, the officer shall issue a notice to appear.” A notice to appear specifies “the time and place to appear” (§ 66-8-123(A)). That is the statute’s statement. Read which part of the citation was completed and signed.

Speed limits (NMSA § 66-7-301 and § 66-7-303)

NMSA § 66-7-301(A) (retrieved 8 Oct 2026): “No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than:” (1) “fifteen miles per hour on all highways when passing a school while children are going to or leaving school and when the school zone is properly posted;” (2) “thirty miles per hour in a business or residence district;” (3) “fifty-five miles per hour on a county road, as defined in Section 66-7-304 NMSA 1978, without a posted speed limit;” (4) “seventy-five miles per hour; and” (5) “the posted speed limit in construction zones posted as double fine zones or other safety zones posted as double fine zones as designated by the department of transportation; provided that the posted speed limit shall be determined by an engineering study performed by the department of transportation.” Subsection C: “The speed limits set forth in Subsection A of this section may be altered as authorized in Section 66-7-303 NMSA 1978.” That is the statute’s statement.

NMSA § 66-7-303(A)–(B) (retrieved 8 Oct 2026): the secretary (state highways) or a local authority (highways within its jurisdiction) may declare a speed limit on the basis of an engineering survey and traffic investigation, and that limit “shall be authorized and effective when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected at that particular part of the highway; provided that no speed limit shall be declared greater than seventy-five miles per hour.” That is the statute’s statement. Read the posted limit and the section printed on your citation.

Penalty assessment amounts for speeding (NMSA § 66-8-116(A))

NMSA § 66-8-116(A) (NMOneSource compilation of Chapter 66, retrieved 8 Oct 2026; the section’s history line ends “2023, ch. 96, § 2”) lists these penalty assessments for “Speeding” under § 66-7-301:

Row in the § 66-8-116(A) tablePenalty assessment
(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

That is the statute’s statement. The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division “Schedule of Assessments” titled “PENALTY ASSESSMENT MISDEMEANORS 7/1/2024” (mvd.newmexico.gov PDF, retrieved 8 Oct 2026) and the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court list of state statute charges with a set fine amount (metro.nmcourts.gov PDF, “Last Updated November 15, 2017; July 1, 2018; July 1, 2019; July 1, 2023”, retrieved 8 Oct 2026) print the same seven speeding amounts. The MVD schedule labels its speeding rows “66-7-301(1)” through “66-7-301(7)”; in the statute, (1)–(7) are rows of the § 66-8-116(A) table, and Paragraph (5) of § 66-7-301(A) is the double-fine-zone paragraph above. Where the MVD schedule and the statute differ, this page follows the statute.

These are penalty assessment amounts only. Fees are covered separately below and are not added here. This page does not compute a “New Mexico speeding ticket = $X” total. Confirm the amount printed on your citation.

Double fine zones (NMSA § 66-8-116(D))

NMSA § 66-8-116(D) (retrieved 8 Oct 2026): “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.” Paragraph (5) is the “construction zones posted as double fine zones or other safety zones posted as double fine zones as designated by the department of transportation” text quoted above. That is the statute’s statement. The statute’s doubling trigger is a violation of Paragraph (5); this page does not apply it to any other paragraph of § 66-7-301(A), including the school-zone paragraph (1), and does not add other conditions to it.

The MVD schedule (7/1/2024) prints a “Regular Fine Zone/Double Fine Zone” column for the seven speeding rows: $25/$50, $30/$60, $65/$130, $100/$200, $125/$250, $150/$300, and $200/$400. That is MVD’s statement. Read the section number and any double-fine-zone wording printed on your citation; as noted above, the MVD schedule also uses “66-7-301(5)” as the label for a speed band.

NMSA § 66-7-303.1 is a different section: it requires drivers to obey the signs, signals, markings, flagmen, and other traffic-control devices placed to guide traffic through a construction zone, and a person who violates Subsection C or D “is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be sentenced in accordance with Section 66-8-7 NMSA 1978.” It is not one of the speeding rows in § 66-8-116(A). Read the section number printed on your citation.

Fees are separate from the penalty assessment

The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court list cited above states: “these Amounts are in Addition to any Fees that are Owed”. That list was last updated July 1, 2023. Laws 2023, chapter 184 (2023 House Bill 139, nmlegis.gov, retrieved 8 Oct 2026) repealed § 66-8-116.3 in its Section 19, and its Section 20(B) states: “The effective date of the provisions of Sections 2 through 4 and 7 through 19 of this act is July 1, 2024.” The NMOneSource compilation prints § 66-8-116.3 as “Repealed”, with the history line “repealed by Laws 2023, ch. 184, § 19”, and its annotation describes the repealed section as relating to “penalty assessment misdemeanors, additional fees”. NMSA § 66-8-130(A) states that a municipality that has adopted an ordinance establishing a municipal penalty assessment program “shall assess on all penalty assessment misdemeanors after January 1, 1984, in addition to the penalty assessment, a penalty assessment fee of ten dollars ($10.00)”, and that “Such a municipal program shall be limited to violations of municipal traffic ordinances.” Those are the court’s, the session law’s, and the statutes’ statements.

UNKNOWN from these sources: whether any fee is added today to a state speeding penalty assessment paid to MVD, and which fees or costs, if any, a court assesses on the notice-to-appear path, and how much. This page does not add any fee to the amounts above and does not compute a total. Confirm what your citation or the court says.

Paying or appearing — what the statute says

NMSA § 66-8-117(B) (retrieved 8 Oct 2026): “Except for penalty assessments made under a municipal program authorized by Section 66-8-130 NMSA 1978, payment of any penalty assessment must be made by mail to the division within thirty days from the date of arrest. Payments of penalty assessments are timely if postmarked within thirty days from the date of arrest.” NMSA § 66-8-123(B): “No officer shall accept custody or payment of any penalty assessment.” That is the statute’s statement. The MVD home page (mvd.newmexico.gov, retrieved 8 Oct 2026) lists “Citation Payments” with the text “Information for where and how to pay your ticket online.” That is MVD’s statement; this page did not verify which citations that online service accepts. Use the date and instructions printed on your citation.

NMSA § 66-8-126(A): “It is a penalty assessment misdemeanor for a person to violate that person's written promise to appear in court given to an officer upon issuance of a uniform traffic citation regardless of the disposition of the charge for which the citation was issued.” NMSA § 66-8-135(B): “The court shall notify the department if a defendant fails to appear on a charge of violating the Motor Vehicle Code or other law or ordinance relating to motor vehicles.” That is the statute’s statement. We do not tell you whether to pay the penalty assessment or appear in court.

NMSA § 66-8-116(C) (retrieved 8 Oct 2026): “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.” That is the statute’s statement. Court fees and costs on that path are UNKNOWN from these sources (see the fees section above). This page does not compare the two paths or predict what a court will do.

Points on the MVD record (18.19.5.52 NMAC)

New Mexico Administrative Code 18.19.5 NMAC (Taxation and Revenue Department; srca.nm.gov, part effective March 14, 2023, retrieved 8 Oct 2026). 18.19.5.50(B): for the point system, “conviction” includes “a plea of guilty pursuant to a penalty assessment misdemeanor”. 18.19.5.51(A): “Notification of a conviction of a traffic violation subject to the assessment of points shall be forwarded to the department by the convicting court.” That is the rule’s statement.

18.19.5.52 NMAC, “SCHEDULE OF POINTS FOR VIOLATIONS”, lists these rows for § 66-7-301:

18.19.5.52(A) states that the schedule applies to “conviction of violations on or after October 1, 1996”. That is the rule’s statement. The rule prints no other speeding rows; this page does not add any.

Two statutes also speak to speeding points and records. NMSA § 66-7-302.2(A) (retrieved 8 Oct 2026): “in developing and applying a point system that is used as a basis for suspension or revocation of driving privileges, the division shall not assign points for convictions for speeding on rural highways of the state”, where “rural highway” means “that part of a highway that is located at least two miles outside of the boundaries of an incorporated city, town or village.” Subsection B: that section does not apply to “rural highways in Bernalillo county”, to a conviction “if the citation out of which the conviction arises indicated that excessive speed of the motorist cited was a factor in the accident”, or to “motor vehicles weighing twelve thousand pounds or more.” NMSA § 66-7-302.1(A): “The division shall not use a violation of Section 66-7-301 NMSA 1978, where the posted speed limit is designated as fifty-five or sixty-five miles an hour, for the purpose of suspending or revoking a driver's license unless the driver was exceeding the speed of seventy-five miles an hour.” Subsection B sets a parallel rule for insurers. Those are the statutes’ statements. Where 18.19.5 NMAC and a statute differ, this page follows the statute. This page does not decide whether a road is a “rural highway”.

18.19.5.51(B): points “will be expunged by the department automatically at the end of the twelfth month following the month in which the violation for which the points were assessed occurred.” 18.19.5.53: at “at least six points, the department may warn the driver of the possibility of suspension”. 18.19.5.54: if a driver has been assessed “from seven to ten points for violations occurring within a period of one year” and the department receives a municipal or magistrate judge’s recommendation, the department “shall automatically suspend the license for the period recommended by the municipal or magistrate judge up to a period of three months.” 18.19.5.55: at points that “equal or exceed twelve points for violations occurring within a period of twelve consecutive months, the department shall suspend the driver's license for a period of twelve months.” That is the rule’s statement. We do not tell you how a ticket will affect your license or insurance. Confirm your driving record with MVD.

City camera notices are a separate civil track (Albuquerque)

The City of Albuquerque runs an Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program. The city states that ASE citations “are issued by the City under the State’s Home Rule Authority” (cabq.gov, retrieved 8 Oct 2026) and that “An Automated Speed Enforcement fine notice is a civil violation” (cabq.gov ASE FAQ). The city’s sample fine notice (cabq.gov PDF, retrieved 8 Oct 2026) states “The civil penalty is $100.00” and “PAYMENT OF THE PENALTY AMOUNT FOR THE VIOLATION WILL NOT RESULT IN POINTS ADDED TO YOUR DRIVING RECORD.” The city’s ASE page states: “Automated speed enforcement citations do not affect your license or driving record.” Those are the city’s statements.

NMSA § 3-18-17 (NMOneSource compilation of Chapter 3, retrieved 8 Oct 2026) states that a municipality, “including a home rule municipality that has adopted a charter pursuant to Article 10, Section 6 of the constitution of New Mexico, may by ordinance:” (A) “define a nuisance, abate a nuisance and impose penalties upon a person who creates or allows a nuisance to exist; provided that:” (1) “the total amount of assessed penalties and fines imposed by an ordinance for failure to obey a traffic sign or signal, including a red light offense or violation, or for a speeding offense or violation shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100)”; and (2) “no fees or costs shall be imposed pursuant to this subsection”. The city’s ASE page states that this home rule authority “enables Home-Rule Municipalities to enact laws to regulate nuisances, including nuisance speed”. Those are the statute’s and the city’s statements. This page did not verify the text of the Albuquerque ordinance. Where a city page and the statute differ, this page follows the statute.

The city’s sample notice also names NMSA 1978 § 66-7-301 next to city ordinance sections, and it states: “You have thirty days from issuance of this notice to pay the fine, request a hearing, submit an owner’s affidavit or request community service.” A mailed city camera notice is not the same paper as an officer’s state penalty assessment notice. This page does not apply the state penalty assessment amounts, fee statements, or points schedule above to a city camera notice; the city’s own statements about its notice are quoted above. This page did not verify any other New Mexico city’s camera program. Read who issued your paper and what it calls itself.

Paths the citation / statute describe (not which to choose)

An officer-issued New Mexico uniform traffic citation is completed as a penalty assessment notice, a notice to appear, or a warning notice, as the statute describes. We do not tell you whether to pay, appear, or take any other step.

Violation.com does not collect New Mexico penalty assessments. If you upload a speeding notice, we summarize what the notice shows. It is not legal advice.

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Sources retrieved 8 Oct 2026:

Not legal advice. Not a law firm. Not affiliated with a government agency. Information Only.