New Mexico driving guide

From toll roads to speed limits, find out all you need to know about driving in New Mexico. Whether you’re staying for a while or just passing through, you can get to know the rules of the road with our helpful guide.

Jump to a section:

• Quick rules of the road
• Speed limits
• Toll roads
• Driving ages
• Essential equipment
• Speed violations
• Driving with children
• Gas prices
• Electric car charging
• Driving between New Mexico and other states
• Driving conditions 

Quick rules of the road

• At a stop sign, you must come to a complete stop and give right of way to the cars already on the intersection or to any approaching closely enough to be a hazard.
• Always give way to pedestrians. You must always stop if a pedestrian is on a crosswalk, and don’t overtake if another car stops to let a pedestrian cross.
• Your headlights should be on 30 minutes after sunset, and you are able to turn them off 30 minutes before sunrise.
• Using electric handheld devices while driving is illegal. If caught, you will be fined $25 for the first offense and $50 for any subsequent offenses. New Mexico as a state prohibits the following:

             o   Typing, texting or emailing on a mobile device

             o   Viewing text messages

             o   Using handheld cellphones

• Some cities have made any handheld cellphone use while driving illegal, including Albuquerque, Espanola, Gallup, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Silver City and Taos.

Speed limits in New Mexico

The speed limit in New Mexico varies from road to road, depending on whether you are driving in a residential, urban or rural area.

Toll roads in New Mexico

There are no toll roads in New Mexico, so you can drive from Santa Fe to White Sands without having to worry about getting an EZPass or other toll booth pass provider.

Driving ages and license requirements in New Mexico

• The minimum driving age in New Mexico is 16 and a half for an unrestricted license.
• The minimum age to rent a car in New Mexico is 23, with Hertz.

If you wish to rent a vehicle with Hertz and you are under 25, you should check out some of our top tips for young drivers.

Essential equipment to carry in your car in New Mexico

In your vehicle, you must have:

• Spare bulbs
• Your driver’s license
• Your passport
• Your lease agreement and any insurance details.

It’s also good to have the following items in your vehicle while traveling:

• First aid kit
• Warm blanket
• Water
• Snacks/food
• Flashlight and spare batteries
• Changes of clothes for everyone in the car
• Spare diapers and wipes for any babies or toddlers.

For a list of items that you can’t carry in your Hertz car, please check your rental agreement.

New Mexico speed violations, infractions and penalties

The rules surrounding speeding tickets in New Mexico are relatively straightforward. There are certain levels of fines that change depending on how many miles per hour you were driving over the speed limit. You can also expect points on your license, scaling from 3 to 8 depending on the severity of your violation.

• Up to 10mph over – $25 fine
• 11-15mph over – $30 fine
• 16-20mph over – $65 fine
• 21-25mph over – $100 fine
• 26-30mph over – $125 fine
• 31-35mph over – $130 fine
• 35mph or more over – $200 fine.

If the speeding infraction happened in a documented construction zone, you can expect to pay a lot more on your fine.

Driving with children in New Mexico

• All children younger than seven and weighing less than six pounds must ride in a child car seat that is securely fastened.
• Children aged seven to 12 years must ride in a booster seat until the adult seat belt fits them properly.
• Children must remain rear facing until they are at least both one year old and 20lbs. However, it’s recommended that you keep them in rear-facing seats as long as possible, until they weigh 35lbs.

Gas prices in New Mexico

The average gas price in New Mexico is $3.51 per gallon.

Based on manufacturers’ average fuel figures:

• For a small car like a Chevrolet Spark, that’s about $0.09 per mile.
• For a larger family car like a Nissan Pathfinder, it works out at $0.13 per mile.
• And for a hybrid SUV like a Ford Expedition, it’s around $0.15 per mile.

Gas price figure last updated November 15, 2022.

Electric car charging in New Mexico

New Mexico is electric-vehicle friendly, with plenty of charging stations available and even more on the way. There are some different schemes to use for payment, but all chargers will have the ability to pay with a debit or credit card.

New Mexico is also working towards having more level 3 chargers, meaning people will be able to charge their vehicle for under an hour for around $30.

Driving between New Mexico and other states

With Hertz, you can easily drive across state borders to ensure that your trip runs as smoothly as possible. From New Mexico, you can take your pick of states to visit, including Arizona, Texas and Colorado. There’s also the added option to book a one-way rental so you can drop off the vehicle at your final location.

Please note that you cannot cross the USA border into Mexico in your Hertz rental car.

Driving conditions in New Mexico

New Mexico’s climate is generally dry and temperate with temperatures ranging from 22°F in the winter to highs of 88°F in the summer. With pleasant weather throughout the state, a road trip through New Mexico can make for some scenic driving. Though thunderstorms, severe winds, hail and monsoons can sometimes occur.