New Mexico Car Insurance Laws—All You Need to Know
In New Mexico, all drivers must carry liability coverage following a 25/50/10 pattern.
Written by Olivia Rose
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Table of Contents
- Car insurance requirements in New Mexico
- Liability coverage in New Mexico
- State-mandated car insurance limits
- Do New Mexico’s required insurance minimums provide enough coverage?
- New Mexico is a diminished value state
- Penalties for driving without insurance in New Mexico
- Optional auto insurance coverage in New Mexico
- Where to buy car insurance in New Mexico
Load full table of contents
In New Mexico, drivers must carry liability insurance with limits of $25,000 bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 property damage coverage per accident.
Car insurance
might seem trivial, though it’s anything but. Property damage and medical costs can add up quickly after an accident, and without insurance, you’re responsible for paying those bills out of pocket if you were at fault.Good thing
Jerry
, the insurance expert and trusted comparison tool
, makes it simple to find great coverage at a great price. Jerry handles all the hard parts of comparison shopping for insurance policies so that you can lower your New Mexico car insurance costs
quickly and easily.Now, here’s all you need to know about New Mexico car insurance laws.
Car insurance requirements in New Mexico
All drivers in New Mexico must hold liability coverage.
Minimum liability coverage: 25/50/10 |
|---|
$25,000 bodily injury per person |
$50,000 bodily injury per accident |
$10,000 property damage per accident |
Liability coverage in New Mexico
Liability coverage
pays for medical expenses and property damages for other drivers if you are at fault in an accident. This might include things like a busted bumper or an ambulance bill. Liability coverage does not cover your medical expenses or property damage if you are at fault in an accident.
State-mandated car insurance limits
An insurance limit is the maximum amount of coverage your provider will give you in a particular coverage category. The limits in New Mexico are as follows:
- $25,000 inbodily injury coverageper person means that your insurance provider will contribute no more than $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person in an accident where you are at fault
- $50,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident means that your insurance provider will contribute no more than $50,000 in bodily injury coverage **in total** per accident in an accident where you are at fault
- $10,000 inproperty damage coverageper accident means that your insurance provider will contribute no more than $10,000 in property damage coverage per accident in an accident where you are at fault
You can—and should—increase these limits if you can afford to. While a higher limit will mean a slight increase to your premium, it offers significantly more coverage to protect you in case of a bad accident.
Key Takeaway You must have liability coverage with $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 in property damage coverage per accident if you are driving in New Mexico.
Do New Mexico’s required insurance minimums provide enough coverage?
New Mexico’s required insurance minimums are low compared to other states. You’re best off purchasing both higher limits and additional coverage.
A $10,000 property damage liability limit is extremely low and will be immediately exhausted if you ever cause a collision that totals even one vehicle worth more than $10,000 (which is quite likely).
And $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident bodily injury liability limits can be hit quickly if you harm multiple people in a collision—especially if anyone goes to the hospital.
Because New Mexico is an at-fault state, at-fault drivers (and their insurers) are liable for all damages and expenses to victims resulting from an accident. This is another good reason to make sure you have high limits for your liability insurance.
Key Takeaway New Mexico’s required insurance minimums are rather low, so you’re better off purchasing higher limits to protect yourself in the event of an accident.
New Mexico is a diminished value state
New Mexico is a diminished value state, which means victims of car collisions can file claims with the at-fault driver’s insurance provider for loss in value of their vehicle after an accident.
To file a claim for diminished value in New Mexico, you must meet the following criteria:
- You cannot be the at-fault driver of the collision
- You need documentation to process your claim, which includes photos, records of repairs made to your car, and proof of the value of your car by a reputable source
- Your claim must be made within four years
Penalties for driving without insurance in New Mexico
Driving without car insurance in New Mexico can result in one or more of the following penalties:
- Up to a $300 fine
- Imprisonment for up to 90 days
- Suspension of yourvehicle registration
- Confiscation of your license plate
Optional auto insurance coverage in New Mexico
- Comprehensive coveragecan cover the costs of physical damages to your vehicle that are not the result of a collision (e.g., vandalism)
- Collision coveragecan help you cover the cost of repairs for your vehicle after a collision with another vehicle or fixed object
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coveragehelps cover you if you are in a collision with an uninsured at-fault driver
- Personal injury protection (PIP)covers your own damages and medical expenses when you are in a collision—regardless of who is at fault
- Medical payments coveragecovers the cost of medical bills or funeral expenses resulting from a collision
- Roadside assistancehelps with things like fixing flats, towing, or jumping batteries—the coverage will vary between policies and companies
- Rental car reimbursementwill cover the cost of a rental vehicle while yours is being repaired after a claim
Where to buy car insurance in New Mexico
As a
car insurance
expert and trusted comparison tool
, Jerry is the easiest and most effective way to find an insurance policy that is customized for you.After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers, Jerry will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don’t have to. So why do all that extra work when Jerry can do it better?
"So. Easy. Seriously, this service is the best. We are now saving close to $500 a year on car insurance with our same great coverage. My anxious self avoided awkward cancellation calls with my previous provider.Jerryis SEAMLESS." —Emily Q.
Is car insurance required in New Mexico?
Yes. All New Mexico drivers must have liability coverage with $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 in property damage coverage per accident.
What is the penalty for driving without insurance in New Mexico?
Penalties for driving without insurance in New Mexico include fines, imprisonment, suspension of vehicle registration, and license plate confiscation.
4.7
