Does New Mexico require a front license plate?

No. Passenger vehicles registered in New Mexico display one plate, on the rear.

What does a New Mexico plate number look like?

It depends on the design. The yellow plate uses three numbers and three letters, like 123-ABC, and the Chile plate uses four letters and two numbers, like ABCD12.

What do I do with my New Mexico plate when I sell my car?

Remove it. The plate belongs to you, and within 30 days you can take it to the MVD to be destroyed or have it assigned to another vehicle of the same class.

How long is a New Mexico dealer temporary permit good for?

No more than 30 days. The dealer fills in the buyer’s name and signs and dates the permit.

Can I get a VIN from a New Mexico license plate?

Yes. Enter the license plate number with New Mexico selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.

Can I find the owner of a New Mexico license plate?

Not through a public lookup. Owner details in New Mexico vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.

New Mexico License Plate Lookup

Enter a New Mexico plate number to get the vehicle’s VIN, year, make, model and trim.

In New Mexico, plates and registrations are handled by the Motor Vehicle Division, part of the Taxation and Revenue Department, and only a rear plate is required. Drivers can pick a standard design, such as the yellow Land of Enchantment plate or the black Chile Capital of the World plate, and each design uses its own number format. Plates belong to the owner, not the car.

New Mexico plate to VIN

A New Mexico platenumber points to one current registration, and the registration records the vehicle’s 17-character VIN. Enter the plate above to get the VIN with the year, make, model, trim, body and engine. It is the quickest way to get the VIN of a car you are not standing next to: one in a listing, one you are quoting a repair for, or your own when the title is in a drawer somewhere.

New Mexico license plate formats

Standard passenger plates use these formats. Personalized, specialty, commercial and motorcycle plates follow their own rules, and every format works in the lookup.

Format	What it is
123-ABC	Three numbers and three letters on the yellow Land of Enchantment plate, the standard design since 1991.
ABC-123	Three letters and three numbers, the format on New Mexico plates from 1972 to 1990.

New Mexico issues one plate, for the rear of the vehicle.

Who issues plates in New Mexico

Plates and registrations in New Mexico come from the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department Motor Vehicle Division, and people go in person to MVD field offices, run by the state, counties and cities, and privately owned MVD partner offices. Plate Decoder is an independent service and is not affiliated with the MVD or any other government agency.

Temporary tags in New Mexico

New Mexico dealers issue temporary registration permits for the cars they sell, valid for no more than 30 days.

Personalized and specialty plates

Personalized plates allow up to seven letters and numbers on the yellow plate, eight on the turquoise plate and six on the Chile plate, with no spaces or symbols. They can be ordered online and shipped to you.

Chile on your plate

Besides the classic yellow plate, New Mexico offers the black Chile Capital of the World plate as a standard design. Its numbers follow a different pattern, four letters and two numbers, like ABCD12.

What a New Mexicoplate lookup can and can’t show

You get the vehicle: VIN, year, make, model, trim, body and engine. You do not get the person. See what a plate lookup shows for the full list.

What we don’t show, and why

No owner names, addresses, phone numbers or photos. Owner details in DMV records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and looking someone up out of curiosity is not a purpose it allows. Any site that promises the owner of a plate for a few dollars is either breaking that law or not going to deliver.

Who can get owner records, and what to do instead

FAQ

New Mexico plate lookup questions

Does New Mexico require a front license plate?: No. Passenger vehicles registered in New Mexico display one plate, on the rear.
What does a New Mexico plate number look like?: It depends on the design. The yellow plate uses three numbers and three letters, like 123-ABC, and the Chile plate uses four letters and two numbers, like ABCD12.
What do I do with my New Mexico plate when I sell my car?: Remove it. The plate belongs to you, and within 30 days you can take it to the MVD to be destroyed or have it assigned to another vehicle of the same class.
How long is a New Mexico dealer temporary permit good for?: No more than 30 days. The dealer fills in the buyer’s name and signs and dates the permit.
Can I get a VIN from a New Mexico license plate?: Yes. Enter the license plate number with New Mexico selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.
Can I find the owner of a New Mexico license plate?: Not through a public lookup. Owner details in New Mexico vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.