New Mexico car bill of sale Do you need one? And what else does New Mexico require?

Do you need a separate bill of sale?

Only where the title assignment will not do

The current outstanding Certificate of Title is the primary document for transferring a used vehicle, and photocopies are not accepted for any title transaction. MVD Form 10009, the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale, is used in a sale between individuals when the assignment on the reverse of the title is incomplete — a fallback rather than a routine extra.

Source: N.M. Stat. § 66-3-10; NM MVD Procedure Manual ch. 4

Does the title need a notary or witnesses?

Neither

Nothing in MVD's used-vehicle transfer procedure calls for the assignment to be notarized. New Mexico does require notarization elsewhere — a power of attorney must be notarized, and both parties must have their signatures notarized on an Affidavit of Gift where the vehicle is a gift rather than a sale — but not on an ordinary assignment of title.

Source: NM MVD Procedure Manual, ch. 4 Title and Registration — Used Vehicles, checked Oct 12 2026

What happens to the plates?

Off, then moved or canceled within 30 days

New Mexico is a plate-to-owner state. MVD's procedure: you are responsible for removing the plate from the vehicle being sold or traded in, and then have 30 days to either place it on another vehicle of the same class or have it canceled by the Division. The law itself (§ 66-3-101(B)) says to remove the plate and send it in or move it, but sets no time limit.

Source: NM MVD Procedure Manual ch. 4 §B; form MVD-10009; N.M. Stat. § 66-3-101(B)

Do you have to tell the state you sold it?

Yes. Mail MVD-10048, Notice of Vehicle Sold. No deadline is stated.

State law says you must notify MVD of the sale. MVD's form for this is MVD-10048, Notice of Vehicle Sold. It asks for the date sold, the buyer's name and address, and the vehicle. Mail it to Motor Vehicle Division, Attn: Sold Unit, P.O. Box 1028, Santa Fe, NM 87504-1028. Neither the law nor the form sets a deadline. Separately, you remove the plate. MVD gives you 30 days to put it on another vehicle of the same class or return it for cancellation.

Source: N.M. Stat. § 66-3-101(A); form MVD-10048 Rev. 08/14; NM MVD Procedure Manual ch. 4 §B

Where does the odometer reading go?

On the title — or on one of three MVD forms

Federal and state law require the transferor to attest to the odometer reading at the time of sale. New Mexico accepts that attestation in four places: the assignment on the back of the New Mexico title, Form 10009 (Bill of Sale), Form 10187 (Odometer Disclosure Statement), or Form MVD-10002 (Application for Vehicle Title and Registration). The back of the title is the simplest.

Source: N.M. Stat. §§ 66-3-4, 66-3-10, 66-3-101(A), 66-3-107(C); 49 CFR 580.5

The forms New Mexico publishes

• Bill of Sale (MVD 10009) — Where the title's assignment is incomplete. Also carries the odometer statement. Where: mvd.newmexico.gov → Forms. Revision: 03/18.
• Odometer Disclosure Statement (MVD 10187) — One of the places you can state the odometer reading. Where: mvd.newmexico.gov → Forms. Revision: 07/12.
• Affidavit of Gift of Motor Vehicle or Vessel (MVD 10018) — Only for a gift, not a sale. Both signatures must be notarized. Where: mvd.newmexico.gov → Forms. Revision: 11/2025.
• Notice of Vehicle Sold (MVD 10048) — You tell MVD the vehicle was sold. State law requires the notice. Where: mvd.newmexico.gov → Forms. Revision: 08/14.

Selling here, registering somewhere else

These are the rules where you are selling, not where the buyer is taking it. The title is signed under New Mexico’s rules, and the plate and the notice are yours to handle here.

Registering it and paying tax falls under the buyer’s own state’s rules.

How New Mexico compares

Counted from the same answers, for all fifty states.

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