New Mexico Car Insurance Requirements
Required car insurance in New Mexico
Compared to most other states, New Mexico doesn't require drivers to buy a lot of car insurance -- only liability insurance. But there are other coverage types you may wish to have as a financial safety net in case of the car accident. Let's take a look at what's available to New Mexico drivers.
Minimum liability insurance in New Mexico:
Liability car insurance is for the damage and injuries you cause others in a car accident. The state minimum is what's required to legally drive. You may want more, so that you have enough insurance in case you cause a large accident.
- $25,000 bodily injury per person
- $50,000 bodily injury per accident
- $10,000 property damage per accident
This is usually written as 25/50/10.
Minimum uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage:
UM/UIM cover your injuries if you're hit by a driver who has little or no liability insurance. New Mexico is a good place to have UM/UIM coverage. The state has the third-highest percentage of insured drivers in the nation: 20.8% of New Mexico drivers are uninsured, according to the Insurance Reseearch Council. Only Florida and Mississippi have higher percentages.
- UM/UIM must be offered by auto insurers in New Mexico but you can reject it in writing. If you buy it, the minimum coverage is $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident (known as 25/50).
More car insurance options
Medical payments (MedPay): Covers the medical bills of you and passengers after a car crash, up to the limit you choose, no matter who was at fault.
Comprehensive coverage: Covers damage from hitting an animal, hail, flood, fire, vandalism, falling objects and explosions. It also covers car theft.
Collision coverage: Covers damage to your vehicle caused by hitting another car or an object, like a sign post.
Rental reimbursement: Covers a rental if your car is being repaired due to an accident.
You must show an insurance ID card (or other proof of financial responsibility) when:
- Law enforcement requests it.
Penalty for not having car insurance in New Mexico
- Misdemeanor: fine not to exceed $300 and suspension of registration.
Source: Property Casualty Insurers Association of America
Complaints against auto insurance companies
All states have a department of insurance that handles complaints. Complaint data is used by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to make "complaint ratios." These show the level of complaints relative to an insurer's amount of business. Shown below are national complaint ratios for the largest auto insurance companies in New Mexico.
Updated Aug. 13, 2018
More:
Find a New Mexico auto insurance agent
Alamogordo Car Insurance | Albuquerque Car Insurance | Carlsbad Car Insurance | Clovis Car Insurance | Farmington Car Insurance | Hobbs Car Insurance | Las Cruces Car Insurance | Rio Rancho Car Insurance | Roswell Car Insurance | Santa Fe Car Insurance | Artesia Car Insurance | Chaparral Car Insurance | Deming Car Insurance | Española Car Insurance | Gallup Car Insurance | Las Vegas Car Insurance | Los Alamos Car Insurance | Los Lunas Car Insurance | Lovington Car Insurance | Portales Car Insurance | Silver City Car Insurance | Sunland Park Car Insurance