Boat Registration New Mexico Registration & Titling
All boats operating on New Mexico waters must be numbered and the certificate of number must be carried onboard and available for inspection at all times the motorboat is in operation. Every certificate of number, except those issued to dealers and manufacturers, expires on December 31 of the third calendar year of registration, and all registrations are renewed triennially.
The following are exempt from numbering in New Mexico:
- A motorboat federally numbered;
- A motorboat from a country other than the United States temporarily using the water of this state;
- A motorboat owned by the United States, a state of a subdivision.
- A ship’s lifeboat; or
- A motorboat belonging to a class of boats that has been exempted from numbering by the New Mexico State Parks Division.
You must display your boat number in the following manner:
- Painted on or permanently attached to each side of the bow;
- Positioned to ensure maximum visibility;
- Using BLOCK letters at least three inches high and of one solid color contrasting with the color of your boat;
- To read from left to right; letters and numbers must be separated by a space or a hyphen, for example, NM 1234 AB or NM-1234-AB;
You must display your validation decals as follows:
