Licensing in New Mexico

[StanLewis]

Anyone out there who went through licensing/registration for a new Escape in New Mexico?

[MyronL]

After wire transferring my check to Escape Industries I received in the mail an Escape Certificate of Origin, Customs Form 7501, and a Bill of Sale, which I then brought to the nearest New Mexico DMV, expecting to get registered and walk out holding plates. The Moriarity office insisted on seeing the trailer first. I left empty handed.

I then drove to the DMV in Rio Rancho, NM, with the same documents. That DMV accepted everything. I paid the fees and they gave me my title and a license plate and a NM certificate of registration. Drove to Chilliwack and towed it home.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by MyronL

After wire transferring my check to Escape Industries I received in the mail an Escape Certificate of Origin, Customs Form 7501, and a Bill of Sale, which I then brought to the nearest New Mexico DMV, expecting to get registered and walk out holding plates. The Moriarity office insisted on seeing the trailer first. I left empty handed.

I then drove to the DMV in Rio Rancho, NM, with the same documents. That DMV accepted everything. I paid the fees and they gave me my title and a license plate and a NM certificate of registration. Drove to Chilliwack and towed it home.

Myron why is there not a standard for all DMV's ? We tried that going to another city not much better . Wish we had taken care of it as soon as we crossed into California up north as others got in and out , no problem . Pat

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

why is there not a standard for all DMV's ?

Pat, nobody's ever been able to answer that one, and it's not for lack of asking.



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[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

Pat, nobody's ever been able to answer that one, and it's not for lack of asking.



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I hear you . Pat

[MyronL]

The DMV regs are the DMV regs. I think when you boil it down what you got is them who know the regs and them who do not. Add to that them too lazy to take time to understand the regs and, them who choose to make their own interpretation the right one.

Think reading the first amendment and you get it.

[StanLewis]

Thanks for the feedback, Myron. Like so much else in life, apparently it's pretty easy once you find competent help.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by MyronL

The DMV regs are the DMV regs. I think when you boil it down what you got is them who know the regs and them who do not. Add to that them too lazy to take time to understand the regs and, them who choose to make their own interpretation the right one.

Think reading the first amendment and you get it.

Same thing happens in Florida, Myron. Florida law allows registration with the proper documentation, but many of the DMV clerks have never done it and are clueless when someone attempts to do so. At least some of them will defer to a supervisor, who generally understands the regs. Others just make things difficult.

[cpaharley2008]

good examples of Bureaucracy in action.....

[FMLNM]

We were bringing back a used trailer and never could get a plate before driving up to Chilliwack to pick it up. But, after still hitting a brick wall when we returned, our local AAA office was very helpful in checking it out for us and directing us to a knowledgable person to get all our stuff done once we returned home. The Canadian title really throws the local DVM in a tizzy since it looks NOTHING like any title most of them have even seen. If the local clerk is confused bump up to a supervisor.

[Seneca]

This is the current procedure in New Mexico, as of mid-2019:

Shortly before going to Chilliwack to get the trailer, with the paper work Escape has sent you, for seven dollars you can get a 30 day temporary tag. NM will not register your trailer or give you permanent tags without a visual VIN inspection. The temp tag lets you travel from Sumas back to New Mexico without worrying about trip permits. Once back in New Mexico, you can get your permanent tags before the temp tag expires.

With the trailer, Escape's paperwork (invoice in USD, not Canadian, and including the US customs form stamped at the border), and proof of insurance, you can get your title, permanent tags and registration at any DMV office that does vehicle inspections. You pay the same 3% fee, plus annual registration, you would for an out-of-state auto.

I did this in late May/mid-June, and everything went smoothly. Basically, New Mexico is treating the trailer like any other titled, street legal, vehicle. I believe this represents a change from the prior process. At least, the guy who showed me his Escape (a 2016) before I placed my order, had been able to get his tags without having the vehicle in-state for the VIN inspection, before he went up to Chilliwack.

[MyronL]

Back in 2013 after receiving in the mail the proper documents, including Certificate of Origin, Customs Form 7501 and bill of sale from Escape, I took these to my local DMV but they insisted on doing a visual inspection. I left. Found a different DMV. They took the same documents and half an hour later I walked out with my metal plates, which I installed in Sumas a couple weeks later.

Yesterday I carefully questioned a friend who also works at my local DMV, on your report of a change in the rules. She absolutely had no idea either way. Not a clue. This, apparently, above her pay grade. My guess is for most NM DMV people vehicle imports remain murky, uncharted waters but you could always get lucky.

I just copied this from (www) .mvd.newmexico.gov/register-your-vehicle.

"New Mexico Title and Registration of New Trailers - Requirements

1. Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO)
2. Note: Weight certificate required if MCO does not indicate the empty weight of the trailer.
3. Dealer’s Invoice
4. Proof of Trade-In (as needed)
5. Power of Attorney (POA) (as needed)
6. Lien Holder Information (as needed)
7. Identification
8. Proof of Residence
9. Trailer must be titled and registered within 30 Days of Purchase to avoid late registration penalties.

When You Move to New Mexico From Another State

VIN Inspection – Only required for vehicles coming to New Mexico from another state. The vehicle identification number (VIN) inspection is usually done by a MVD agent at a MVD Field Office. However, not all Field Offices perform VIN inspections, and some require an advance appointment. Call your local MVD Field Office to inquire about VIN inspection availability and scheduling.
You can get a VIN inspection conducted by a Certified VIN Inspector at participating partner offices throughout the state."

[cpaharley2008]

Pennsylvania also has a "VIN" verification process in order to obtain tags. This meant having to hitch up and drag the unit down to a titling service for them to walk out and verify the VIN information. However, a police person or certified RV mechanic can also verify/certify such information and there is a form for such. I took my form down to where I take my Escape's for inspection with a photo of the vin label and they signed it, I took it to the title place and it was processed. I got the tags 2 weeks later and returned to the rv place for my inspection. It was completed last Friday. Thus I was able to eliminate 1 of the 2 verification steps which involved hooking up and towing the trailer someplace. BTW, my inspection revealed 2 leaking seals and all 4 were replaced, $102 plus $40 for inspection. I contacted Escape and they will look into it as a warranty issue vs an axle issue.

[padlin]

Can you tell that a seal is bad without removing the drum?

[StanLewis]

As it happens, my actual experience in January 2017 was very similar to Myron's. Once I received all of the necessary documentation from ETI, I took it to an MVD Express office (MVD Express is a commercial firm that provides, under contract to the state, many of the same services as a state MVD office. I generally use them and pay their quite reasonable additional fee because their wait time is usually a few minutes instead of a few hours). Everything went just fine until they decided that they should use my order date of April 1, 2016 as the purchase date and tired to charge us for several hundred dollars of late registration penalties. Needless to say, it didn't end well, especially after I pointed out that the same document clearly showed that first, the VIN had not been issued until December 2016, and second, that the completion date of the trailer was January 27, 2017. I may have also said something along the lines of "anyone with an IQ greater than their age ought to be able to engage their brain long enough to see the absurdity of their position".

Having burned that bridge, we retrieved all our documents and took them to a state MVD office, where we waited two or three hours for our number to come up, then walked out 15 minutes later, as described by Myron, with registration and plates in hand.

I suspect that Seneca's experience, rather than reflecting in change in policy or rules, was just the result of encountering MVD staff that didn't quite fully understand their own rules. Certainly if you buy a used trailer previously titled in a different jurisdiction then a VIN verification will be required, but I haven't seen anything to make me believe it should be necessary with a new, never before titled trailer. As always (and everywhere), it just seems to be a case of whether the particular person doing your transaction is actually able to correctly apply the rules in an unusual situation.

Note, in addition, that the vehicle purchase excise tax in NM has increased from 3% to 4% as of July 1.

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by StanLewis

......... I may have also said something along the lines of "anyone with an IQ greater than their age ought to be able to engage their brain long enough to see the absurdity of their position"............

And they've spent every day at work, since then, pondering the solution to that IQ/age equation!!!

[Isabelle]

Originally Posted by StanLewis

Anyone out there who went through licensing/registration for a new Escape in New Mexico?

Unfortunately I can not help you