_Regulation · Other_

# New Mexico autonomous vehicle testing/operation rule (NMDOT 18.24.1.9)

Canonical ID: `033d0f84-2679-413d-b584-03500343de3a`

- **Jurisdiction:** [New Mexico](/locations/united-states/new-mexico.md) (id: `aa527052-456e-47ba-a76f-5349601e14d5`)
- **Kind:** `other`
- **Status (derived):** in_effect
- **Effective:** 2022-04-19

New Mexico has NO enacted comprehensive autonomous-vehicle statute; two legislative attempts failed (2021 HB270 and 2025 HB148, which would have required a human operator until 2036 but stalled in committee). AV operation is instead governed by a narrow testing statute (NMSA 66-7-12, autonomous motor vehicles; notification and regulation of testing) and the operative NMDOT administrative rule, NMAC 18.24.1.9 (Autonomous Motor Vehicle Testing and Operation, effective April 19, 2022), which permits human-supervised testing and, on certification (FMVSS compliance, minimal-risk condition, insurance, registration, law-enforcement interaction protocol), driverless operation. This agency-rule regime is the basis for Kodiak Robotics' autonomous Class 8 truck runs in the New Mexico portion of the Permian Basin. Applies to autonomous vehicles including trucks. EDITORIAL NOTE: the thin source base reflects genuinely thin underlying law (no comprehensive statute), not a sourcing gap.

## Sources (10)

1. https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/chapter-66/article-7/part-1/section-66-7-12/
2. https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-mexico/N-M-Admin-Code-SS-18.24.1.9
3. https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/25%20Regular/bills/house/HB0148.HTML
4. https://www.roadrunnercapitol.com/legislation_pdfs/firs/2025/HB0148.PDF
5. https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/21%20Regular/bills/house/HB0270.html
6. https://www.nmlegis.gov/handouts/TIRS%20070522%20Item%207%20DOT%20Autonomous%20Vehicles.pdf
7. https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2025/03/14/autonomous-vehicle-bill-stalls-before-passing-committee/
8. https://www.ttnews.com/articles/new-mexico-takes-steps-toward-embracing-autonomous-vehicles
9. https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/chapter-18-other-vehicles/
10. https://www.ncsl.org/transportation/autonomous-vehicles-legislation-database

## Status history

- **in_effect** · 2022-04-19 · editor:DEPLOY content-agent (Sprint 5b-1 AV-truck state laws)
    - New Mexico AV operation governed by NMDOT rule NMAC 18.24.1.9 (effective Apr 19, 2022) + narrow testing statute NMSA 66-7-12; no comprehensive AV statute (2021 HB270 and 2025 HB148 failed). Allows certified driverless testing/operation; basis for Kodiak's NM Permian runs.

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