Vehicle Mod Laws in New Mexico

Replacing the exhaust system is legal in New Mexico, but a muffler in good working order is required and cutouts or bypasses are prohibited. There is no statutory 'no louder than stock' rule — the standard is that the exhaust must not produce excessive or unusual noise.

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New Mexico sets no statewide decibel limit for passenger cars. A muffler in good working order is required, exhaust may not produce excessive or unusual noise, and cutouts or bypasses are prohibited.

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Smoked or tinted film on headlights and taillights is illegal in New Mexico. Headlights must emit white light and taillights must show red at the required visibility distance, and tint that dims or discolors them violates those requirements.

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Frames are legal if the plate stays clearly visible and legible; it must be maintained free from foreign material.

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New Mexico sets no statewide lift, frame-height, or bumper-height limit. The only cap is overall vehicle height of 14 feet, and general equipment rules — headlamp height, working lighting — still apply.

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New Mexico permits only one auxiliary driving lamp, which must be switched off within 500 feet of approaching vehicles. No cover is required, but a multi-lamp bar falls outside the permitted category.

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New Mexico has no statute limiting how low a vehicle may be. General equipment rules — headlamp height, working lighting, nothing dragging on the road — still apply.

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Underglow is legal in New Mexico, including while driving, subject to color and flashing limits: No red visible from the front, no flashing, and blue reserved for emergency vehicles.

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New Mexico has no fender, mudguard, splash-guard, or tire-protrusion requirement — only the general duty to keep a vehicle in safe operating condition.

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Sunscreening is allowed at the top of the windshield only — not below the AS-1 line or more than 5 inches from the top, whichever is closer to the top — and must be non-reflective and not red, yellow, or amber. Because the material must be transparent, a printed or opaque banner is not legal in New Mexico — only a clear tint band.

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Front side windows: minimum 20% VLT. Rear side and back windows: minimum 20% VLT. Darker limits apply behind the driver on some larger vehicles.

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