Boats for Sale in New Mexico

Registration and titling

You need a New Mexico registration card and validation decal to run any boat propelled by machinery, and any sailboat other than a sailboard or windsurf board. Keep the registration card (the certificate of number) aboard whenever the boat is used.

Registration and titling are handled by the Taxation and Revenue Department's Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), not by State Parks. A few rules matter for buyers:

• Boats that need registration and are 10 feet or longer must also be titled.
• The title application must reach MVD within 30 days of sale, and a penalty applies to late applications.
• Registration runs three years. It starts January 1 of the year it's issued or renewed and expires December 31 of the third year.
• The fee is based on the boat's length.

State Parks suggests contacting your local MVD office and asking for an employee who handles boat transactions, since at some locations this service is only offered on certain days or hours.

Boater education card

Under 18.17.4 NMAC, anyone born on or after January 1, 1989 who operates a motorboat must have a boater education card aboard. State Parks applies the requirement to motorized boats (gas or electric) and sailboats. The card is valid for life.

Courses and tests need a passing score of at least 80%. There are useful grace periods:

• A new boat owner can operate for 30 days with the bill of sale or registration showing the purchase date.
• Your course certificate works as a temporary card for 45 days.
• New residents can use another state's card for 45 days.
• Nonresidents with a valid card from their home state are exempt, and renters can use the rental agent's safety instructions and checklist.

Where to boat

Elephant Butte Lake State Park near Truth or Consequences is the classic summer spot for ski boats and houseboats, with Caballo just downstream. In the north, Navajo Lake State Park sits on the San Juan River near the Colorado line. Conchas and Ute lakes serve the eastern plains, while Abiquiu, Cochiti and El Vado are close to Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Some lakes have speed or wake limits, so check the park's rules before you tow a wake boat there.

Water levels change a lot from year to year in New Mexico. Check with the park before driving out to a ramp, and watch for afternoon winds and summer storms.

Popular boats

Ski and wake boats, pontoons, aluminum fishing boats for bass and walleye, and personal watercraft.

Buying tips for New Mexico

Get the title signed and file with MVD within 30 days to avoid the late penalty. If you were born in 1989 or later, carry your bill of sale aboard during that first month and take the course. Sun and heat are hard on upholstery, gelcoat and trailer tires, so look closely at those, and ask how the boat was stored.

New Mexico gives you 30 days to get the title application to MVD, and only some offices handle boats on certain days, so call ahead. Boats used at Elephant Butte and Navajo Lake spend a lot of time in strong sun, so check the upholstery and gelcoat for UV damage, and the trailer tires for dry rot from high-desert heat.