Essentially, a traffic citation in New Mexico results in a statutory fine that is derived from the guidelines set in Article 7 of the Motor Vehicles chapter of the state statutes.

If all you had to pay was this fine, it wouldn't be so bad. Where costs start to soar is when the towns and counties start adding on other fees.

These fees tend to be arbitrary and can range from the regular court and administrative fees to others that come off sounding like fundraising costs―brain injury fees, judicial education fees, and correction fees. But these small towns, especially the middle-of-nowhere municipalities dotting the dusty landscape, need to make money somehow.

The citation will contain a "penalty assessment" box and a "court appearance" box. If the penalty assessment box is marked, then you will just need to pay the ticket by locating the amount of the fine listed on the ticket and mailing in a check or money order to the address provided. If the court appearance box is checked, then you will need to appear at the address on the ticket at the time and date listed.

There are some courts, including the Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque, that will allow you to settle up a court appearance citation over the phone with a guilty plea and a credit card number. You will need to check with the court in the area where your citation was issued to see if this service is available.

The Point System

The Motor Vehicle Division point system is designed to provide a fair assessment as to whether you are showing disrespect for the traffic laws of the state. When you receive a triffic ticket and are convicted of the violation (or plead guilty to it by paying the fine), points that correspond to the infraction will be added to your driving record.

A couple of points are rather harmless and will not do much to affect either your driving history or your insurance costs. But you can bet if you start inching up points into the high digits in any given 12-month time frame, it is going to wreak havoc on your insurance rates.

There may even come a time, if you are a habitual offender, when obtaining insurance becomes quite a chore. If that happens, you may need to take other measures like posting a bond with the state.

In a nutshell, the point system works like this:

If you tally six points in one year, you will receive a warning from the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). The warning will simply tell you that you are on the edge of losing your license, and you had better use extra caution and judgment in your driving.

If you cross into seven to 10 points in one year, you will generally receive a three-month license suspension. If you exceed 12 points in a one-year period, you can say good-bye to your license for a whole year.

Here's how the point schedule breaks down (these are only a selection of common offenses):

Two Points

• Failure to buckle up

• Using the wrong signal

• Overloaded vehicle

• Child restraint issues

• Failure to signal

Three Points

• Careless driving

• Tailgating

• Failure to yield

• Illegal left turn

• Lane violations

• Illegal passing

• Improper backing

• Speeding 6-15 mph over the posted limit

Four Points

• Failure to offer right-of-way to an emergency vehicle

Five Points

• Speeding 16-25 mph over the posted limit

Six Points

• Reckless driving

• Speed contests

• Passing a school bus that is letting kids off

Eight Points

• Going 26 mph or more over the speed limit

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