A. When a law enforcement officer issues a driver who is involved in an accident a citation for failure to comply with the provisions of the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act [66-5-201 to 66-5-239 NMSA 1978], the law enforcement officer shall at the same time:

(1) issue to the driver cited a temporary operation sticker, valid for thirty days after the date the sticker is issued, and forward by mail or delivery to the department a duplicate of the issued sticker; and

(2) remove the license plate from the vehicle and send it with the duplicate of the sticker to the department or, if it cannot be removed, permanently deface the plate.

B. The department shall return or replace, in its discretion, a license plate removed under the provisions of Paragraph (2) of Subsection A of this section or replace a license plate defaced under that paragraph when the person cited for failure to comply with the provisions of the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act furnishes proof of compliance to the department and pays to the division a reinstatement fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00). If a person to whom the temporary operation sticker is issued furnishes to the department, within fifteen days after the issuance of the sticker, evidence of financial responsibility in compliance with the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act and in effect on the date and at the time of the issuance of the sticker, the department shall replace or return the license plate and waive the twenty-five dollar ($25.00) reinstatement fee.

C. The secretary shall adopt and promulgate rules prescribing the form and use of the sticker required to be issued under Subsection A of this section.

D. The secretary shall adopt and promulgate rules requiring insurance carriers to report canceled, terminated and newly issued motor vehicle insurance policies each month to the department. Information pertaining to each motor vehicle shall be made a part of that vehicle file for one year.

E. Within ten days of notification by the insurance carrier of a termination or cancellation of a motor vehicle insurance policy, the department shall demand satisfactory evidence from the owner of the motor vehicle that he meets the requirements of the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act. Failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility within twenty days after the department has mailed its demand for proof:

(1) constitutes reasonable grounds to believe that a person is operating a motor vehicle in violation of the provisions of Section 66-5-205 NMSA 1978; and

(2) requires the department to suspend the person's registration as provided in Section 66-5-236 NMSA 1978.

F. The department shall notify the superintendent of insurance if an insurance carrier fails to provide monthly reports to the department regarding motor vehicle insurance policy information as required by Subsection D of this section.

History: Laws 1989, ch. 214, § 1; 1998, ch. 34, § 6; 1999, ch. 145, § 1; 2001, ch. 229, § 1.

The 2001 amendment, effective July 1, 2001, inserted the provision that newly issued motor vehicle insurance policies be reported to the department in Subsection D; and substituted "monthly reports to the department regarding motor vehicle insurance policy information" for "notification of cancellation or terminations" in Subsection F.

The 1999 amendment, effective June 18, 1999, added "insurer notification requirements; suspension procedures" in the section heading, deleted "personally" following "officer shall" in Subsection A; substituted "rules" for "regulations" in Subsection C; in Subsection D, substituted "shall" for "may" and "rules" for "regulations" in the first sentence and deleted the former last sentence which read: "Notification of termination or cancellation made under such a regulation is not grounds for revocation of the motor vehicle registration"; and added Subsections E and F.

The 1998 amendment, effective July 1, 1998, substituted "department" for "division" throughout the section; in Subsections C and D substituted "secretary" for "director" and, also, in Subsection D, substituted "insurance" for "liability policy or certified motor vehicle liability" following "motor vehicle" in the first sentence.