When the department has reasonable grounds to believe that a person is operating a motor vehicle in violation of Section 66-5-205 NMSA 1978 or has falsely affirmed the existence of a motor vehicle insurance policy or the existence of some other means of satisfying the financial responsibility requirements of the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act, the department shall demand satisfactory evidence from the person that the person meets the requirements of that act as provided in Section 66-5-233 NMSA 1978. If the person cannot provide evidence of financial responsibility within twenty days after receipt of the department's demand for satisfactory proof of financial responsibility, the department may suspend the person's registration as provided in Section 66-5-236 NMSA 1978.

History: 1978 Comp., § 66-5-235, enacted by Laws 1983, ch. 318, § 34; 1989, ch. 235, § 1; 1991, ch. 192, § 4; 1998, ch. 34, § 17.

Repeals and reenactments. — Laws 1983, ch. 318, § 34, repealed former 66-5-235 NMSA 1978, relating to when a bond shall constitute the lien, and enacts the above section.

The 1998 amendment, effective July 1, 1998, in the first sentence, substituted "department" for "division" twice and substituted "insurance" for "liability policy, a certified motor vehicle liability"; and in the second sentence, substituted "department's" for "division's" and substituted "department may suspend the person's registration as provided in Section 66-5-236 NMSA 1978" for "division may notify the district attorney of the county in which the person resides of the division's belief that violations of the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act were or are being committed by that person".

The 1991 amendment, effective June 14, 1991, deleted "penalties" at the end of the catchline; deleted former Subsection B, which read "Any person who violates Section 66-5-205 NMSA 1978 is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be sentenced to a fine not to exceed three hundred dollars ($300)"; and made a related stylistic change.

The 1989 amendment, effective June 16, 1989, added "penalties" to the catchline, designated the formerly undesignated provisions as Subsection A, and added Subsection B.