Concealed Permit:
Shall Issue to Residents only
Example Resident Permit:
Issuing Authority:
New Mexico: Department of Public Safety
An applicant must file an application for a license with the department in person or by mail.
Applications may be mailed to:
NM Department of Public Safety
SID/Concealed Carry Unit
6301 Indian School Rd. NE Suite 310
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Out Of State Permit Issue:
New Mexico does not issue permits to non-residents.
NICS/Background Check:
NICS: Yes
The department shall conduct an appropriate check of available records and shall forward the applicant’s fingerprints to the federal bureau of investigation for a national criminal background check.
Permit Valid For:
Concealed handgun licenses are valid for a period of four (4) years from the date of issuance, unless the license is suspended or revoked. There is a requalification requirement at two years.
Permit Issued Timeline:
The department, within thirty days after receiving a completed application and the results of a national criminal background check on the applicant, shall issue a concealed handgun license to an applicant, or deny the application on the grounds that the applicant failed to qualify for a concealed handgun license pursuant to the provisions of the Concealed Handgun Carry Act.
Cost:
$100.00 new license, $75.00 renewal or transfer
Requirements:
1. Citizen of the United States;
3. Twenty-one (21) years of age or older;
4. Not a fugitive from justice;
5. Have not been convicted of a felony in New Mexico or any other state or pursuant to the laws of the United States or any other jurisdiction;
6. Is not currently under indictment for a felony criminal offense in New Mexico or any other state or pursuant to the laws of the United States or any other jurisdiction;
7. Is not otherwise prohibited by federal law or the law of any other jurisdiction from purchasing or possessing a firearm;
8. Has not been adjudicated mentally incompetent or committed to a mental institution;
9. Is not addicted to alcohol or controlled substances; and
10. Has satisfactorily completed a firearms training course approved by the department for the category and caliber of handgun that the applicant wants to be licensed to carry as a concealed handgun.
11. The department shall deny a concealed handgun license to an applicant who has received a conditional discharge, a diversion or a deferment or has been convicted of, pled guilty to or entered a plea of nolo contendere to a misdemeanor offense involving a crime of violence within the ten year period preceding application; been convicted of a misdemeanor offense involving driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs within five years immediately preceding the application for a concealed handgun license; been convicted within the ten year period preceding application of a misdemeanor offense involving the possession or abuse of a controlled substance; or been convicted of a misdemeanor offense involving assault, battery or battery against a household member.
Required Documents:
1. Two fingerprint cards (do not bend or fold),
2. Certified original copy of your birth certificate (must be issued by vital statistics or similar agency in the state in which you were born, no photocopies. Refer 29-19-5 B(6)),
3. Copy of certificate of completion of firearms training,
4. Copy of New Mexico Driver’s License or Identification Card,
5. Appropriate fee, if required ($100.00 new license, $75.00 renewal or transfer),
6. Release forms and any other supporting documentation,
7. All documents required under 10.8.2.11 NMAC and 10.8.2.30/31 NMAC if you are applying under police officer or retired police officer status.
In addition to above documents, instructor applicants must submit the curriculum he/she intends to teach and have documentation showing completion of one of the following:
1. New Mexico Department of Public Safety Firearms Instructor Certification
2. NRA Police Firearms Instructor Development School
3. NRA Personal Protection Instructor rating (IVA) and NRA Pistol Instructor rating (IPA)
4. Other firearms instructor training deemed acceptable by the Department
Renewal Information:
A licensee may renew his concealed handgun license by submitting to the department a completed renewal form, under penalty of perjury, designed and provided by the department, accompanied by a payment of a $75.00 renewal fee. A licensee who renews his concealed handgun license may renew his license by taking a four-hour refresher firearms training course and paying the $75.00 renewal fee to the department. The department shall conduct a national criminal records check of the licensee seeking to renew his license. A concealed handgun license shall not be renewed more than sixty days after it has expired. A licensee who fails to renew his concealed handgun license within sixty days after it has expired may apply for a new concealed handgun license pursuant to the provisions of the Concealed Handgun Carry Act.
All licensees must take a 2-hour refresher course within 26 months of the issuance of an original or a renewed license. The course may be taken 22 to 26 months after issuance, and a certificate of completion must be submitted to the department within 30 days of completion.
Change of Address:
A licensee shall notify the department within thirty days regarding a change of his name or permanent address.
Lost or Destroyed Permit:
A licensee shall notify the department within ten days if the licensee’s concealed handgun license is lost, stolen or destroyed. If a concealed handgun license is reported lost, stolen or destroyed, the license is invalid and the licensee may obtain a duplicate license by furnishing the department a notarized statement that the original license was lost, stolen or destroyed and paying a reasonable fee. If a license is lost or stolen, a licensee must file a police report with local law enforcement and include the case number in the notarized statement.
Informing Law Enforcement of Carry:
A licensee must have his concealed handgun license in his possession at all times while carrying a concealed handgun. A licensee carrying a concealed handgun on or about his person in public shall, upon demand by a peace officer, display his license to carry a concealed handgun.
Automobile carry:
Loaded, concealed firearms may be carried anywhere in a private automobile for self-protection.
Places off-limits when carrying:
1. Nothing in the Concealed Handgun Carry Act allows a licensee in possession of a valid concealed handgun license to carry a concealed handgun into or on premises where to do so would be in violation of state or federal law.
2. It is unlawful to carry a concealed handgun on school or preschool premises even with a concealed carry license.
3. In addition to other limitations stated in the act, a licensee may not carry a concealed handgun on or about his person on private property that has signs posted prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons or when verbally told so by a person lawfully in possession of the property.
4. A concealed handgun license is not valid on tribal land, unless authorized by the governing body of an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo.
5. A concealed handgun license is not valid in a courthouse or court facility, unless authorized by the presiding judicial officer for that courthouse or court facility.
6. It is unlawful to carry a deadly weapon on school premises, grounds, school bus, or any public building or grounds where school-related and sanctioned activities are performed. Exceptions include a person older than 19 in a private means of conveyance for lawful protection of person or property, safety or military instruction, or any school approved program involving the carrying of a deadly weapon.
7. No person shall carry a loaded or unloaded firearm in an establishment licensed by the regulation and licensing department for the dispensing of alcoholic beverage except 1) a law enforcement officer in the lawful discharge of his duties; 2) the owner, lessee, tenant, or operator of the licensed premise or his agents, including privately employed security personnel during the performance of their duties; 3) by a person in that area of the licensed premise usually and primarily rented on a daily or short term basis for sleeping or residential occupancy, including motel or hotel rooms; 4) by a person on that area of the licensed premise used primarily for vehicular traffic or parking; 5) for the purpose of temporary display, provided that the firearm is: (a) made completely inoperative before it is carried onto the licensed premises and remains inoperative while it is on the licensed premises; and (b) under the control of the licensee or an agent of the licensee while the firearm is on the licensed premises. No person shall carry a firearm while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Alcohol and Drugs:
No person shall carry a concealed handgun while impaired by the use of alcohol, controlled substances, or over-the-counter or prescribed medications.
“30-7-3.
Unlawful carrying of a firearm in licensed liquor establishments.
A. Unlawful carrying of a firearm in an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages consists of carrying a loaded or unloaded firearm on any premises licensed by the regulation and licensing department for the dispensing of alcoholic beverages except:
(1) by a law enforcement officer in the lawful discharge of the officer’s duties;
(2) by a law enforcement officer who is certified pursuant to the Law Enforcement Training Act acting in accordance with the policies of the officer’s law enforcement agency;
(3) by the owner, lessee, tenant or operator of the licensed premises or the owner’s, lessee’s, tenant’s or operator’s agents, including privately employed security personnel during the performance of their duties;
(4) by a person carrying a concealed handgun who is in possession of a valid concealed handgun license for that gun pursuant to the Concealed Handgun Carry Act; provided that the licensed establishment does not sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises;
(5) by a person in that area of the licensed premises usually and primarily rented on a daily or shortterm basis for sleeping or residential occupancy, including hotel or motel rooms;
(6) by a person on that area of a licensed premises primarily used for vehicular traffic or parking; or
(7) for the purpose of temporary display, provided that the firearm is:
(a) made completely inoperative before it is carried onto the licensed premises and remains inoperative while it is on the licensed premises; and
(b) under the control of the licensee or an agent of the licensee while the firearm is on the licensed premises.
B. Whoever commits unlawful carrying of a firearm in an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages is guilty of a fourth degree felony.”
Deadly Force / Castle Doctrine:
New Mexico is not a Castle Doctrine state but does have a stand-your-ground law. Section 30-2-7A NMSA 1978 provides that a homicide is justifiable when committed in the necessary defense of property. Although this statute has been a part of New Mexico law since 1907, the New Mexico appellate courts have never given the statute a broad interpretation. The New Mexico courts have consistently held, not always referring to the statute, that one cannot defend his property, other than his habitation, from a mere trespass to the extent of killing the aggressor.State v. McCracken, 22 N.M. 588, 166 P. 1174 (1917); State v. Martinez, 34 N.M. 112, 278 P. 210 (1929); State v. Couch, 52 N.M. 127, 193 P.2d 405 (1946).
Open Carry:
Unrestricted in most public areas and generally accepted.
Localities with Varying Laws:
Contact your local county sheriff.
Concealed Permit Statistics (Posted 1/31/2010)
Do-a Ana county residents with concealed carry permits, by age and gender, in 2009
21-30: 28 women, 77 men
31-40: 33 women, 91 men
51-60: 51-60: 44 women, 146 men
51-60: 70 women, 207 men
61-70: 41 women, 247 men
71-79: 16 women, 104 men
80-89: 0 women, 14 men
90-99: 0 women, 2 men
Source: New Mexico Department of Public Safety
Do-a Ana County residents with permits:
2007: 455
2008: 951
2009: 1,120
New Mexico residents with permits:
2007: 7,000
2008: 10,687
2009: 16,708
Rates of concealed-carry permits by county, 2009
• Doña Ana County (Las Cruces):
1,120 permits (232 women, 888 men)
.64 of the population
• Grant County (Silver City)
375 permits (89 women, 286 men)
1.2 percent of the population
• Otero County (Alamogordo)
709 permits (174 women, 535 men)
1.1 percent of the population
• Luna County (Deming)
235 permits (54 women, 181 men)
.9 percent of the population
Rates of concealed-carry permits by county, 2009
Catron County
119 permits (38 women, 81 men)
3.3 percent of the population
Lincoln County (Ruidoso)Lincoln County (Ruidoso)
328 permits (86 women, 242 men)
1.7 percent of the population
Chaves County (Roswell)
967 permits (216 females, 751 men)
1.5 percent of the population
Eddy County (Carlsbad)
822 permits (184 women, 638 men)
1.5 percent of the population
Colfax County
207 permits (57 females, 150 men)
1.5 percent of the population
De Baca County
34 permits (8 women, 26 men)
1.5 percent of the population
Torrance County (outer Albuquerque)
234 permits (63 women, 171 men)
1.4 percent of the population
Curry County (Clovis)
650 permits (138 women, 512 men)
1.4 percent of the population
Roosevelt County (Portales)
255 permits (61 women, 194 men)
1.4 percent of the population
Los Alamos County
242 permits (40 women, 202 men)
1.3 percent of the population
Sandoval County (outer Albuquerque)
1,392 permits (288 women, 1,104 men)
1.2 percent of the population
Grant County (Silver City)
375 permits (89 women, 286 men)
1.2 percent of the population
Otero County (Alamogordo)
709 permits (174 women, 535 men)
1.1 percent of the population
Sierra County (Truth or Consequences)
151 permits (34 women, 117 men)
1.1 percent of the population
Quay County (Tucumcari)
112 permits (26 women, 86 men)
1.1 percent of the population
Harding County
9 permits (2 women, 7 men)
1.1 percent of the population
Luna County (Deming)
235 permits (54 women, 181 men)
.9 percent of the population
Union County (Clayton)
37 permits (8 women, 29 men)
.9 percent of the population
Lea County (Lovington)
487 permits (102 women, 385 men)
.9 percent of the population
Bernalillo County (Albuquerque)
4,813 permits (948 women, 3,865 men)
.9 percent of the population
Valencia County (Los Lunas and outer Albuquerque)
594 permits (134 women, 460 men)
.8 percent of the population
Guadalupe County
39 permits (7 women, 332 men)
.8 percent of the population
San Juan County (Farmington)
805 permits (349 women, 456 men)
.7 percent of the population
Santa Fe County
1,012 permits (203 women, 809 men)
.7 percent of the population
Doña Ana County (Las Cruces)
1,120 permits (232 women, 888 men)
.64 of the population
Cibola County (Grants)
145 permits (30 women, 115 men)
.5 percent of the population
Socorro County
89 permits (18 women, 71 men)
.5 percent of the population
San Miguel County (Las Vegas)
144 permits (30 women, 114 men)
.5 percent of the population
Rio Arriba County
210 permits (37 women, 173 men)
.5 percent of the population
Taos County
116 permits (19 women, 97 men)
.4 percent of the population
McKinley County (Gallup)
225 permits (41 women, 184 men)
.3 percent of the population
Mora County
17 permits (4 women, 13 men)
.3 percent of the population
Hidalgo County (Lordsburg)
12 permits (1 woman, 11 men)
.2 percent of the population
Go To Another State’s Concealed Carry Page
To view a state’s concealed carry permit information click on the state. The state’s color represents whether a state is Shall Issue, May Issue, Constitutional Carry, or Right Denied.
Shall Issue to Residents Only:
California, Colorado, Georgia, Guam, Michigan, New Mexico
Shall Issue to Residents and Non-Residents:
District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin
May Issue to Residents Only:
Delaware, Virgin Islands
May Issue to Residents and Non-Residents:
Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York
Constitutional Carry and Shall Issue to Residents Only:
Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming
Constitutional Carry and Shall Issue to Residents and Non-Residents:
Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia
Constitutional Carry and Does Not Issue Permits:
Vermont
Right Denied:
American Samoa, N. Mariana Islands
Disclaimer
We try to keep the information on this page as up-to-date as possible, but it is your responsibility to verify all information due to changing laws. The information on this page is for informational purposes only and not to provide legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice concerning any particular issue or problem. Use of and access to this Website, emails, or any links within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between USA Carry LLC and the user or browser. The opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the views of USA Carry LLC.
