1. A. Except as provided in Subsections C and E of this section, a commercial driver's license issued pursuant to the provisions of the New Mexico Commercial Driver's License Act [66-5-52 to 66-5-72 NMSA 1978] shall expire thirty days after the applicant's birthday in the fourth year after the effective date of the license.
2. B. The license is renewable within ninety days prior to its expiration or at an earlier date as approved by the secretary.

3. C. At the option of an applicant, a commercial driver's license may be issued for a period of eight years, provided that the applicant:

   1. (1) pays the amount required for a commercial driver's license issued for a term of eight years;
   2. (2) otherwise qualifies for a four-year commercial driver's license; and
   3. (3) will not reach the age of seventy-nine during the last four years of the eight-year license period.
4. D. A driver's license issued pursuant to the provisions of Subsection C of this section shall expire thirty days after the applicant's birthday in the eighth year after the effective date of the license.

5. E. A commercial driver's license with a hazardous material endorsement shall expire:

   1. (1) for an applicant transferring a commercial driver's license with the hazardous material endorsement, four years from the date of the last background check and testing for the hazardous material endorsement; or
   2. (2) for an applicant adding endorsements or other changes to the commercial driver's license, no later than the expiration date of the hazardous material endorsement.

History: Laws 1989, ch. 14, § 16; 1992, ch. 13, § 7; 1999, ch. 222, § 3; 2007, ch. 321, § 7; 2022, ch. 24, § 5.

ANNOTATIONS

The 2022 amendment, effective January 1, 2023, raised the age limit for applicants who opt for an eight year commercial driver's license, and revised the conditions under which a commercial driver's license with a hazardous material endorsement shall expire, to be no later than the expiration date of the endorsement rather than the issuance of the commercial driver's license; in Subsection C, Paragraph C(3), after "will not reach the age of", deleted "seventy-five" and added "seventy-nine"; and in Subsection E, Paragraph E(2), after "the expiration date of the", deleted "commercial driver's license originally issued with the".

The 2007 amendment, effective April 2, 2007, added Subsection E to provide expiration dates for commercial driver's licenses with a hazardous material endorsement.

The 1999 amendment, effective July 1, 1999, deleted former Subsection C, and added Subsections C and D.

The 1992 amendment, effective April 1, 1992, added "staggered licensing during implementation period" to the section catchline, added "Except as provided in Subsection C of this section," in Subsection A, substituted "secretary" for "director" in Subsection B, and added Subsection C.