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New Mexico has a Shall-issue policy on concealed carry permits issued by the state Department of Public Safety (DPS).

A concealed handgun license in the state must contain the category of firearm that will be used by the holder.

To add another category of firearm to the permit, You have to file a new application with the DPS for a renewed CCW permit.

But before this, you must first complete a firearm training course with the new gun you want to add.

Then you have to submit the training certification and a processing fee of five dollars.

After ten days, you will get a renewed permit with the same expiry date as the previous one.

However, before New Mexico concealed carry permit application, you must meet all requirements provided by the state.

New Mexico Gun Laws

To conceal carry in New Mexico, you need to apply for the Concealed Handgun License, which serves as the CCW permit.

New Mexico does not issue permits to non-residents of the state too.

Hence if you are a non-resident that wants to conceal carry in New Mexico, you must have a permit from any state that New Mexico reciprocates.

An exception to this is permits issued to members of the military, posted to the state and their spouses.

Gun laws in New Mexico only permit you to have just one firearm at a time, and this must be stated clearly in your CCW permit.

You must be at least twenty-one years old and must have completed the required New Mexico concealed carry permit course before you apply for a CCW permit.

New Mexico CCW Reciprocity

New Mexico reciprocates CCW permits from other states that have a deal with it.

The various aspects of New Mexico CCW Reciprocity include the following:

  • States that New Mexico will honor their CCW permit: New Mexico will allow you to conceal carry within their territory if you have a CCW permit from any of these states. There are twenty-three of them
  • States that will accept a New Mexico CCW permit: These states will allow you to conceal carry within their territory as long as you have a CCW permit issued by New Mexico. There are twelve of them.
  • States that have restricted reciprocity with New Mexico: You can only conceal carry with your New Mexico resident permit in these states. The non-resident permits issued to members of the military are not allowed. There are nine of them.
  • States that have a permit-less policy: You do not require a CCW permit to conceal carry in these states. However, you must be above the minimum age and respect other limitations for permit-less carry in the state, like location restrictions. There are fourteen of them.

A lot of people make assumptions that the gun laws in their state of residence are the same as other states.

With this, they tend to handle firearms in other states just the way they would in their state of residence.

This is very wrong and could put you in trouble.

Therefore, before you conceal carry in any state, regardless of if they have a concealed carry reciprocity with New Mexico or not, make sure that you are familiar with their gun laws.

New Mexico CCW Location Restrictions

New Mexico gun laws restrict the possession of firearms in certain places in the state.

Even with your New Mexico CCW permit, you are not allowed to conceal carry in these places.

Some of them have signage and posts to remind you of these restrictions, and you must obey then at all times.

Places Where You Cannot conceal Carry In New Mexico

  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in public and private schools, universities, colleges, and technical institutions. The only exception to this is in a private vehicle within the school premises as long as you are more than nineteen years old.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in school buses or vehicles used for transportation of school students.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in establishments that manufacture alcoholic drinks except beers and wines.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in restaurants licensed to deal with alcohol, where the sale of alcohol is responsible for at least sixty percent of their income.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry anywhere in New Mexico as long as you are under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any type of intoxicating medication.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry anywhere meant for juvenile detention or correctional facilities.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in jails and prison facilities.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in court premises, and this includes state, municipalities, counties, and tribal courts.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in wildlife management areas and game reserves.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in tribal land regions of New Mexico.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in vehicles meant for public transportation.
  • You cannot conceal carry in private buildings or properties that have signage restricting the possession of firearms within their premises.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in security areas at airports.
  • You are not allowed to conceal carry in places that are restricted by federal laws.

Places Where You Can Conceal Carry In New Mexico

Gun laws in New Mexico does not restrict you from the possession of firearms in the following places.

  • Restaurants and Bars: You are allowed to conceal carry in restaurants and bars that are licensed to sell only wines and beers, except there is a post from the management that prohibits this. Note that concealed carry is not allowed in restaurants that sell strong liquors.
  • Private vehicle: You can conceal carry without a CCW permit in your private car.
  • Along roadsides: You can conceal carry along roadsides and rest areas.
  • Parks and forests: You can conceal carry within the premises of state and federal parks and forests as long as you have your New Mexico CCW permit with you.
  • Establishments that deal in sales of alcohol for off-site consumption: You can conceal carry here with your CCW permit.
  • Places of Worship: There are no New Mexico gun laws that restrict concealed carry in worship places. However, since these places are also private properties, they may have signage that prohibits the possession of firearms within their premises.

Concealed Carry For Law Enforcement Officers

Federal laws of the United States allow law enforcement officers to conceal carry in all jurisdiction of the country without restriction from state or local laws.

This is according to the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Acts for active, out of service, and retired officers.

New Mexico laws allow the issuance of LEOSA permits to retired officers as long as they meet the necessary qualifications to do so.

In New Mexico, retired officers must meet the following requirements before they are allowed to conceal carry:

  • The officer provides all necessary documents required to conceal carry in the state.
  • The officer is a resident of New Mexico.
  • The officer retired after being active for at least fifteen years, except he or she has a job-related disability, hence making them out of service for a good cause.
  • The officers would submit a letter from his or her agency if the fifteen active years in service were under more than one agency.
  • The officer submits a certificate from his or her last firearm training scores with a signature from the department’s firearm training instructor.
  • The officer underwent firearm training following the law effacement officers’ firearms safety act, having retired more than ten years before application.
  • The officer submits copies of law enforcement certifications.
  • The officer meets all qualifications provided by the LEOSA.

Buying And Selling Of Firearms In New Mexico

If you intend to deal with firearms in New Mexico, you must be familiar with the rules, regulations, and requirements provided by gun laws of the state.

Purchase Permits And Firearms Registrations.

Unlike other states in the country, you do not need a firearm purchase permit to buy a gun in New Mexico.

Also, there is no requirement for firearm registrations before completing a sale.

Criminal Record Background Check In New Mexico

Only federally licensed dealers can sell firearms in New Mexico, this is after a law enacted on the first of July in year two thousand and nineteen.

An exception to this law is the transfer of firearms from an immediate family member to another.

The immediate family member here means a spouse, parent, child, grandparent, nephew, niece, cousin, grandchild, uncle, or aunt. 

Note that even if you have a New Mexico CCW permit, you are still not exempted from the background check.

Waiting Period For The Purchase Of Gun In New Mexico

There is no waiting period to complete the sales of firearms in New Mexico.

Age Requirement To Deal With Firearms In New Mexico

You must be at least eighteen years old before you can possess or transport a firearm in New Mexico.

Note that this is different from the New Mexico concealed carry permit application age of twenty-one.

Possession Of Firearms On Private Properties In New Mexico

You do not need New Mexico concealed carry permit to possess a firearm in your home of residence, or any property that you own, lease or rent.

Castle Doctrine In New Mexico

New Mexico is one of those states that adopt the castle doctrine policy.

The law states that a person who is faced with an attack has the right to self-defense and may stand ground to fight off such an attack.

If a defendant kills the attacker while exercising this law, then the defendant must be able to prove the following:

  • That he or she had to defend themselves against severe bodily harm or imminent death.
  • That the force used is reasonable enough to fight off such an attack.
  • He or she was not the instigator of the attack.

New Mexico CCW Permit Requirements

You must meet all New Mexico concealed carry permit requirements before you apply for the CCW permit.

The requirements are:

  • You must meet the minimum age requirement of twenty-one.
  • You must be a legal citizen of the United States of America.
  • You must complete New Mexico concealed carry permit course for firearm training except you are a member of the military, discharged within twenty years of CCW permit application.
  • You must reside in New Mexico, except you are a member of the military permanently posted to the state.
  • You must not be a fugitive or have an arrest warrant in your name.
  • You must not be a convict of any felony case, or under an indictment.
  • You must not be mentally impaired or a patient of any mental institution.
  • You must not be an addict to alcohol or any other substance under the control of the Drug Enforcement Agency.
  • You must not be a convict or plead guilty to any misdemeanor crime involving violence or have a conditional discharge for ten years before the CCW permit application.
  • You must not be a convict for any misdemeanor crime that involves DUI for five years before the application of the CCW permit.
  • You must not be a convict for the possession or usage of drugs or controlled substances for ten years before application of CCW permit.
  • You must not be a convict for any crime that has to do with domestic assault and battery.
  • You must meet all federal laws that have to do with CCW permits application.

How To Apply For CCW Permit In New Mexico

If you meet all CCW permit requirements, then you can go ahead and apply.

The application process involves the following:

Complete Your Firearm Training

Enroll for a New Mexico concealed carry permit class. This requirement is very important.

Provide Your Fingerprints

First, register with Gemalto cogent and pay the required fee. After this, you will receive a registration ID.

Take the ID to a Gemalto Cogent site and complete your fingerprint registrations.

Note that there are a lot of Gemalto Cogent sites in New Mexico, and their operational hours differ.

Submit Other Documents

Other documents you have to submit are:

  • Your original birth certificate from your state of birth.
  • Your firearm training certificate.
  • A form of state identification, This could be a new Mexico issued driver’s license or an identification card.

Send all documents to the Department of Public Safety in the state.

Receive Notification

You will receive an approval mail after the processing time.

New Mexico Firearm Training Requirements

The New Mexico Department of Public Safety sets the following standards for a firearms training course in the state

  • The training course must include safe handling of all types of revolvers and automatic guns.
  • The training course must include the safe storage of firearms and child safety.
  • The course must have a live-fire session on a shooting range.
  • The course must identify ways to develop shooting techniques.
  • The course must teach federal, state, and local laws that have to with dealing, ownership, transportation, and possession of guns.
  • The course must teach techniques to avoid an unlawful attack and a violent confrontation.

Also, a refresher two-hours training course is required every two years before renewal applications.

Finally, make sure a certified training instructor oversees the course; this can also be a New Mexico concealed carry permit online course.

New Mexico Concealed Carry FAQS.

Here are some of the frequently asked questions you should know about New Mexico CCW.

How Long Is A CCW Permit Valid For In New Mexico?

CCW permits for residents are valid for four years in New Mexico. Military members and law enforcement officers’ permits are valid for five years.

How Much Is CCW Permit Application In New Mexico?

The fee for permit application are as follow:

  • Initial permit: This costs one hundred dollars in total, fifty-six dollars for application and forty-four dollars for fingerprints
  • Renewal application: This costs seventy-five dollars.
  • There is no charge for military members’ applications except eight dollars and fifty cents for fingerprints.

How Long Will It Take To Get My New Mexico CCW Permit.

The processing time for CCW permits in New Mexico is thirty days.

Additional Resources

New Mexico Gun Laws
New Mexico Open Carry Laws
New Mexico Gun Permit Laws

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