New Mexico Weight-Distance Tax

How the New Mexico weight-distance tax works

You pay the Weight Distance Tax (WDT) on any truck over 26,000 lb declared gross weight running New Mexico highways (7-15A-3 NMSA 1978). It's graduated by weight in mills per mile — roughly 11 to 43 mills, about 1.1 to 4.3 cents; one-way/empty hauls run two-thirds of that. Get an annual WDT electronic permit per vehicle, then file quarterly, even a zero-mile quarter, or MVD blocks your permit.

What you have to do before you drive

• Applies at: Declared gross weight or gross vehicle weight over 26,000 lb, intrastate or interstate (7-15A-3 NMSA 1978).
• Rate: Graduated by declared weight in mills per mile — roughly 11 to 43 mills (about 1.1 to 4.3 cents/mile). One-way-haul (empty/one-direction) vehicles pay two-thirds of the full rate. Pull the current MVD mill-rate table before you rely on a specific weight cell.
• Register: Annual Weight Distance Tax electronic permit, one per vehicle (small per-vehicle admin fee), applied for online through MVD Online Services. Intrastate trucks carry a weight-distance plate; interstate trucks run the IRP plate. Occasional users can pay the per-trip tax on entry instead of holding an annual permit.
• Filing: Quarterly. Due Apr 30, Jul 31, Oct 31, and Jan 31. File even a zero-mile quarter — miss it and the system blocks your electronic permit and adds penalty and interest. Carriers with two or more trucks must e-file (3.1.4.18 NMAC).

Running without it

Skip a return — even zero miles — and you eat penalty plus interest, and MVD freezes your electronic permit. Run New Mexico without the WDT permit and you get cited at a port of entry, even if your IFTA, IRP, and 2290 are all paid up.

More for New Mexico