◆ NEW MEXICO · CARRY LAW
New Mexico.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
No
Open, no permit
Yes
In a vehicle, no permit
Yes
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
- This state has an extreme-risk protective order law.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What New Mexico requires
The state's permit is the Concealed Handgun License, issued by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
No
You need a license to carry a concealed LOADED firearm. Unloaded is outside the offense, and so is a private vehicle.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
Yes
Yes. New Mexico’s offense reaches CONCEALED loaded firearms only. Open carry needs no license.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
Yes
Yes. The statute expressly excepts carrying in a private automobile for lawful protection, no license needed.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Yes, shall-issue
The Department of Public Safety issues, after training. New Mexico is one of the few states requiring you to qualify with each CATEGORY of handgun you intend to carry.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
No
No. New Mexico licenses its own residents, and it will not recognize an out-of-state permit held by a New Mexico resident either.
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
19
19 to carry openly; the concealed license is 21.
N.M. Stat. §§ 30-7-2.2(C)(1), 29-19-4(A)(3)Read at the New Mexico Compilation Commission ↗Checked 9 days ago
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Not required
No statute read here requires you to announce it. Carry the license.
No duty-to-inform provision found in N.M. Stat. § 30-7-2Read at the New Mexico Compilation Commission ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 30-7-2 end to end at the Compilation Commission on 2026-09-06 and searched chapter 30 for “notify”, “inform” and “disclose” in a carrying context, nothing.Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Not required
No permit to buy, but New Mexico added a seven-day waiting period in 2024, and requires a background check on nearly every sale including private ones.
No purchase permit in N.M. Stat.; cf. § 30-7-7.3Read at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 30-7-2 on 2026-09-06. New Mexico licenses CARRYING and creates no permit to acquire in that section.Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
No limit
New Mexico sets no cap on magazine capacity.
No magazine capacity provision in N.M. Stat. ch. 30Read at the New Mexico Compilation Commission ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the whole of § 30-7-2 in chapter 30 as the Compilation Commission publishes it (NM_CH_30), and searched the chapter for “silencer”, “suppressor”, “machine gun” and “magazine” on 2026-09-06. The only hits for silencer are three DEFINITIONS of “firearm” that include a firearm muffler or silencer. In the transfer, felon-in-possession and destructive-device provisions, and none of them prohibits possession by someone not otherwise barred. No capacity provision anywhere in the chapter.How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
No, state law is the only law
Municipalities may not regulate firearms. The bar sits in the state constitution itself, not merely in a statute.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
Yes, this state has one
Yes. Since 2020 a law enforcement officer may petition, on a reported concern, for an extreme risk firearm protection order.
◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits New Mexico honors
If you are visiting New Mexico, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored13
Not honored41
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where New Mexico permits are honored
If you live in New Mexico, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored31
Honored, with a condition2
Not honored19
Not settled2
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No suppressor prohibition in N.M. Stat. ch. 30, art. 7Read at the New Mexico Compilation Commission ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the whole of § 30-7-2 in chapter 30 as the Compilation Commission publishes it (NM_CH_30), and searched the chapter for “silencer”, “suppressor”, “machine gun” and “magazine” on 2026-09-06. The only hits for silencer are three DEFINITIONS of “firearm” that include a firearm muffler or silencer. In the transfer, felon-in-possession and destructive-device provisions, and none of them prohibits possession by someone not otherwise barred. No capacity provision anywhere in the chapter.Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No short-barreled rifle prohibition in N.M. Stat. ch. 30, art. 7Read at the New Mexico Compilation Commission ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the whole of § 30-7-2 in chapter 30 as the Compilation Commission publishes it (NM_CH_30), and searched the chapter for “silencer”, “suppressor”, “machine gun” and “magazine” on 2026-09-06. The only hits for silencer are three DEFINITIONS of “firearm” that include a firearm muffler or silencer. In the transfer, felon-in-possession and destructive-device provisions, and none of them prohibits possession by someone not otherwise barred. No capacity provision anywhere in the chapter.Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No short-barreled shotgun prohibition in N.M. Stat. ch. 30, art. 7Read at the New Mexico Compilation Commission ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the whole of § 30-7-2 in chapter 30 as the Compilation Commission publishes it (NM_CH_30), and searched the chapter for “silencer”, “suppressor”, “machine gun” and “magazine” on 2026-09-06. The only hits for silencer are three DEFINITIONS of “firearm” that include a firearm muffler or silencer. In the transfer, felon-in-possession and destructive-device provisions, and none of them prohibits possession by someone not otherwise barred. No capacity provision anywhere in the chapter.Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No machine gun prohibition in N.M. Stat. ch. 30, art. 7Read at the New Mexico Compilation Commission ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the whole of § 30-7-2 in chapter 30 as the Compilation Commission publishes it (NM_CH_30), and searched the chapter for “silencer”, “suppressor”, “machine gun” and “magazine” on 2026-09-06. The only hits for silencer are three DEFINITIONS of “firearm” that include a firearm muffler or silencer. In the transfer, felon-in-possession and destructive-device provisions, and none of them prohibits possession by someone not otherwise barred. No capacity provision anywhere in the chapter.Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No any-other-weapon prohibition in N.M. Stat. ch. 30, art. 7Read at the New Mexico Compilation Commission ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the whole of § 30-7-2 in chapter 30 as the Compilation Commission publishes it (NM_CH_30), and searched the chapter for “silencer”, “suppressor”, “machine gun” and “magazine” on 2026-09-06. The only hits for silencer are three DEFINITIONS of “firearm” that include a firearm muffler or silencer. In the transfer, felon-in-possession and destructive-device provisions, and none of them prohibits possession by someone not otherwise barred. No capacity provision anywhere in the chapter.◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- the New Mexico Department of Public Safety ↗
- ATF’s index
- New Mexico firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)