New Mexico weight distance tax rates 2026: the 35% increase
New Mexico raised its weight distance tax by 35% on July 1, 2026, the first change since 2004. Senate Bill 2 of the 2026 session rewrote the rate schedule in Section 7-15A-6 NMSA 1978; the 3rd quarter 2026 return, due at the end of October, is the first one at the new rates.
Open the new mexico weight distance tax calculator
Old and new, on 1,000 miles
One mill is a tenth of a cent, so the tax on 1,000 miles in dollars equals the mills per mile.
| Declared gross weight | Before (2004 table) | From July 1, 2026 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26,001-28,000 lb | $11.01 | $14.86 | $3.85 |
| 28,001-30,000 lb | $11.88 | $16.04 | $4.16 |
| 30,001-32,000 lb | $12.77 | $17.24 | $4.47 |
| 32,001-34,000 lb | $13.64 | $18.41 | $4.77 |
| 34,001-36,000 lb | $14.52 | $19.60 | $5.08 |
| 36,001-38,000 lb | $15.39 | $20.78 | $5.39 |
| 38,001-40,000 lb | $16.73 | $22.59 | $5.86 |
| 40,001-42,000 lb | $18.05 | $24.37 | $6.32 |
| 42,001-44,000 lb | $19.36 | $26.14 | $6.78 |
| 44,001-46,000 lb | $20.69 | $27.93 | $7.24 |
| 46,001-48,000 lb | $22.01 | $29.71 | $7.70 |
| 48,001-50,000 lb | $23.33 | $31.50 | $8.17 |
| 50,001-52,000 lb | $24.65 | $33.28 | $8.63 |
| 52,001-54,000 lb | $25.96 | $35.05 | $9.09 |
| 54,001-56,000 lb | $27.29 | $36.84 | $9.55 |
| 56,001-58,000 lb | $28.62 | $38.64 | $10.02 |
| 58,001-60,000 lb | $29.93 | $40.41 | $10.48 |
| 60,001-62,000 lb | $31.24 | $42.17 | $10.93 |
| 62,001-64,000 lb | $32.58 | $43.98 | $11.40 |
| 64,001-66,000 lb | $33.90 | $45.77 | $11.87 |
| 66,001-68,000 lb | $35.21 | $47.53 | $12.32 |
| 68,001-70,000 lb | $36.52 | $49.30 | $12.78 |
| 70,001-72,000 lb | $37.86 | $51.11 | $13.25 |
| 72,001-74,000 lb | $39.26 | $53.00 | $13.74 |
| 74,001-76,000 lb | $40.71 | $54.96 | $14.25 |
| 76,001-78,000 lb | $42.21 | $56.98 | $14.77 |
| 78,001 lb and over | $43.78 | $59.10 | $15.32 |
The weight classes did not change: 27 classes from 26,001 lb, the last one open-ended at 78,001 lb and over. Vehicles of 26,000 lb or less still pay no weight distance tax.
What to do
- Check the declared gross weight of each vehicle: it picks the class. Operating above the declared weight is unlawful on New Mexico highways.
- File the 3rd quarter 2026 return by the last day of October, even without New Mexico miles, and leave out miles already paid at a port of entry.
- Budget the next quarters at the new rates: the New Mexico calculator uses them.
Sources
- New Mexico rates, old and new: New Mexico Laws 2026, Senate Bill 2 (final version), Section 1 amending 7-15A-6 NMSA 1978, effective July 1, 2026 — https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/26%20Regular/final/SB0002.pdf; NM Taxation and Revenue Department press release, June 29, 2026: weight-distance tax up 35% from July 1 — https://www.tax.newmexico.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/20260629_Increased-vehicle-registration-fees-to-take-effect-July-1.pdf; NM MVD Form MVD-10964 (Rev. 11/06), Weight Distance Tax Return, instructions and the mill rates effective July 1, 2004 — https://mvd.newmexico.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/mvd10964.pdf, read on 2026-09-30
Frequently asked questions
- When did the New Mexico weight distance tax go up?
- On July 1, 2026 (Senate Bill 2, 2026 session, Section 7). Miles from July 1 on are taxed at the new rates, so the 3rd quarter 2026 is the first full quarter at them.
- How much did it go up?
- 35%, class by class, rounded to the hundredth of a mill: the top class (78,001 lb and over) went from 43.78 to 59.10 mills a mile, $15.32 more on every 1,000 miles.
- Did the one-way haul rate change?
- The rule did not: a vehicle classified as a one-way hauler still pays two-thirds of the tax. Two-thirds of a higher rate means the one-way rate rose 35% too.
- Where does the money go?
- To the State Road Fund, for road maintenance, according to the Taxation and Revenue Department, which put the revenue from the increase and the higher registration fees together at an estimated $70 million.
More guides
- Which states have a weight-distance tax, and who must file?
Kentucky, New York, New Mexico and Oregon tax trucks by weight and mile, Connecticut charges a highway use fee: thresholds, returns and due dates in one table.
- Oregon weight-mile tax changes in July 2027 (HB 3991): the 10 new rates
From July 1, 2027 Oregon replaces its weight-mile tables with ten rates by registered weight. The new table, what changes and today's rates side by side.
- NY HUT: gross weight method vs unloaded weight method
How New York's two highway use tax methods work, which tables they use and what the same truck pays under each, worked out from the Schedule 1 rates.
Last updated 2026-09-30. Estimates from the official rate tables of Kentucky, New York, New Mexico, Oregon and Connecticut for the period shown. Not tax advice. File with each state and check its figures. Not affiliated with any state agency.