New Mexico motorcycle permit test numbers to know
Distances, speeds, limits, fines and deadlines are the questions people miss most, because they have to be memorized. Here are 17 New Mexico numbers, grouped and cited, with a free quiz and flashcards to lock them in.
Numbers quiz
11 questions a round from the 11 number questions in our New Mexico bank. Questions you miss come back more often in later rounds.
Free and unlimited. Your answers count toward your readiness and mistake review.
Numbers flashcards
11 cards: the question on the front, the number and its source on the back. Swipe right if you knew it.
Each deck starts with 20 free cards. Swipe right if you knew it, left to see it again.
See 3 of the cards
Alcohol & drugs
In New Mexico, a rider who is 21 or older can be arrested for drunk driving once their blood alcohol content (BAC) reaches what level?
.08% or more
You can be arrested for driving with a BAC of .08% or more. Even below that, alcohol slows your reactions and judgment; the manual warns that with two or more drinks you are impaired and could be arrested.
New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 32
Fines, points & penalties
What is New Mexico's minimum liability coverage for bodily injury to or death of one person in one accident?
$25,000
Every motorcycle and car operator in New Mexico must carry liability insurance. The minimums are $25,000 for one person's injury or death, $50,000 for two or more people, and $10,000 for property damage.
New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 38
Distances & following gaps
About how wide is the oily strip that collects down the center of a lane?
No more than about two feet
Cars drip oil down the middle of the lane, especially at intersections, but the strip is usually no more than two feet wide.
New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 39
Every New Mexico motorcycle number, by topic
Official New Mexico laws come first in each group, then the numbers from our handbook questions. Tap a source to read the exact words it comes from.
Alcohol & drugs
4 numbers
| Number | What it’s about | Source |
|---|---|---|
| one year | Drunk driving (DUI)License revoked for one year, or until all reinstatement conditions are met, whichever is later | nmonesource.comQuotea person to drive a vehicle in this state if the person has an alcohol concentration of eight one hundredths or more in the person's blood or breath within three hours of driving the vehicle |
| .08% | In New Mexico, a rider who is 21 or older can be arrested for drunk driving once their blood alcohol content (BAC) reaches what level?Answer: .08% or more | New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 32QuoteYou can be arrested for driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or more. |
| one year | What can happen if you refuse an officer's request to take a BAC test in New Mexico?Answer: You can lose your license for one year | New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 32QuoteIf a police or traffic officer asks you to take a BAC test and refuse to do so, you can lose your driver license for one year. |
| Twenty-five years | How long does a DWI conviction stay on a New Mexico driving record?Answer: Twenty-five years | New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 32QuoteAny DWI conviction will remain on your driving record for twenty-five years. |
Fines, points & penalties
1 number
| Number | What it’s about | Source |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | What is New Mexico's minimum liability coverage for bodily injury to or death of one person in one accident?Answer: $25,000 | New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 38Quote$25,000 Bodily injury to or death of one person in any on accident. |
Distances & following gaps
3 numbers
| Number | What it’s about | Source |
|---|---|---|
| two feet | About how wide is the oily strip that collects down the center of a lane?Answer: No more than about two feet | New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 39QuoteThis strip is usually no more than two feet wide. You can operate to the left or right of the grease strip and still be within your traffic lane. |
| Three seconds | What following distance does the manual recommend opening up when riding at night?Answer: Three seconds | New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 41QuoteOpen up a three second following distance and allow more distance to pass and to be passed. |
| Two seconds | In a staggered formation, how far behind the first rider should the third rider stay?Answer: Two seconds | New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 41QuoteA third rider maintains in the left position, two seconds behind the first rider. |
Ages, permits & the test
7 numbers
| Number | What it’s about | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 70% | Passing score | mvd.newmexico.govQuoteAll class D and M written test scores must be 70% or better to pass. |
| Four years | Motorcycle permitFour years (shorter if a medical report requires it or the holder turns 21 sooner) | mvd.newmexico.govQuoteAll new and renewal instruction permits are issued by the Motor Vehicle Division for a four-year period, except when a shorter period is required due to a medical report or because the applicant will turn 21 in less than four years. |
| age 15 | Motorcycle permitA motorcycle instruction permit is available from age 15 | nmonesource.comQuoteA person fifteen years of age or older who is enrolled in and attending or has completed a driver education course approved by the bureau that includes a DWI prevention and education component may apply to the division for an instruction permit. |
| under 18 | Motorcycle permitRiders under 18 must complete the MSF Basic Rider Course to be licensed | mvd.newmexico.govQuoteMotorcycle operators who are age 18 and above are not required to take the MSF Basic Rider Course, and are not required to wear a helmet when operating a motorcycle. |
| At least 21 | How old must the licensed driver be who supervises a New Mexico instructional permit holder?Answer: At least 21 | New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 4Quotesupervised by another driver who is at least 21 years of age and who is licensed to drive that type of vehicle |
| six months | Under New Mexico's graduated licensing system, how long must you hold your instructional permit before moving up?Answer: At least six months | New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 4QuoteThe driver must retain the instructional permit for at least six months. |
| under 50 | A New Mexico Z endorsement allows you to ride which motorcycles?Answer: Those with engines under 50 cc | New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division (Taxation and Revenue Department) websiteQuoteZ any two- or three-wheeled motorcycle with an engine of less than 50 cubic centimeters piston displacement |
Seat belts, lights & equipment
2 numbers
| Number | What it’s about | Source |
|---|---|---|
| under 18 | HelmetsOperators and passengers under 18 | nmonesource.comQuoteNo person under the age of eighteen shall operate a motorcycle unless the person is wearing a safety helmet that is securely fastened on the person's head in a normal manner as headgear |
| under 18 | Who does New Mexico law require to wear a helmet on a motorcycle?Answer: Riders and passengers under 18 | New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), page 40QuoteNew Mexico Law requires all motorcycle drivers and passengers under 18 years old to wear a helmet. |
Memory tips
How to study them (our advice, not official rules):
- Learn the number with its unit and its place. “15 feet from a hydrant” sticks; “15” on its own gets mixed up with 15 mph.
- Say the answer before you look. Recalling the number yourself is harder than spotting it among four options, and it is what makes it stick.
- Come back to the ones you miss. The quiz above brings missed questions back more often. Short rounds over several days beat one long session.
Questions about the numbers
What numbers do I need to know for the New Mexico motorcycle permit test?
Mostly distances (how close you may park to a hydrant or crosswalk, when to signal, when to dim your high beams), speed limits, blood-alcohol limits, and the ages, hours and deadlines for your permit and license. This page lists 17 of them for New Mexico, each with its source.
Why focus on numbers?
A California DMV study of its own knowledge test found that many of the hardest questions “are numerical and have correct answers that must be learned by rote memorization.” Numbers are easy to mix up under pressure, so they are worth drilling on their own.
Where do these numbers come from?
Each one is quoted from the New Mexico Driver Manual - Motorcycles section (p. 35), New Mexico statutes or MVD pages. Our build checks that every number on this page appears word for word in the quote it cites.
Is the numbers drill free?
Yes. The table and the numbers quiz are free and unlimited, and so are the first 20 flashcards.