A. The department of transportation and local highway authorities may, in their discretion, upon application in writing and good cause being shown, issue a special permit in writing authorizing the applicant to operate or move a vehicle or load of a size or weight exceeding the maximum specified in Sections 66-7-401 through 66-7-416 N.M. Stat. Ann. on a highway under the jurisdiction of the state transportation commission or local authorities. Except for the movement of manufactured homes, a permit may be granted, in cases of emergency, for the transportation of loads on a certain unit or combination of equipment for a specified period of time not to exceed one year, and the permit shall contain the route to be traversed, the type of load to be transported and any other restrictions or conditions deemed necessary by the body granting the permit. In every other case, the permit shall be issued for a single trip and may designate the route to be traversed and contain any other restrictions or conditions deemed necessary by the body granting the permit. Every permit shall be carried in the vehicle to which it refers and shall be opened for inspection to any peace officer. It is a misdemeanor for a person to violate a condition or term of the special permit.

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B. The department of transportation shall promulgate rules in accordance with the State Rules Act [N.M. Stat. Ann. Chapter 14, Article 4] pertaining to safety practices, liability insurance and equipment for escort vehicles provided by the motor carrier and for escort vehicles provided by a private business in this state; provided that:

(1)     the department of public safety or the department of transportation shall provide the escort personnel with a copy of applicable rules and shall inspect the escort vehicles for the safety equipment required by the rules. If the escort vehicles and personnel meet the requirements set forth in the rules, the department of public safety shall issue the special permit;

(2)     the movement of vehicles upon the highways of this state requiring a special permit and required to use an escort of the type noted in Paragraph (1) of this subsection is subject to the authority of the department of transportation and the department of public safety and to inspection at all times; and

(3)     the department of transportation shall conduct engineering investigations and engineering inspections to determine which four-lane highways are safe for the operation or movement of manufactured homes without an escort. After making that determination, the department of transportation shall hold public hearings in the area of the state affected by the determination, after which it may adopt rules designating those four-lane highways as being safe for the operation or movement of manufactured homes without an escort. If a portion of such a four-lane highway lies within the boundaries of a municipality, the department of transportation, after obtaining the approval of the municipal governing body, shall include such portions in its rules.

C. Except for the movement of manufactured homes, special permits may be issued for a single vehicle or combination of vehicles by the department of transportation for a period not to exceed one year for a fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250). The special permits may allow excessive height, length and width for a vehicle or combination of vehicles or load thereon and may include a provision for excessive weight if the weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles is not greater than one hundred forty thousand pounds. Utility service vehicles, operating with special permits pursuant to this subsection, shall be exempt from prohibitions or restrictions relating to hours or days of operation or restrictions on movement because of poor weather conditions.

D. Special permits for a single trip for a vehicle or combination of vehicles or load thereon of excessive weight, width, length and height may be issued by the department of transportation for a single vehicle for a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) plus the product of two and one-half cents ($.025) for each two thousand pounds in excess of eighty-six thousand four hundred pounds or major fraction thereof multiplied by the number of miles to be traveled by the vehicle or combination of vehicles on the highways of this state.

E. If a vehicle for which a permit is issued pursuant to this section is a manufactured home, the department of transportation or local highway authority issuing the permit shall furnish the following information to the property tax division of the taxation and revenue department, which shall forward the information:

(1)     to the county assessor of a county from which a manufactured home is being moved, the date the permit was issued, the location being moved from, the location being moved to if within the same county, the name of the owner of the manufactured home and the identification and registration numbers of the manufactured home;

(2)     to the county assessor of any county in this state to which a manufactured home is being moved, the date the permit was issued, the location being moved from, the location being moved to, the name of the owner of the manufactured home and the registration and identification numbers of the manufactured home; and

(3)     to the owner of a manufactured home having a destination in this state, notification that the information required in Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection is being given to the respective county assessors and that manufactured homes are subject to property taxation.

F. Except as provided in Subsection G of this section, if the movement of a manufactured home originates in this state, a permit shall not be issued pursuant to Subsection E of this section until the owner of the manufactured home or the authorized agent of the owner obtains and presents to the department of transportation proof that a certificate has been issued by the county assessor or treasurer of the county in which the manufactured home movement originates showing that either:

(1)     all property taxes due or to become due on the manufactured home for the current tax year or any past tax years have been paid, except for manufactured homes located on an Indian reservation; or

(2)     liability for property taxes on the manufactured home does not exist for the current tax year or a past tax year, except for manufactured homes located on an Indian reservation.

G. The movement of a manufactured home from the lot or business location of a manufactured home dealer to its destination designated by an owner-purchaser is not subject to the requirements of Subsection F of this section if the manufactured home movement originates from the lot or business location of the dealer and the manufactured home was part of the dealer’s inventory prior to the sale to the owner- purchaser; however, the movement of a manufactured home by a dealer or the dealer’s authorized agent as a result of a sale or trade-in from a nondealer-owner is subject to the requirements of Subsection F of this section whether the destination is the business location of a dealer or some other destination.

H. A permit shall not be issued pursuant to this section for movement of a manufactured home whose width exceeds eighteen feet with no more than a six-inch roof overhang on the left side or twelve inches on the right side in addition to the eighteen-foot width of the manufactured home. Manufactured homes exceeding the limitations of this section shall only be moved on dollies placed on the front and the rear of the structure.

I. The secretary of transportation may by rule provide for movers of manufactured homes to self-issue permits for certain sizes of manufactured homes over specific routes. The cost of a permit shall not be less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00).

J. The secretary of transportation may provide by rule for dealers of implements of husbandry to self-issue permits for the movement of certain sizes of implements of husbandry from the lot or business location of the dealer over specific routes with specific escort requirements, if necessary, to a destination designated by an owner- purchaser or for purposes of a working demonstration on the property of a proposed owner-purchaser. The department of transportation shall charge a fee for each self- issued permit not to exceed fifteen dollars ($15.00).

K. A private motor carrier requesting an oversize or overweight permit shall provide proof of insurance in at least the following amounts:

(1)     bodily injury liability, providing:

(a) fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for each person; and

(b) one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for each accident; and

(2)     property damage liability, providing twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for each accident.

L. A motor carrier requesting an oversize permit shall produce a copy of a warrant or a single state registration receipt as evidence that the motor carrier maintains the insurance minimums prescribed by the department of transportation.

M. The department of transportation may provide by rule the time periods during which a vehicle or load of a size or weight exceeding the maximum specified in Sections 66-7-401 through 66-7-416 N.M. Stat. Ann. may be operated or moved by a motor carrier on a highway under the jurisdiction of the state transportation commission or local authorities.

N. An applicant for a special permit to operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross weight not exceeding ninety-six thousand pounds within six miles of the port of entry at the border with Mexico at Santa Teresa or within a circular quadrant starting at that port of entry with an east boundary line running due north twelve miles from the Santa Teresa port of entry to a point, then along an arc to the west with a twelve-mile radius and central angle of approximately ninety degrees to a point on the international boundary with Mexico, then returning due east twelve miles to the starting point at that port of entry, and twelve miles of other ports of entry on the border with Mexico shall not be required to demonstrate to the department of transportation that the load cannot be reduced as a condition of the issuance of the permit.

O. Revenue from fees for special permits authorizing vehicles and loads of excessive size or weight to operate or move upon a highway under the jurisdiction of the state transportation commission or local authorities shall be collected for the department of transportation and transferred to the state road fund.