Drivers Licenses Restrictions
Legal Definition
A person commits this offense by operating a motor vehicle in violation of restrictions placed on their driver's license by the Motor Vehicle Division. Restrictions may include requirements to wear corrective lenses, use adaptive equipment, drive only during daylight hours, or other limitations based on the driver's physical condition or driving ability. The offense occurs when the driver fails to comply with any such restriction noted on the face of the license.
Possible Punishment
Up to 6 months in county jail and a fine up to $500. The court may also impose additional restrictions on the driver's license or suspend driving privileges.
Local Context
Common restrictions include corrective lenses, hearing aids, hand controls, outside mirrors, automatic transmission, and geographic or time-of-day limitations. This offense is distinct from driving without a valid license or on a suspended license; it applies when the license itself is valid but the driver violates a condition of that license.
Criminal Traffic Cases in Doña Ana County
Not every traffic offense is a ticket. Driving on a suspended or revoked license, reckless driving, and fleeing an officer are criminal charges that end in booking rather than a citation, and they appear constantly in our feed. Suspended-license charges in particular tend to snowball: unpaid fines lead to suspension, driving anyway leads to arrest, and missing the court date adds a bench warrant.
Criminal traffic cases are heard in Las Cruces Municipal Court for city violations and Doña Ana Magistrate Court for state charges. If alcohol or drugs are involved, the case moves into DWI territory with its own mandatory penalties.
Related Guides
Bench Warrants and Failure to Appear in New Mexico: How a Missed Court Date Becomes a Booking
What a bench warrant is, how it differs from an arrest warrant, why FTA bookings fill the Doña Ana County jail log, and how to clear a warrant before arrest.
DWI Arrests in New Mexico: Penalties, Aggravated DWI, and the MVD Clock
What a New Mexico DWI arrest means: legal limits, first-offense penalties, aggravated DWI, felony DWI, and the separate MVD license hearing deadline.
Recent Arrests for This Charge (0)
No current inmates booked under § 66-5-29 NMSA.
Information provided for general reference. Statutory text is summarized and may not reflect the most recent amendments. All persons listed are presumed innocent until proven guilty.