| Boat plates are known to
exist for the years 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1959 in a format identical in
size to, and similar in format to, motorcycle plates of the same era.
The principal difference is that rather than the letter “M” prefix used
by bike plates, the boat tags had a prefix consisting of a single
numerical digit. That digit told the maximum number of passengers that
the boat was rated to carry. A prefix of “0” was used for boat houses,
which were also required to be licensed. Rather than being issued by the
DMV, these plates were obtained from the New Mexico State Park
Commission and the use of them was required only at Conchas Dam Lake. |
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U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Boat Plates
Within New Mexico are several lakes created by dams built by the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation. On at least two of them—Elephant Butte Lake and
Caballo Lake—the Bureau of Reclamation required the use of boat license
plates which were issued by that agency. In contrast to the New Mexico
boat plates illustrated above which were issued as singles, the BuRec
tags were in some, if not all, years issued as pairs, with 1954 being a
confirmed example. See also Civilian
Conservation Corps
and U.S.
Government for
other types of license plates issued by the federal government within
New Mexico. |
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| Modern New Mexico
Boat Licensing |
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As mandated by the New
Mexico Boat Act of 1959, New Mexico introduced statewide licensing of
boats effective July 1 of that same year. Replacing the metal plates
used at Conchas Dam Lake, and now required for all lakes and waterways
in the state, would be “Two adhesive plastic plates—pliable 4" x 10"
strips—[to] be issued by the Park Commission for every boat
registered in this state. The registration number appears on those
plates. One such plate must be affixed on either side of the bow of the
boat. Each plate shall be no farther to the rear than one foot from the
bow, and at a height on the hull which will permit it to be clearly and
readily visible well above the water, whether the boat be in operation
or moored.” Registrations were valid for three years, and were
accompanied by a “pocket-size Certificate of Registration.”
These requirements remain essentially the same today, but with the
addition of a 3" x 3" “Vessel Validation Decal” which shows the
expiration date of the boat’s current registration. Licensing and
registration nowadays are handled by the Motor Vehicle Division, but
monitoring and enforcement are still conducted by the New Mexico Parks
Department. |
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| Illustration from The
Handbook of New Mexico Boating Laws and State Park Regulations, New
Mexico State Parks Division. |
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| New
Mexico Boat Act of 1959 |
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