New Mexico Eviction Process: Notice Periods, Timeline & Tenant Defenses (2026)

How eviction works step by step, and what defenses you have at each stage

At a glance

• Notice required before filing: 3 or 7 or 30 days, depending on the grounds
• Court required: Yes — possession is recovered through court, not by self-help
• Governing statute: NMSA 1978 § 47-8-33

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the eviction process in New Mexico for a residential tenancy — the notices a landlord must serve, the timeline, and what you can do at each stage.

It does not cover commercial leases, or mobile home parks where a separate statute applies. Where a city has its own rules, those may differ from the state statute below.

What the statute actually says

NMSA 1978 § 47-8-33 — 欠租 3 天 pay-or-quit；违约 7 天 cure；substantial violation 3 天。全州适用。

新墨西哥驱逐走司法驱逐（petition for restitution，magistrate/metropolitan/district court，仅法院判决由法警执行）。欠租 3 天（47-8-33(D)）；违约 7 天 cure（47-8-33(A)）；月租 30 天（47-8-37）。

NMSA 1978 § 47-8-33 ↗

Notice periods by grounds

How the process runs, step by step

1. 房东送达通知（欠租 3 天 / 违约 7 天 / substantial 3 天） (from 欠租/违约). 欠租 3 天；违约 7 天 cure；substantial violation 3 天。
2. 房东提起 petition for restitution (from 通知期届满). 通知期届满未搬，房东在 magistrate/metropolitan/district court 起诉。
3. 判决 + 法警执行 writ of restitution (from 判决). 仅法院判决由法警执行；房东不得自行换锁/断水电/搬物（47-8-36 禁止）。

Can the landlord use self-help?

新墨西哥禁止自力救济：房东不得换锁、断水电或搬物（47-8-36）；仅法院判决由法警执行。

NMSA 1978 § 47-8-36 ↗

Common landlord claims and how to answer them

Remedies for an illegal eviction

非法 lockout/断水电的租客可依 47-8-36 每日 100% 减租 + 2 倍月租金民事罚金 + 恢复占有（47-8-41/42）或终止 + 损害 + 律师费（47-8-48）。

NMSA 1978 § 47-8-36, 47-8-48 ↗

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.

Statute	Last verified	Source
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-33	2026-10-16	official text ↗
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-33(D)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-33(A)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-33(I)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-37	2026-10-16	official text ↗
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-36	2026-10-16	official text ↗
NMSA 1978 § 47-8-36, 47-8-48	2026-10-16	official text ↗

Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help guide is the right starting point for understanding your position. Get legal help if:

• You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
• The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
• Your landlord has filed anything in court already
• You are unsure whether a local ordinance changes the state rule

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

More New Mexico guides

New Mexico Security Deposit Return · New Mexico Security Deposit Rules · New Mexico Rent Increase Rules · New Mexico Repairs & Habitability · New Mexico Landlord Retaliation

→ All New Mexico tenant rights topics

Common questions