New Mexico is a pure random draw with no bonus or preference points: every application gets a random sequence number and is filled with its first, second or third choice if a licence is still open in the applicant's quota pool. By state law at least 84% of each hunt code's licences go to residents, up to 10% to applicants of any residency who list a New Mexico registered outfitter, and 6% to unguided nonresidents - so unguided nonresidents are very unlikely to draw any hunt code with 12 or fewer licences. You must first buy a nonrefundable $90 nonresident Game-Hunting License (+$4 HMAV), and the $13 application fee plus the full licence price ($773 standard / $998 quality or high-demand elk; $398 / $623 deer; $423 pronghorn) is charged when you apply; the licence part is refunded within about 10 business days if you are unsuccessful. Applications close at 5 p.m. MDT on the third Wednesday of March (March 18, 2026) and results post April 22; nonresidents cannot apply for antlerless elk or WMA-only hunts.
Every figure below cites the agency document it came from. Last verified August 31, 2026.
Worked example. Every applicant has the same chance: tags ÷ applicants. Points don't exist or don't matter here.
19.31.3.8 NMAC (H, J, K, L, O); 2026-27 booklet p.18 · verified Aug 31, 2026
Worked example. Every applicant has the same chance: tags ÷ applicants. Points don't exist or don't matter here.
19.31.3.8 NMAC; 2026-27 booklet p.17-18 · verified Aug 31, 2026
Worked example. Every applicant has the same chance: tags ÷ applicants. Points don't exist or don't matter here.
19.31.3.8 NMAC (H, J, K, L, O); NMDGF 'How New Mexico's Draw Works' page; 2026-27 booklet p.18 'Drawing Quotas' · verified Aug 31, 2026
Worked example. Every applicant has the same chance: tags ÷ applicants. Points don't exist or don't matter here.
19.31.3.8 NMAC; 2026-27 booklet p.17-18 · verified Aug 31, 2026
Worked example. Every applicant has the same chance: tags ÷ applicants. Points don't exist or don't matter here.
19.31.3.8 NMAC (H, J, K, L, O); 2026-27 booklet p.18 · verified Aug 31, 2026
Worked example. Every applicant has the same chance: tags ÷ applicants. Points don't exist or don't matter here.
19.31.3.8 NMAC; 2026-27 booklet p.17-18 · verified Aug 31, 2026
Showing nonresident fees. Switch to resident
| Fee | Amount | Paid at application | Refundable | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresident draw application fee (per species, nonrefundable; included in the printed draw price) | $13 | Yes | No | booklet p.17 'All draw license fees include a nonrefundable application fee (residents: $7; non-residents: $13)' |
| Nonresident Game-Hunting License (must be purchased, nonrefundable, before applying for any big-game draw) | $90 | Yes | No | booklet p.16 OTC fee table; p.18 'Application Requirements' |
| Habitat Management and Access Validation (HMAV), mandatory age 18+, added automatically with the Game-Hunting License | $4 | Yes | No | booklet p.16; FAQ p.1 |
| Habitat Stamp (required to hunt on BLM and Forest Service land; buy by May 15 to be printed on the licence/tag) | $10 | If drawn | No | booklet p.14-16 |
| Nonresident High-Demand Deer License (printed $623 incl. $13 application fee) (White-tailed / Mule Deer) | $610 | Yes | Yes | booklet p.17 'High-Demand (HD) $623' |
| Nonresident High-Demand Elk License (printed $998 incl. $13 application fee) (Elk) | $985 | Yes | Yes | booklet p.17 |
| Nonresident Pronghorn License (printed $423 incl. $13 application fee) (Pronghorn) | $410 | Yes | Yes | booklet p.17 'Pronghorn License $70 / $423' |
| Nonresident Quality Deer License (printed $623 incl. $13 application fee) (White-tailed / Mule Deer) | $610 | Yes | Yes | booklet p.17 'Quality (Q) $623'; OTC sheet p.16 private-land NR quality $610 |
| Nonresident Quality Elk License, mature bull or either sex (printed $998 incl. $13 application fee) (Elk) | $985 | Yes | Yes | booklet p.17 'Quality or High-Demand Elk License (page 70) MB $998 / ES $998' |
| Nonresident Quality/High-Demand (Q/HD) Deer License (printed $623 incl. $13 application fee) (White-tailed / Mule Deer) | $610 | Yes | Yes | booklet p.17 |
| Nonresident Quality/High-Demand (Q/HD) Elk License (printed $998 incl. $13 application fee) (Elk) | $985 | Yes | Yes | booklet p.17 |
| Nonresident Standard Deer License (printed $398 incl. $13 application fee). Quality / high-demand hunt codes are $623 printed (White-tailed / Mule Deer) | $385 | Yes | Yes | booklet p.17 'Deer License Standard (S) $398'; OTC sheet p.16 private-land NR standard $385 |
| Nonresident Standard Elk License, mature bull or either sex (printed draw price $773 incl. $13 application fee); charged at application, refunded if unsuccessful. Quality / high-demand hunt codes are $998 printed (Elk) | $760 | Yes | Yes | booklet p.17 'Standard Elk License ... MB $773 / ES $773' |
Drew a tag? Check which cartridges are legal for your species and weapon on the New Mexico hunting laws page.
Every percentage on this page is a prior-draw probability: the chance an applicant with that many points would have drawn in the draw year shown, computed from the agency's published results. It is not a forecast — quotas, applicant numbers, and point creep change every year. Every figure links to the agency document it came from. Where a state does not publish a number, we show a dash, never a zero. Hunts with fewer than five tags show counts instead of percentages. Fees show the fee year used. Read the methodology for the engine details.
This page is informational only. Draw rules, quotas, fees, and deadlines are set by the state agency and change by commission action — confirm everything on the agency's own site before you apply, and apply through the agency, not here. We disclaim all liability for reliance on this page.
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