N.M. Stat. Ann. § 28-1-9
Exemptions.
Operative Text
28-1-9. Exemptions.
Nothing contained in the Human Rights Act shall:
A. apply to any single-family dwelling sold, leased, subleased or rented by an owner
without the making of any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale,
lease, sublease or rental of a dwelling unit that indicates any preference, limitation or
discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual
orientation or gender identity. This exemption is subject to these further reservations:
(1) to qualify for the exemption, the seller must not be an owner of or own or
have reserved any interest in more than three single-family dwellings; and
(2) if the seller does not currently live in the dwelling or he was not the most
recent occupant, the exemption granted in this section shall only apply to one sale in
twenty-four months;
B. bar any religious or denominational institution or organization that is operated,
supervised or controlled by or that is operated in connection with a religious or
denominational organization from limiting admission to or giving preference to persons
of the same religion or denomination or from making selections of buyers, lessees or
tenants as are calculated by the organization or denomination to promote the religious
or denominational principles for which it is established or maintained, unless
membership in the religious or denominational organization is restricted on account of
race, color, national origin or ancestry;
C. bar any religious or denominational institution or organization that is operated,
supervised or controlled by or that is operated in connection with a religious or
denominational organization from imposing discriminatory employment or renting
practices that are based upon sexual orientation or gender identity; provided, that the
provisions of the Human Rights Act with respect to sexual orientation and gender
identity shall apply to any other:
(1) for-profit activities of a religious or denominational institution or religious
organization subject to the provisions of Section 511(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended; or
(2) nonprofit activities of a religious or denominational institution or religious
organization subject to the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended;
D. apply to rooms or units in dwellings containing living quarters occupied or
intended to be occupied by no more than four families living independently of each
other, if the owner actually maintains and occupies one of the living quarters as his
residence;
E. apply to public restrooms, public showers, public dressing facilities or sleeping
quarters in public institutions, where the preference or limitation is based on sex; and
F. prevent the mandatory retirement of an employee upon reaching the age of sixty-
five years or older, if the employer is operating under a retirement plan that meets the
requirements of Public Law 93-406, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974.
History: 1953 Comp., § 4-33-8, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 196, § 8; 1973, ch. 58, § 2;
1975, ch. 78, § 1; 2003, ch. 383, § 4; 2004, ch. 115, § 2.NMSA 28-1-9 carves out specific situations where New Mexico's Human Rights Act anti-discrimination rules do not apply in housing and employment contexts. These exemptions cover small-scale private home sales or rentals by individual owners meeting certain conditions, housing operated by religious organizations selecting tenants on denominational grounds, owner-occupied small multi-family buildings with four or fewer units, sex-based distinctions in certain public facilities, and mandatory retirement under qualifying pension plans. Each exemption has its own conditions and limits, meaning the carve-out is not automatic and does not apply broadly to all transactions by a covered party.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers should understand that NMSA 28-1-9 does not create a blanket license to discriminate — each exemption under this section has strict qualifying conditions. For example, the single-family dwelling exemption under subsection A requires that no discriminatory notice or advertisement be used, that the owner holds no interest in more than three such dwellings, and that the one-sale-in-twenty-four-months limit applies when the seller is not the most recent occupant. Operators of religiously affiliated housing should also note that subsections B and C impose their own boundaries, particularly where for-profit or certain nonprofit activities are involved.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants who believe they have experienced housing discrimination should be aware that NMSA 28-1-9 lists narrow, conditional exemptions to the Human Rights Act — not broad permissions for landlords to discriminate. If a landlord claims an exemption, such as the small-building owner-occupancy carve-out in subsection D or the single-family dwelling exemption in subsection A, the specific qualifying conditions of that exemption can be examined to determine whether it actually applies. Tenants can explore filing a complaint with the New Mexico Human Rights Bureau or consult a tenant-rights organization to understand whether a claimed exemption holds up under the Act's requirements.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 26, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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