# ABUSE OF THE LAW

**Citation:** 18.60.5.17 NMAC  
**Type / status:** regulation / current  
**Agency:** New Mexico Public Regulation Commission  
**Effective:** 2022-08-09  
**Published:** Not stated

A person shall be deemed to have willfully failed to comply with this rule or Chapter 62, Article 14 NMSA 1978 and shall be subject to the penalties in Section 62-14-8 NMSA 1978 if the person: A. requests a locate for an area that cannot reasonably be excavated in 15 working days; B. provides misinf

## Document text

A person shall be deemed to have willfully failed to comply with this rule or Chapter 62, Article 14 NMSA 1978 and shall be subject to the penalties in Section 62-14-8 NMSA 1978 if the person:

A. requests a locate for an area that cannot reasonably be excavated in 15 working days;

B. provides misinformation or withholds information regarding the size of an excavation area;

C. requests locates that unduly burden a one-call notification system or UFO;

D. requests a locate for fraudulent reasons;

E. fails to process locate requests within the requisite timeframe;

F. fails to mark, or provide positive response for its underground facilities within the requisite timeframe;

G. fails to determine if all underground facilities have been marked or cleared;

H. commences excavation prior to the expiration of the advance notice period;

I. obliterates markings at an excavation site without providing temporary offset marks or stakes;

J. alters any record relating to excavation activity;

K. fails to pre-mark the actual intended excavation route or site(s) as required;

L. fails to report or file a report of damage within requisite time frame; or

M. commits any other act that the commission determines violates Chapter 62, Article 14 NMSA 1978 or this rule.

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title18/18.060.0005.html>
- Source ID: `nm-srca-nmac`
- SHA-256: `1136cd2487046351c6e432ac4c2c9613a9719a599d63d2e3b0564d6c0684e84b`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T08:28:34.875Z
- Exported: 2026-08-24T09:59:30.578Z
- Document slug: `nm-nmac-18-60-5-17`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "jurisdiction": "US-NM",
  "title": 18,
  "chapter": 60,
  "part": "5",
  "section": 17,
  "partTitle": "PIPELINE SAFETY EXCAVATION DAMAGE PREVENTION",
  "pipelineScope": "new-mexico-pipeline-safety",
  "legalScope": "Complete current official NMAC Title 18, Chapter 60, Parts 2 through 5: general pipeline-safety provisions, annual fees, enforcement procedures, and excavation-damage prevention. Part 1 is reserved.",
  "applicabilityCaveat": "Applicability depends on New Mexico Public Regulation Commission jurisdiction, pipeline or underground-facility type, operator and activity, intrastate or interstate status, federal preemption, incorporated federal rules, exemptions, waivers, and current Commission orders. Excavation-damage provisions also apply to one-call systems and excavators as specified in Part 5.",
  "rights": "Official New Mexico Administrative Code text is preserved with State Records Center and Archives attribution and source provenance. Agency marks, site presentation, linked material, and incorporated federal or third-party standards may carry separate rights; confirm reuse requirements beyond legal research.",
  "currentEffectiveOn": "2022-08-09",
  "effectiveDateBasis": "Latest explicit date in the official section history note; not a chapter-wide publication date.",
  "rawHistory": "[18.60.5.17 NMAC - Rp, 18.60.5.17 NMAC, 1/15/2019; A, 8/9/2022]",
  "references": [
    {
      "citation": "18.60.5.17 NMAC",
      "referenceType": "new-mexico-administrative-code"
    },
    {
      "citation": "62-14-8 NMSA 1978",
      "referenceType": "new-mexico-statutes"
    }
  ],
  "publicationStatus": "Current official NMAC part text published by the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.",
  "region": "NM"
}
```