I’m not sure a state can refuse to register a car bought out of state. They can make you pay taxes on it, but refuse to let you drive it? Sounds like something CONGRESS would need to do - Interstate commerce. But I’m no lawyer and I wouldn’t be surprised at anything the two stupid and evil states do to the east and west of Arizona.
Pity because I remember when New Mexico was a great state!
About half the cars driven here now in Oil Patch City are from Texas anyway. I can see our company opening a small office across the state line and registering all our company vehicles in Texas.
CA has been doing that since the 80s. It used to be cars were labeled as CA-compliant or 50-state compliant for emissions. Those that did not meet CA's regulations could not be registered there.
And yes, even vehicles that meet the standard for when they were manufactured are being forced off CA roads. I have in-laws there who have to sell perfectly good diesel trucks because they don't meet current standards. Even though they meet the standards that were in place when they were originally sold. They have to be sold out of state.