Hobbs New Mexico gets its first drive thru MVD.

Hobbs now has something to add to its drive-thru conveniences: medical vehicle inspections.
When the pandemic struck last year, all but one MVD office shuttered, but the one in Ruidoso, the Village MVD, could stay open because of its bulletproof window.

Village MVD has opened a new location at 401 E. Bender Blvd. in Hobbs, in the former Washington Federal Bank building, complete with drive-thru lanes.

Shelly McNutt, president of the company, and her husband, Garlan McNutt, director of operations, came up with the idea of a drive thru MVD services business. Call it fate or divine intervention, maybe.

Village MVD has been operating in Ruidoso as an offshoot or partner of the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department's Motor Vehicle Division long before the COVID-19 epidemic.

Shelly said, "We're licensed and regulated by the State of New Mexico." To be sure we're following the rules, we must renew our license with them annually and maintain extraordinarily high levels of insurance and bonds.
Having retired early from company ownership in another state, Shelly and her husband decided to relocate to Ruidoso.

Shelly received a message on social media about shutting Ruidoso's MVD office when she watched Garlan's frustrating encounter with the MVD. At the same time, he attempted to transfer his commercial driver's license to this state. The pair decided to get in touch with a local MVD expert who had worked at the defunct business to find out what they could do to help.

In addition to jumping through the state's regulatory hoops, the McNutt's also went about finding a space, establishing their firm, and bringing in the cash.

Success came to us immediately and in abundance. Our presence seemed to delight the locals. Commercial space was rented for our use. The building's prime placement in Ruidoso Downs was its greatest asset. Shelly said that the item was a perfect fit. That it had formerly served as a bank prevented us from renting there. We decided to hire it because all of the other requirements were met, and we thought that by using the drive-thru, we would be all set.