New Mexico State Police Announce February Sobriety Checkpoints, Patrols Including McKinley County

New Mexico State Police announced a statewide enforcement campaign of sobriety checkpoints, DWI saturation patrols and registration, insurance and driver’s‑license checkpoints that will take place in every county during February 2026, a move that directly affects drivers in McKinley County.

The announcement came in a Jan. 30, 2026 news release from NMSP. The agency framed the effort as an awareness and enforcement push to reduce impaired‑driving fatalities, saying, “These checkpoints are helping to change society’s attitude about driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs.” The release added that the partnership behind the campaign “strengthens efforts to enhance road safety and reduce impaired driving across New Mexico communities, creating safer roads for all.”

Operational support for the February campaign comes from the New Mexico Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Division, which provides overtime grant funding to local law enforcement agencies for traffic safety enforcement, training, education and equipment in high‑risk areas statewide. NMSP and NMDOT said the campaign will be accompanied by continued media attention and intensive advertising intended to change behavior on the roads.

Local law enforcement agencies have run similar operations in recent months. The Clovis Police Department, for example, conducted DWI saturation patrols and announced sobriety checkpoints for October 2025, including checkpoints on October 10 and October 24, 2025, and urged residents to “please, make plans ahead of time and assign a designated driver.” Clovis provided contact details for community reporting and questions: Clovis Police Department, 300 N. Connelly St., Clovis, NM 88101; phone (575) 769-1921; fax (575) 769-7818; email police@cityofclovis.org; anonymous tip text: send "ClovisPD" and your message to 847-411. Those local notices also referenced the statewide ENDWI campaign and encouraged use of a designated driver.

Several outlets repeating the NMSP release included an additional appeal to driver responsibility: “Hundreds of lives could be saved each year if every driver had the courage to make the right decision not to drive impaired.” The campaign uses the ENDWI branding and the hashtag #ENDWI in public messaging.

The NMSP release does not list specific checkpoint dates, times or precise locations within February, nor does it indicate how many checkpoints or officers will be deployed in each county. McKinley County drivers should expect increased enforcement activity but also watch for location‑specific notices from New Mexico State Police, county law enforcement or municipal departments for operational details.

What this means for readers: plan ahead, assign a sober driver, carry current registration and proof of insurance, and watch local NMSP and county announcements for checkpoint locations or timing. The February campaign signals intensified statewide action to reduce impaired driving; residents and regular road users in McKinley County should take the messaging and enforcement at face value and adapt travel plans accordingly.