Rule 23-112. Citations for pleadings and other papers.

A. Applicability; citation rule appendix. This rule governs the form of citations included in pleadings and papers filed in the courts of this state. Additional citation guidelines and examples of correct forms of citation are included in an appendix immediately following this rule. B. Citation to New Mexico appellate opinions. (1) Official citation. All precedential opinions issued by the Supreme Court of New Mexico and the New Mexico Court of Appeals shall be assigned an official citation by the Clerk of the Supreme Court that includes the year the opinion was released, the initials of the Court that issued the opinion, and a three-digit number assigned sequentially as opinions are released for publication each calendar year. (2) Official citation required; use of parallel citation. Use of the official citation form is required for citations to all opinions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. When a pinpoint citation is used, it shall consist of a paragraph symbol and a paragraph number placed after the official citation. Parallel citation to the New Mexico Reports is mandatory, and citation to the Pacific Reporter is discretionary. Do not cite the unofficial hardbound volumes of the New Mexico Appellate Reports. (3) Exception for papers and pleadings filed by a self-represented litigant. A self-represented litigant may cite an opinion of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals using either the official citation, a citation to the New Mexico Reports, or a citation to the Pacific Reporter. The self-represented litigant’s use of any parallel citation is discretionary. C. Citation to New Mexico statutes. Citations to the New Mexico statutes shall be to the chapter, article, and section of the official 1978 compilation of the New Mexico Statutes Annotated (NMSA 1978), followed by parentheses containing the year of the statute’s enactment or the most recent amendment applicable to the pending case. The official compilation of the NMSA 1978 is published by the New Mexico Compilation Commission, the official legal publisher for the State of New Mexico. D. Citation to New Mexico court rules, uniform jury instructions, and forms. Citations to the rules, uniform jury instructions, and forms promulgated or approved by the Supreme Court shall be to the set and rule number of the New Mexico Rules Annotated (NMRA), which is the official compilation of New Mexico state court rules published by the New Mexico Compilation Commission. E. Citation to the New Mexico Administrative Code. Citations to the rules or regulations of a state agency shall be to the title, chapter, part, and section of the New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC). F. Bluebook citations. Except as provided in this rule and its appendix, all pleadings and other papers filed in all courts in this state shall follow the form of citations set forth in the current edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.