United States v. New Mexico

455 U.S. 720 · Decided March 24, 1982 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

United States v. New Mexico was decided on March 24, 1982 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “State or local government tax” in the Economic Activity area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

United States v. New Mexico et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1981-068, docket 1981-068-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “State or local government tax”

• Asarco Inc. v. Idaho State Tax CommissionLaw held unconstitutional
  458 U.S. 307Decided June 29, 19826–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• F. W. Woolworth Co. v. Taxation and Revenue Department of New MexicoLaw held unconstitutional
  458 U.S. 354Decided June 29, 19826–3Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Xerox Corp. v. County of Harris
  459 U.S. 145Decided December 13, 19828–1Warren E. Burger
• Commonwealth Edison Co. v. MontanaAltered precedent
  453 U.S. 609Decided July 2, 19816–3Thurgood Marshall
• Western & Southern Life Insurance Co. v. State Board of Equalization of California
  451 U.S. 648Decided May 26, 19817–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Maryland v. LouisianaLaw held unconstitutional
  451 U.S. 725Decided May 26, 19817–1Byron R. White

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Cases on the same legal provision: Article VI, Section 2 (supremacy clause)

• Blum v. BaconLaw held unconstitutional
  457 U.S. 132Decided June 14, 19829–0Thurgood Marshall
• Toll v. Moreno
  458 U.S. 1Decided June 28, 19826–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• Lawrence County v. Lead-Deadwood School District No. 40-1Law held unconstitutional
  469 U.S. 256Decided January 9, 19857–2Byron R. White
• General Atomic Co. v. Felter
  434 U.S. 12Decided October 31, 19777–2Per curiam
• Rose v. Arkansas State PoliceLaw held unconstitutional
  479 U.S. 1Decided November 3, 19868–1Per curiam
• Ohio Bureau of Employment Services v. Hodory
  431 U.S. 471Decided May 31, 19778–0Harry A. Blackmun

Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)

• Watt v. Energy Action Educational Foundation
  454 U.S. 151Decided December 1, 19819–0Sandra Day O'Connor
• Central Trust Co. v. Official Creditors' Committee of Geiger Enterprises, Inc.
  454 U.S. 354Decided January 11, 19827–2Per curiam
• United States v. Clark
  454 U.S. 555Decided January 13, 19829–0Sandra Day O'Connor
• Community Communications Co., Inc. v. City of Boulder
  455 U.S. 40Decided January 13, 19825–3William J. Brennan Jr.
• New England Power Co. v. New HampshireLaw held unconstitutional
  455 U.S. 331Decided February 24, 19829–0Warren E. Burger
• G.D. Searle & Co. v. Cohn
  455 U.S. 404Decided February 24, 19828–1Harry A. Blackmun

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error