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Bernalillo County

Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center

In short

Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center issues 3 permits we publish for Bernalillo County, last verified 2026-10-12. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County Business Registration (Business License): commercial, home occupation and out-of-countyBernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center$35.00 annual business registration fee, not prorated, plus a $15.00 administrative fee on the initial application (County Code § 14-37): $50 for a new registration and $35 for each annual renewal.one calendar year from the time of application (County Code § 14-36)2026-10-12
Home Occupation Conditional Use Approval (Zoning Administrator; customers on site or one non-resident employee)only if it applies to youBernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center$75 per conditional use application, as listed under "FILING FEES" on the county's 2026 Zoning Administrator Conditional Use application packet ($75.00 for all conditional use requests other than more than one dwelling unit or mobile home per lot)not stated in the county's Zoning Administrator packet or home occupation form2026-10-12
Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing and Sign Permits (unincorporated area)only if it applies to youBernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting CenterBuilding permit $30.00 plus $4.00 per $1,000.00 of valuation; building plan review $30.00 plus $2.00 per $1,000.00 of valuation (Table 3-A). Re-inspection $47.00 each. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits: $23.50 administrative charge per application plus the item fees in Tables 3-B to 3-D. Sign permits: $15.00 for 2 to 20 sq. ft., $30.00 for over 20 to 100 sq. ft., $45.00 for over 100 sq. ft. (Table 3-E). As published on the county's Permit Fees (Res. 25-2009) page.per permit2026-10-12

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

County Business Registration (Business License): commercial, home occupation and out-of-county

County Code § 14-34 states: "No person, unless otherwise exempted in this article, shall engage in an occupation without first paying the business registration fee." Under § 14-37 the fee is $35.00 a year, not prorated for part of a year, plus a $15.00 administrative fee on the initial application; the county's Business License & Registration page tells applicants to pay "the initial fee of $50" and states "Renewals are $35 per year", and the commercial (ZCBL, Rev. 08/26) and out-of-county applications both show "FEE: $50.00". County Code § 14-32 defines the area of the registration: "County means Bernalillo County, outside the Albuquerque city limits." The county's Business License & Registration page describes itself as covering "starting a business in the unincorporated areas of Bernalillo County." Under § 14-35 the applicant first obtains a New Mexico tax identification number, files an application describing the business and each location, and the zoning office verifies the zoning and coordinates zoning, building, environmental health and fire inspections; § 14-35 also states that "A permit and inspection by the county fire department are required" (see the Fire Safety Permit record). The county page lists three license types: Commercial (commercially zoned property), Residential (home occupation, either permissive or conditional use) and Out of County ("commercial enterprises are conducting business activity in but not originating from Bernalillo County"). Under § 14-36 the registration runs one calendar year from the time of application; § 14-33 sets a $250.00 fine for not paying the fee. Contact: Permitting Center, (505) 314-0350, businesslicense@bernco.gov.

Home Occupation Conditional Use Approval (Zoning Administrator; customers on site or one non-resident employee)

The county's Business License & Registration page describes two types of home occupation. A permissive home occupation needs only the county business registration and must meet standards such as no exterior display or storage, family-member employees only and no more than 25 percent of the dwelling's floor area. A conditional use home occupation needs "conditional use approval from the Zoning Administrator" to permit clients, customers, patients, patrons or similar individuals or groups to come to the property, and/or up to a single additional employee to work on the site; the page gives swimming lessons, counseling services and a home office with one employee as examples. A home salon or personal-training studio that receives clients falls in the conditional use group. The county's 2026 Zoning Administrator Conditional Use application packet lists filing fees of "$75.00 for all other conditional use requests" ($100.00 applies only to requests for more than one dwelling unit or mobile home per lot), and the county's Home Occupation form lists "$75.00 fee/ attend Public Hearing" for this type, followed by the $50.00 initial or $35.00 renewal registration fee if approved. The resolution that sets the $75 is not published online; the figure is as stated on those two current county forms.

Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing and Sign Permits (unincorporated area)

Resolution 25-2009 of the Board of County Commissioners states that the Permit Fee Schedule of the Uniform Administrative Code, "effective May 1, 2009, and as amended from time to time, establishes fees for all construction projects within the unincorporated area of Bernalillo County." Table 3-A sets the building permit fee at $30.00 plus $4.00 per $1,000.00 of valuation and the building plan review fee at $30.00 plus $2.00 per $1,000.00 of valuation; inspections outside normal business hours and inspections with no listed fee cost $47.00 per hour (two-hour minimum), and re-inspections $47.00 each. Electrical (Table 3-B), mechanical (3-C) and plumbing (3-D) permits each carry a $23.50 administrative charge per application plus item fees. Table 3-E prices sign permits at $15.00 for signs of 2 to 20 sq. ft., $30.00 for over 20 to 100 sq. ft. and $45.00 for over 100 sq. ft. Valuation for Table 3-A is based on the building valuation data phased in by Section 2 of the resolution. The figures are as published on the county's current Building Services page titled "Permit Fees (Res. 25-2009)", which links the 2009 resolution as the fee schedule; no amending resolution is posted with it.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Bernalillo County
Phone
(505) 314-0350

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Administrative Resolution 25-2009: Permit Fee Schedule of the Uniform Administrative CodeBernalillo County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  2. Business License & Registration pageBernalillo County Planning & Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  3. Business Registration Commercial Enterprise Application packet (ZCBL, Rev. 08/26), including the Fire Prevention Bureau's Fire Safety Permit RequirementsBernalillo County Planning & Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  4. Business Registration Home Occupation application (ZRBL)Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  5. Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, Article II: Business Registration Fee (§§ 14-31 to 14-38)Bernalillo County, New Mexico (via Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  6. Out of County Business License application (ZBL)Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  7. Permit Fees (Res. 25-2009) pageBernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Building Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  8. Zoning Administrator Conditional Use application packet (2026)Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12

Other offices serving Bernalillo County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

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New Mexico jurisdictions

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.