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Sandoval County

Sandoval County Planning & Zoning

In short

Sandoval County Planning & Zoning issues 4 permits we publish for Sandoval 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
Sign Permit (unincorporated Sandoval County)only if it applies to youSandoval County Planning & Zoning$1.00 per square foot of total sign face, a one-time fee; collected for each separate structure used in a v-type sign (Sign Ordinance §16, Ord. No. 03-09-04.12A).one-time, per sign2026-10-12
Conditional Use Permit, Temporary Use Permit, Variance or Zone Change (uses not allowed by right)only if it applies to youSandoval County Planning & ZoningFiling fees are set by resolution of the Board of County Commissioners (Zoning Ordinance §23(B)); contact Sandoval County Planning & Zoning, 505-867-7628, for the current amount for the application type.per application2026-10-12
Floodplain Development Permit (conditional: development in a special flood hazard area)only if it applies to youSandoval County Planning & ZoningContact Sandoval County Planning & Zoning, 505-867-7628, for the amount charged with a floodplain development permit application.per development2026-10-12
Commercial/Industrial Development Review (C/IDRC) Plan Review, before the state building permitonly if it applies to youSandoval County Planning & Zoning$0.25 per square foot of building area, paid with the Preliminary Plan Set; the C/IDRC process sheet states "No additional review fees are required for Final Plan Set."one-time, per commercial or industrial project2026-10-12

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

Sign Permit (unincorporated Sandoval County)

Sign Ordinance §13 states: "A permit shall be applied for and received from the County before erecting, placing, rebuilding, reconstructing, or moving any sign." The fee is set by the ordinance itself: §16, Fee Schedule, reads "(Based on total "Sign Face" and is a one time fee). $1.00 per square foot. Fees shall be collected for each separate structure used in the erection of v-type signs." (Ord. No. 03-09-04.12A, §16, September 4, 2003). The county's C/IDRC Process sheet dated 24 January 2025 gives the same sign permit fee of $1.00 per square foot of sign area. The Sign Ordinance exempts some signs from a permit, including signs of four square feet or less that are not otherwise prohibited and sale or lease signs. Applies to a business putting up a sign in the unincorporated area; a business inside a municipality applies to that municipality. Sandoval County Planning & Zoning, 1500 Idalia Road, Building D, Bernalillo, NM 87004; 505-867-7628; P&ZMain@sandovalcountynm.gov.

Conditional Use Permit, Temporary Use Permit, Variance or Zone Change (uses not allowed by right)

The county's Zoning Information sheet states that the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance applies to all unincorporated private land, that most of the unincorporated area is zoned Rural Residential/Agricultural (RRA), and that in the RRA district uses other than those the ordinance lists require a conditional use permit, temporary use permit or zone change, depending on the proposed use. Applicants first meet Planning & Zoning staff, who identify the approval needed. A conditional use permit or temporary use permit is decided by the Planning & Zoning Commission at a public hearing, with appeal to the Board of County Commissioners within 30 days; a zone change is heard by the Commission, whose ruling is a recommendation, and decided by the Board of County Commissioners at a later public hearing. Variances are also heard by the Commission. Each application is filed with the appropriate filing fee on the prescribed form; Zoning Ordinance §23(B) states "Fees will be established by Resolution of the County Board and will be subject to periodic review and update", and §23(C) refunds the fee if an application is withdrawn before public notice is published. Sandoval County Planning & Zoning, 1500 Idalia Road, Building D, Bernalillo, NM 87004; 505-867-7628; P&ZMain@sandovalcountynm.gov.

Floodplain Development Permit (conditional: development in a special flood hazard area)

Code §18-6 states: "A floodplain development permit shall be required to ensure conformance with the provisions of this chapter." The permit applies to development in an area of special flood hazard; a business building outside a mapped special flood hazard area has no floodplain development permit. Applications go to the floodplain administrator on the county's forms and may include scaled plans showing proposed alterations and structures in relation to the flood hazard area, and, for a non-residential floodproofed structure, an engineer's or architect's certificate. The Planning & Zoning page directs floodplain questions in the unincorporated area of the county, or in the Village of Jemez Springs, to Planning & Zoning, and states that before a building permit application goes to the state Construction Industries Division a Zoning Compliance and Floodplain Determination Checklist must be submitted to Planning & Zoning. Sandoval County Planning & Zoning, 1500 Idalia Road, Building D, Bernalillo, NM 87004; 505-867-7628; P&ZMain@sandovalcountynm.gov.

Commercial/Industrial Development Review (C/IDRC) Plan Review, before the state building permit

A business building or expanding commercial premises in unincorporated Sandoval County goes through the county's Commercial/Industrial Development Review Committee (C/IDRC) before applying for its state building permit. The county's C/IDRC Process sheet dated 24 January 2025, linked from the current Planning & Zoning Forms page, states: "Completion of the following C/IDRC project submittal and review is required prior to submittal of the building permit to the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID)." It sets county plan review fees at $0.25 per square foot of building area, charged with the Preliminary Plan Set, and states that no additional review fees are required for the Final Plan Set; Resolution No. 11-18-10.7C (2010), item 8, sets the same $0.25 per square foot for non-residential construction. Approved Final Plan Sets with C/IDRC signatures go to the applicant for submittal to CID. The Planning & Zoning page states: "Note that Sandoval County (SC) does not issue building permits for construction but does process State of NM Construction Industries Division (CID) and Manufactured Housing Division (MHD) permit applications for the unincorporated areas to verify compliance with SC Ordinances and Regulations." The state building permit itself is a CID record. Sandoval County Planning & Zoning, 1500 Idalia Road, Building D, Bernalillo, NM 87004; 505-867-7628; P&ZMain@sandovalcountynm.gov.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Sandoval County
Phone
505-867-7628

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. Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18 Flood Damage Prevention (§18-6)Sandoval County, New Mexico (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  2. Commercial/Industrial Development Review (C/IDRC) Process (24 January 2025)Sandoval County Planning & Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  3. Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Article I (including §23 Filing Fees)Sandoval County, New Mexico (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  4. Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Article II Sign Ordinance (§§13 and 16)Sandoval County, New Mexico (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  5. P&Z Forms pageSandoval County Planning & Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  6. Planning & Zoning department pageSandoval County Planning & Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  7. Resolution No. 11-18-10.7C, Zoning Application Fees Schedule (2010)Sandoval County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  8. Zoning Information sheetSandoval County Planning & Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12

Other offices serving Sandoval County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

New Mexico jurisdictions

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