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Santa Fe County

Santa Fe County Growth Management Department, Building and Development Services Division

In short

Santa Fe County Growth Management Department, Building and Development Services Division issues 6 permits we publish for Santa Fe 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
Business Registration Land-Use Review (no site development permit required)only if it applies to youSanta Fe County Growth Management Department, Building and Development Services Division$225 per application ("Business registration (when site DP not req'd)", Code §37.06)per application, when a business is registered without a site development permit2026-10-12
Home Occupation Business License Review (no, low or medium impact)only if it applies to youSanta Fe County Growth Management Department, Building and Development Services Division$50–$500 per application by category (Code §37.06): no impact $50.00; low impact $100.00; medium impact home occupation (conditional use permit) $500.00; the $35.00 business registration and the $25.00 fire inspection are charged separatelyper application, before the home business opens2026-10-12
Development Permit: Non-Residential Remodel up to $50,000 Valuationonly if it applies to youSanta Fe County Growth Management Department, Building and Development Services Division$75 per development permit for a non-residential remodel up to $50,000.00 valuation (Code §37.06)per permit; void if not picked up within 30 days of approval2026-10-12
Sign Permitonly if it applies to youSanta Fe County Growth Management Department, Building and Development Services Division$245 per sign permit (Code §37.06)per permit; void if not picked up within 30 days of approval2026-10-12
Temporary Use Permitonly if it applies to youSanta Fe County Growth Management Department, Building and Development Services Division$125 per temporary use permit (Code §37.06)per permit2026-10-12
Swimming Pool Development Review (conditional: installing a pool)only if it applies to youSanta Fe County Growth Management Department, Building and Development Services Division$545 per application ("Swimming pool", Code §37.06)per application, before the pool is installed2026-10-12

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

Business Registration Land-Use Review (no site development permit required)

When a business in the unincorporated county is registered without new development, the Building and Development Services Division reviews it under the Sustainable Land Development Code. The county's Commercial Business License page states: "If a development project is being undertaken as a part of starting a new business the necessary requirements, inspections and fees will be included as a part of that approval process. If, however, an existing business is sold to a new owner or if a business is established without any new related development, a development application form and all related documents are submitted for that action." The §37.06 fee schedule sets $225.00 for "Business registration (when site DP not req'd)". The figure is from the fee schedule in Santa Fe County Code §37.06, adopted by Ordinance 2016-8 (adopted December 13, 2016, recorded December 14, 2016, effective 30 days after recording) and carried unchanged in the codified text current through Ord. No. 2026-07. Under §37.08, fees are due at the time of application and are not refundable; under §37.05, a permit not picked up within thirty days of approval is void and needs a new application and fee. Contact Building and Development Services at 505-986-6225.

Home Occupation Business License Review (no, low or medium impact)

A business run from a home in the unincorporated county is licensed as a home occupation under the Sustainable Land Development Code. The county's Home Occupation page states that, depending on the nature of the work and the number of employees, home occupation businesses are categorized as No Impact (business registration), Low Impact (development permit) and Medium Impact (conditional use permit), with at most 1, 3 and 5 non-resident employees, up to 25%, 35% and 50% of the heated floor area, and 0, 4 and 12 patron visits a day respectively. Each application requires a detailed letter of intent describing the business, the materials involved, the number of employees and the number of client appointments per day. The §37.06 fee schedule sets the review fee at $50.00 for a no impact and $100.00 for a low impact home occupation, and $500.00 for a medium impact home occupation (listed under the conditional use permit). The $35.00 annual business registration and the $25.00 fire inspection for no and low impact businesses are separate charges. The county's Home Occupation page states: "Businesses require an inspection by Fire Prevention Specialists before the commencement of operations. Depending upon the type of occupancy, certain businesses will require an annual Fire Prevention inspection." The figure is from the fee schedule in Santa Fe County Code §37.06, adopted by Ordinance 2016-8 (adopted December 13, 2016, recorded December 14, 2016, effective 30 days after recording) and carried unchanged in the codified text current through Ord. No. 2026-07. Under §37.08, fees are due at the time of application and are not refundable; under §37.05, a permit not picked up within thirty days of approval is void and needs a new application and fee. Contact Building and Development Services at 505-986-6225.

Development Permit: Non-Residential Remodel up to $50,000 Valuation

A remodel of non-residential premises in the unincorporated county needs a county development permit under the Sustainable Land Development Code. The §37.06 fee schedule sets $75.00 for a non-residential "Remodel up to $50,000.00 valuation". The Building and Development page states that all building and development outside the incorporated areas of Santa Fe, Edgewood and Espanola must comply with the SLDC and requires a development permit from the county. The Building and Development Services FAQ states: "Inspections for foundations, framing, electrical and plumbing are conducted by the State Construction Industries Division (CID)." The figure is from the fee schedule in Santa Fe County Code §37.06, adopted by Ordinance 2016-8 (adopted December 13, 2016, recorded December 14, 2016, effective 30 days after recording) and carried unchanged in the codified text current through Ord. No. 2026-07. Under §37.08, fees are due at the time of application and are not refundable; under §37.05, a permit not picked up within thirty days of approval is void and needs a new application and fee.

Sign Permit

A business in the unincorporated county that puts up a sign applies to the Building and Development Services Division for a sign permit under the Sustainable Land Development Code. The §37.06 fee schedule sets the sign permit fee at $245.00. The permit applies only to a business that puts up a sign. The figure is from the fee schedule in Santa Fe County Code §37.06, adopted by Ordinance 2016-8 (adopted December 13, 2016, recorded December 14, 2016, effective 30 days after recording) and carried unchanged in the codified text current through Ord. No. 2026-07. Under §37.08, fees are due at the time of application and are not refundable; under §37.05, a permit not picked up within thirty days of approval is void and needs a new application and fee. Contact Building and Development Services at 505-986-6225.

Temporary Use Permit

A temporary use of land in the unincorporated county that the Sustainable Land Development Code makes subject to a temporary use permit, such as a temporary sale or event on a property, is permitted by the Building and Development Services Division. The §37.06 fee schedule sets the temporary use permit fee at $125.00. The SLDC defines which temporary uses need this permit; contact Building and Development Services at 505-986-6225 to confirm whether a particular activity does. The figure is from the fee schedule in Santa Fe County Code §37.06, adopted by Ordinance 2016-8 (adopted December 13, 2016, recorded December 14, 2016, effective 30 days after recording) and carried unchanged in the codified text current through Ord. No. 2026-07. Under §37.08, fees are due at the time of application and are not refundable; under §37.05, a permit not picked up within thirty days of approval is void and needs a new application and fee.

Swimming Pool Development Review (conditional: installing a pool)

A fitness studio or other business in the unincorporated county that installs a swimming pool needs county development approval: the Building and Development Services FAQ lists among the development permit triggers "Swimming pool" "To authorize installation of a swimming pool pursuant to Chapter 7 of the SLDC". The §37.06 fee schedule sets $545.00 for a swimming pool, printed as its own row in Ordinance 2016-8. A studio that installs no pool has no pool review. The figure is from the fee schedule in Santa Fe County Code §37.06, adopted by Ordinance 2016-8 (adopted December 13, 2016, recorded December 14, 2016, effective 30 days after recording) and carried unchanged in the codified text current through Ord. No. 2026-07. Under §37.08, fees are due at the time of application and are not refundable; under §37.05, a permit not picked up within thirty days of approval is void and needs a new application and fee.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Santa Fe County
Phone
505-986-6225

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. Building and Development Services FAQSanta Fe County Growth Management Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  2. Commercial Business License pageSanta Fe County Growth Management Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  3. Home Occupation pageSanta Fe County Growth Management Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  4. Ordinance No. 2016-8 (SLDC fee schedule, Exhibit A)Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  5. Santa Fe County Code §37.06 Fee schedule (Sustainable Land Development Code fees)Santa Fe County, New Mexico (eCode360) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12

Other offices serving Santa Fe County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

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