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San Juan County

San Juan County Community Development Department

In short

San Juan County Community Development Department issues 2 permits we publish for San Juan 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 (unincorporated San Juan County)San Juan County Community Development DepartmentOrdinance 95 §6(4): "No registration fee shall be charged." A $10 late fee is imposed when a business does not register before it commences business or does not renew before March 1 (§10).annual; renew before March 1 each year (§9); a new business files within 30 days after it commences business (§7)2026-10-12
Floodplain Use Permit (conditional: development in a mapped floodplain)only if it applies to youSan Juan County Community Development DepartmentThe county's Floodplain Management page lists Floodplain Permits among the services that "San Juan County Floodplain Management provides the following free services".per 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

County Business Registration (unincorporated San Juan County)

Ordinance 95, as restated and adopted by the San Juan County Commission on July 23, 2024 (recorded July 24, 2024), applies in the unincorporated areas of the county and excludes Indian reservation land beyond county jurisdiction (§4). Under §6(1) it is unlawful for anyone required by New Mexico law to hold a BTIN to do business within the County without registering, and §7 requires a County Business Registration form for each outlet, branch, location or place of business in the unincorporated areas; a person starting business after March 1 files within thirty days after starting. The ordinance itself sets the charges: §6(4) reads "No registration fee shall be charged." and §10 imposes a $10 late fee on a business that does not register before it commences business or renew before March 1. Renewal is due before March 1 each year for each place of business (§9); a registration is not transferable (§11); and the certificate of registration must be prominently displayed at the place of business (§12). Under §8 each initial application goes to San Juan County Fire & Rescue, which may inspect a business open to the public or with employees on the premises, and no registration is issued until the Fire Department clears the location (see the fire inspection record). §6(4) also states that a business licensed by the county, such as one licensed to sell liquor, needs no separate registration, the county license serving in lieu of it, and §6(5) exempts garage and yard sales of less than 3 consecutive days, vendors at flea markets and farmers markets (but not their operators) and roadside sellers of fruits and vegetables. The county's Business Registration page states that a business located in a municipality, such as a construction company, that offers its services outside that municipality in the county must register, while a beauty salon or retail store in a municipality serving customers only at its own location does not; food trucks and contractors working in the unincorporated county fall in the first group. Registrations and renewals are filed online through the county registration portal; contact Community Development at businessreg@sjcounty.net, 505-334-4550 or 505-333-3129.

Floodplain Use Permit (conditional: development in a mapped floodplain)

Ordinance 58 states: "A Floodplain Use Permit shall be required to ensure conformance with the provisions of this ordinance" and "No structure or land shall hereafter be located, altered, or have its use changed without a Floodplain Use Permit and full compliance with the terms of this ordinance and other applicable regulations." The 2021 amendment (adopted April 6, 2021) names the Community Development Director as Floodplain Administrator. The permit applies to building in, altering or changing the use of land in a special flood hazard area in the unincorporated county; a business building outside a mapped special flood hazard area has no Floodplain Use Permit. On the fee, the county's Floodplain Management page states: "San Juan County Floodplain Management provides the following free services: Floodplain Permits can be obtained by contacting the Floodplain Manager at 505-334-4550 ex: 3". The county's commercial building permit application lists Flood Plain approval among its requirements, and the Community Development page gives (505) 334-4719 for floodplain permits.

Contact

Jurisdiction
San Juan County
Phone
505-334-4550

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. Business RegistrationSan Juan County Community Development, New Mexico · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  2. Commercial building permit applicationSan Juan County Community Development, New Mexico · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  3. Community DevelopmentSan Juan County, New Mexico · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  4. County OrdinancesSan Juan County, New Mexico · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  5. Floodplain ManagementSan Juan County Community Development, New Mexico · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  6. Ordinance No. 58, Flood Damage Prevention (restated July 28, 2015; amended April 6, 2021)San Juan County Board of Commissioners, New Mexico · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  7. Ordinance No. 95, Business Registration (as restated, adopted July 23, 2024)San Juan County Board of Commissioners, New Mexico · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12

Other offices serving San Juan County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

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.