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10 permits · verified 2026-10-12

What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Bernalillo County?

In short

A auto repair shop in Bernalillo County, NM has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection charges $45 per permit, valid for one year ("Scrap tire fee is $45.00", county Scrap Tire Generator Permit Application) for the scrap tire generator permit. 4 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-12 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a auto repair shop in Bernalillo County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Scrap Tire Generator Permitonly if it applies to youBernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection$45 per permit, valid for one year ("Scrap tire fee is $45.00", county Scrap Tire Generator Permit Application)one year once approved2026-10-12
Automotive Repair Shop — MVD Dealer Licensing Covers Vehicle Sales Only (New Mexico)only if it applies to youNew Mexico Taxation and Revenue DepartmentNo feenot applicable2026-10-09

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

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Bernalillo County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Fire Safety Permit and Annual Fire and Life Safety Inspectiononly if it applies to youBernalillo County Fire Department, Fire Prevention BureauVaries — formula on the Bernalillo County pageone year from date of issuance, unless revoked by the Fire Code Official2026-10-12
County Business Registration (Business License): commercial, home occupation and out-of-countyBernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Bernalillo County pageone calendar year from the time of application (County Code § 14-36)2026-10-12
Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing and Sign Permits (unincorporated area)only if it applies to youBernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Bernalillo County pageper 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.

NM registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youNew Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionVaries — formula on the NM pageperpetual, but a biennial report is due every two years2026-10-09
General Business License — State of New Mexico positiononly if it applies to youNew Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feenot applicable2026-10-09
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youNew Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division$50 one-time filingperpetual — the LLC fee section lists no annual or biennial report2026-10-09
Corporate Biennial Reportonly if it applies to youNew Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division$25 every two years; filing late adds a $200 penaltybiennial — due on or before the 15th day of the fourth month after the close of the tax year2026-10-09
Gross Receipts Tax RegistrationNew Mexico Taxation and Revenue DepartmentNo feenot stated as expiring2026-10-09

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

How much does it actually cost to permit a auto repair shop in Bernalillo County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a auto repair shop in Bernalillo County, NM, 2 apply to every business of this type and 8 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

4 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all.

The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Bernalillo County permits page and the NM state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Bernalillo County?

Permits for a auto repair shop in Bernalillo County, NM come from 5 separate offices: Bernalillo County Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau, Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection, Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center, New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division, New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a auto repair shop need in Bernalillo County that other businesses do not?

2 of the 2 permits particular to a auto repair shop here apply to no other business type we cover in Bernalillo County: Scrap Tire Generator Permit and Automotive Repair Shop — MVD Dealer Licensing Covers Vehicle Sales Only (New Mexico).

Scrap Tire Generator Permit

Ordinance 2022-8 defines a scrap tire generator to include retail tire dealers, retreaders, automobile dealers, automobile salvage yards, private company vehicle maintenance shops, automotive repair garages, service stations and motorcycle or ATV retail or repair shops, but not households or beneficial agricultural operations. Section 14-503 states that no scrap tire generator "shall be allowed to operate a business within the unincorporated portion of Bernalillo County" unless it has an operational scrap tire cutter on the premises, a valid written agreement with a scrap tire hauler, or qualifies as a self-hauler; storage must not harbour disease vectors or pose a fire risk. Section 14-504 has the county issue a non-transferable scrap tire generator permit to any applicant meeting the ordinance, and the permit runs for one year. Section 14-507 states: "The County will establish an annual permit fee schedule by resolution." That resolution is not published online; the county's current Scrap Tire Generator Permit Application, linked from its Managing Used and Scrap Tires page, states "Scrap tire fee is $45.00" and that "Scrap tire permits are valid for one year once approved". Changes to the application must be reported within ten calendar days. Contact: Health Protection, (505) 314-0310.

Automotive Repair Shop — MVD Dealer Licensing Covers Vehicle Sales Only (New Mexico)

No fee is recorded. The Motor Vehicle Division's Chapter 12 manual, 'Businesses that Must be Licensed by the Division', lists dealers, wholesalers and distributors of vehicles, title service companies and auto recyclers (vehicle dismantlers) under sections 66-4-1(A) and 66-4-1.1(A); vehicle repair is not among the listed license categories. It defines a dealer as any person who 'sells or solicits or advertises the sale of' new or used motor vehicles. A repair shop that also buys and sells vehicles, or dismantles vehicles to resell parts, falls into those MVD license categories.

The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Bernalillo County, NM; what each one involves is set out on the Bernalillo County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NM and are covered on the NM state page.

How does a auto repair shop compare with other businesses in Bernalillo County?

The closest match is a childcare centre, which shares 0 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Scrap Tire Generator Permit and Automotive Repair Shop — MVD Dealer Licensing Covers Vehicle Sales Only (New Mexico). A childcare centre needs Food Establishment Permit (fixed establishments, mobile units and pushcarts) and Child Care License, which a auto repair shop does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Bernalillo County, NM, compared with a auto repair shop
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a auto repair shopOnly a auto repair shop needsOnly it needs
Childcare centres2022
Coffee shops4024
Contractors and trades1021
Fitness studios2022
Food trucks4024
Restaurants5025
Retail stores2022
Salons and barbers2022
Veterinary clinics1021

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Bernalillo County permits page and the NM state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Scrap Tire Generator Permit ApplicationBernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  2. Ordinance No. 2022-8 (Scrap Tire Generators, County Code Chapter 14, Article X)Bernalillo County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  3. Managing Used and Scrap Tires pageBernalillo County Planning & Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  4. New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division — dealer licensing chapterNew Mexico Motor Vehicle Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04

Related

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