13 permits · verified 2026-10-12
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Bernalillo County?
In short
A restaurant in Bernalillo County, NM has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. New Mexico Environment Department, Food Program charges $200 a year; a temporary food establishment is $25 per event for the food establishment permit. 7 of the 13 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 restaurant in Bernalillo County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquor License: Board of County Commissioners' preliminary approval of a state licenseonly if it applies to you | Bernalillo County Board of County Commissioners | No county fee for this approval is published in County Code § 14-61, which is the definitions section of Chapter 14, Article III (Alcoholic Beverages); the state license fees are set by the State of New Mexico. | per state license application subject to the county's preliminary approval | 2026-10-12 |
| Food Establishment Permit (fixed establishments, mobile units and pushcarts) | Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection | New food service establishment (restaurant, caterer, convenience store, etc.) $200.00. Renewal: 0.3% (3/10 of 1%) of the previous calendar year's gross receipts, minimum $200.00, maximum $700.00 (example: $75,000 x 0.003 = $225.00). Secondary retail within a permitted facility $200.00; bars/taverns $100.00; mobile unit, self-contained $120.00; mobile unit (non-self-contained) or pushcart $75.00; raw produce or raw seafood vending stand, seasonal non-profit, limited menu snack bar $50.00; institutional kitchen, limited menu $120.00; variance application $50.00 (county Food Establishment Permit Application, effective as of 2023). | annual; renewed by invoice statement after the renewal fee is paid and the most recent inspection shows compliance (Food Code 8-303.20 as amended) | 2026-10-12 |
| Temporary Food Event (TFE) Permitonly if it applies to you | Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection | No fee amount is stated on the county's current Temporary Food Event (TFE) Application; contact Health Protection at (505) 314-0310 or HealthProtection@bernco.gov for the current amount. | per event | 2026-10-12 |
| Food Establishment Permit | New Mexico Environment Department, Food Program | $200 a year; a temporary food establishment is $25 per event | annual, expiring the last day of the anniversary month of original issuance | 2026-10-09 |
| Food Handler Card | New Mexico Environment Department, Food Program | No fee | 3 years | 2026-10-09 |
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
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Safety Permit and Annual Fire and Life Safety Inspectiononly if it applies to you | Bernalillo County Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau | Varies — formula on the Bernalillo County page | one year from date of issuance, unless revoked by the Fire Code Official | 2026-10-12 |
| County Business Registration (Business License): commercial, home occupation and out-of-county | Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center | Varies — formula on the Bernalillo County page | one 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 you | Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center | Varies — formula on the Bernalillo County page | per permit | 2026-10-12 |
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
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division | Varies — formula on the NM page | perpetual, but a biennial report is due every two years | 2026-10-09 |
| General Business License — State of New Mexico positiononly if it applies to you | New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-10-09 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $50 one-time filing | perpetual — the LLC fee section lists no annual or biennial report | 2026-10-09 |
| Corporate Biennial Reportonly if it applies to you | New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $25 every two years; filing late adds a $200 penalty | biennial — due on or before the 15th day of the fourth month after the close of the tax year | 2026-10-09 |
| Gross Receipts Tax Registration | New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department | No fee | not stated as expiring | 2026-10-09 |
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 restaurant in Bernalillo County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a restaurant in Bernalillo County, NM, 5 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.
Of the 5 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $200.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Liquor License: Board of County Commissioners' preliminary approval of a state license: No county fee for this approval is published in County Code § 14-61, which is the definitions section of Chapter 14, Article III (Alcoholic Beverages); the state license fees are set by the State of New Mexico.
Food Establishment Permit (fixed establishments, mobile units and pushcarts): New food service establishment (restaurant, caterer, convenience store, etc.) $200.00. Renewal: 0.3% (3/10 of 1%) of the previous calendar year's gross receipts, minimum $200.00, maximum $700.00 (example: $75,000 x 0.003 = $225.00). Secondary retail within a permitted facility $200.00; bars/taverns $100.00; mobile unit, self-contained $120.00; mobile unit (non-self-contained) or pushcart $75.00; raw produce or raw seafood vending stand, seasonal non-profit, limited menu snack bar $50.00; institutional kitchen, limited menu $120.00; variance application $50.00 (county Food Establishment Permit Application, effective as of 2023).
Temporary Food Event (TFE) Permit: No fee amount is stated on the county's current Temporary Food Event (TFE) Application; contact Health Protection at (505) 314-0310 or HealthProtection@bernco.gov for the current amount.
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 restaurant in Bernalillo County, NM come from 7 separate offices: Bernalillo County Board of County Commissioners, Bernalillo County Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau, Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting Center, Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection, New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division, New Mexico Environment Department, Food Program, 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.
- Bernalillo County Board of County CommissionersIssues 1 permit on this page: Liquor License: Board of County Commissioners' preliminary approval of a state licenselibrary.municode.com/nm/bernalillo_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=BECOCO_CH14BU_ARTIIIALBE
- Bernalillo County Fire Department, Fire Prevention BureauIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Safety Permit and Annual Fire and Life Safety Inspection6840 Second St. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107www.bernco.gov/planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/58/2026/08/03-ZCBL-2026.pdf
- Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Permitting CenterIssues 2 permits on this page: County Business Registration (Business License): commercial, home occupation and out-of-county, Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing and Sign Permits (unincorporated area)415 Silver Ave. SW, 2nd Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87102 · (505) 314-0350www.bernco.gov/planning/for-business-owners/business-license-registration
- Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health ProtectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment Permit (fixed establishments, mobile units and pushcarts), Temporary Food Event (TFE) Permit415 Silver Ave. SW, 2nd Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87102 · (505) 314-0310www.bernco.gov/planning/consumer-health-protection/food-safety
- New Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — State of New Mexico position, Articles of Organization (LLC), Corporate Biennial Report325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM 87501 · (505) 827-3600www.sos.nm.gov/business-services
- New Mexico Environment Department, Food ProgramIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment Permit, Food Handler Card(505) 827-2855www.env.nm.gov/foodprogram
- New Mexico Taxation and Revenue DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Gross Receipts Tax Registration1200 South St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87505 · 1-866-285-2996www.tax.newmexico.gov
What does a restaurant need in Bernalillo County that other businesses do not?
Temporary Food Event (TFE) Permit
A vendor selling, preparing or sampling food or drink at a temporary event in the area served by the county's Health Protection team files the county's Temporary Food Event (TFE) Application. The application states: "Application is due no later than 14 days prior to the event!" It asks for the event name, location and set-up time, the operator and on-site person in charge, whether the event is indoor or outdoor, the facility type (booth, mobile unit, permanent building or food cart), and every menu item with whether it is prepackaged, prepared on site or prepared elsewhere; it notes that any TCS foods are prohibited from being prepared at home, that inspections will be conducted after the event set-up time, and that a mobile unit or food truck must include a copy of its current food permit. Applications go to Bernalillo County Health Protection, 415 Silver Ave. SW, 2nd floor, Albuquerque, (505) 314-0310, HealthProtection@bernco.gov.
Shared with other businesses in Bernalillo County
- Liquor License: Board of County Commissioners' preliminary approval of a state license — Bernalillo County Board of County Commissioners, No county fee for this approval is published in County Code § 14-61, which is the definitions section of Chapter 14, Article III (Alcoholic Beverages); the state license fees are set by the State of New Mexico., per state license application subject to the county's preliminary approval. Also required for retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Food Establishment Permit (fixed establishments, mobile units and pushcarts) — Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection, New food service establishment (restaurant, caterer, convenience store, etc.) $200.00. Renewal: 0.3% (3/10 of 1%) of the previous calendar year's gross receipts, minimum $200.00, maximum $700.00 (example: $75,000 x 0.003 = $225.00). Secondary retail within a permitted facility $200.00; bars/taverns $100.00; mobile unit, self-contained $120.00; mobile unit (non-self-contained) or pushcart $75.00; raw produce or raw seafood vending stand, seasonal non-profit, limited menu snack bar $50.00; institutional kitchen, limited menu $120.00; variance application $50.00 (county Food Establishment Permit Application, effective as of 2023)., annual; renewed by invoice statement after the renewal fee is paid and the most recent inspection shows compliance (Food Code 8-303.20 as amended). Also required for coffee shops, food trucks, retail stores and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Establishment Permit — New Mexico Environment Department, Food Program, $200 a year; a temporary food establishment is $25 per event, annual, expiring the last day of the anniversary month of original issuance. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Handler Card — New Mexico Environment Department, Food Program, No fee, 3 years. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
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 restaurant compare with other businesses in Bernalillo County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Liquor License: Board of County Commissioners' preliminary approval of a state license. A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the retail stores page and coffee shops page. 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.
- Temporary Food Event (TFE) ApplicationBernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Food Safety pageBernalillo County Planning & Development Services, Health Protection · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Code of Ordinances, Chapter 42, Article IV, Division 5: Food Service Sanitation (Food Code, as amended by Ord. 2023-23)Bernalillo County, New Mexico (via Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.