16 permits · verified 2026-10-12
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in San Juan County Nm?
In short
A restaurant in San Juan County Nm, NM has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 12 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. 10 of the 16 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 San Juan County Nm
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Liquor License (unincorporated San Juan County)only if it applies to you | San Juan County Clerk | The amount is the county liquor license tax fixed by the Board of County Commissioners' resolution under NMSA 1978 §7-24-2; contact the San Juan County Clerk for the current amount. | set by the county resolution imposing the tax (NMSA 1978 §§7-24-2, 7-24-4); contact the County Clerk | 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 San Juan County Nm
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Business Registration (unincorporated San Juan County) | San Juan County Community Development Department | Varies — formula on the San Juan County Nm page | 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 you | San Juan County Community Development Department | Varies — formula on the San Juan County Nm page | per project | 2026-10-12 |
| Fire Inspection (business registration and annual life fire safety inspection)only if it applies to you | San Juan County Fire & Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office | Varies — formula on the San Juan County Nm page | annual (the schedule marks the inspection and administration fees as recurring on an annual basis) | 2026-10-12 |
| Fire Department Plan Review (construction, fire protection systems, commercial cooking hoods)only if it applies to you | San Juan County Fire & Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office | Varies — formula on the San Juan County Nm page | one-time, per plan review | 2026-10-12 |
| Building Permit and Building Plan Review (commercial construction and alterations)only if it applies to you | San Juan County Community Development, Building Division | Varies — formula on the San Juan County Nm page | expires one year from issuance; may be extended one year by renewing before expiration for half the original permit fee | 2026-10-12 |
| Electrical Permitonly if it applies to you | San Juan County Community Development, Building Division | Varies — formula on the San Juan County Nm page | per permit | 2026-10-12 |
| Plumbing and Gas Piping Permitonly if it applies to you | San Juan County Community Development, Building Division | Varies — formula on the San Juan County Nm page | per permit | 2026-10-12 |
| Mechanical Permit (heating, cooling, gas piping, Type I hoods)only if it applies to you | San Juan County Community Development, Building Division | Varies — formula on the San Juan County Nm 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 San Juan County Nm?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 16 records listed for a restaurant in San Juan County Nm, NM, 4 apply to every business of this type and 12 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 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $200.00. That is a floor, not a total. 10 of the 16 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:
County Liquor License (unincorporated San Juan County): The amount is the county liquor license tax fixed by the Board of County Commissioners' resolution under NMSA 1978 §7-24-2; contact the San Juan County Clerk for the current amount.
The other 9 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the San Juan County Nm permits page and the NM state page.
Which offices issue these permits in San Juan County Nm?
Permits for a restaurant in San Juan County Nm, NM come from 7 separate offices: San Juan County Community Development Department, San Juan County Clerk, San Juan County Fire & Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office, San Juan County Community Development, Building Division, 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.
- San Juan County Community Development DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: County Business Registration (unincorporated San Juan County), Floodplain Use Permit (conditional: development in a mapped floodplain)209 S. Oliver Dr., Aztec, NM 87410 · 505-334-4550www.sjcounty.net/government/community-development
- San Juan County ClerkIssues 1 permit on this page: County Liquor License (unincorporated San Juan County)www.sjcounty.net/government/county-clerk/liquor-license
- San Juan County Fire & Rescue, Fire Marshal's OfficeIssues 2 permits on this page: Fire Inspection (business registration and annual life fire safety inspection), Fire Department Plan Review (construction, fire protection systems, commercial cooking hoods)209 South Oliver Drive, Aztec, NM 87410 · 505-334-1180www.sjcounty.net/government/fire-rescue/about-us/fire-marshal-s-office
- San Juan County Community Development, Building DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Building Permit and Building Plan Review (commercial construction and alterations), Electrical Permit, Plumbing and Gas Piping Permit, Mechanical Permit (heating, cooling, gas piping, Type I hoods)505-334-4313www.sjcounty.net/government/community-development/building-department
- 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 San Juan County Nm that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in San Juan County Nm
- County Liquor License (unincorporated San Juan County) — San Juan County Clerk, The amount is the county liquor license tax fixed by the Board of County Commissioners' resolution under NMSA 1978 §7-24-2; contact the San Juan County Clerk for the current amount., set by the county resolution imposing the tax (NMSA 1978 §§7-24-2, 7-24-4); contact the County Clerk. Also required for retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores 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 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in San Juan County Nm, NM; what each one involves is set out on the San Juan County Nm 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 San Juan County Nm?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A restaurant also needs County Liquor License (unincorporated San Juan County). 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 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Sources
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 San Juan County Nm permits page and the NM state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.