Colfax County, New Mexico Building Permit Guide

Colfax County government lists 10 departments and none of them is a building or planning office. Construction in the unincorporated county is therefore permitted and inspected by the state Construction Industries Division (CID), and the county’s role is limited to E-911 addressing ($25 for a new address), driveway and encroachment permits on county roads, its Subdivision of Land Ordinance and its flood damage prevention ordinance. Raton, Angel Fire, Eagle Nest and Cimarron each add a local permit of their own before the state one, set out below.

What needs approval in Colfax County?

The county has no zoning in the unincorporated area. Its 2015 comprehensive plan records subdivision regulations and a 3-mile extraterritorial zone around Raton as the land-use controls in place, and the county’s ordinance list still carries the Raton–Colfax County Extraterritorial Zoning Ordinance.

Who issues building permits in each town

• Unincorporated Colfax County: CID issues building and trade permits. The county assigns the address and controls road access.
• Angel Fire (population 1,170): two permits are needed, one from the Village and one from CID. The Village’s Planning & Zoning office signs the CID form and checks the floodplain; the State carries out all building inspections in the village. Village Hall, 3388 Mountain View Boulevard, 575-377-3232 ext. 107.
• Raton (population 5,952): two permits. The City’s Planning and Zoning Department issues a zoning permit ($35), required before any building is erected, moved or structurally altered, and has a separate zoning permit application for the extraterritorial zone. The building permit is a New Mexico State building permit: the City’s Zoning Permit FAQs say builders may need one in addition to the zoning permit, and that Planning and Zoning at City Hall hands out the state contact and permitting information. City Hall, 224 Savage Avenue, 575-445-9551; the department answers application questions on 575-707-0804.
• Eagle Nest (population 321): two permits. A Village building permit is mandatory before construction under Ordinance 1983-10, and the Village states that it is not a state building permit, which must still be obtained from CID. The application has to be in 10 days before the Planning and Zoning Commission meets (second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m., and the fourth Tuesday as well from May to September); the commission is advisory, and the Village Council gives final approval at its next regular meeting. Village Hall, 151 Willow Creek Drive, 575-377-2486.
• Cimarron (population 784): the Village’s Municipal Code requires plans and specifications to be filed with the clerk-administrator, with a fee, before any structure is built, altered, moved or repaired; the mayor and council consider them at their next regular meeting and issue the permit. The Village posts no application form and lists no building official among its departments, so the construction permit is CID’s. Village office, 356 E 9th Street, 575-376-2232, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Springer (population 922) and Maxwell (population 220): neither publishes a building or zoning permit process, so the permit there is the state one from CID. Springer Town Hall is on 575-483-2682 and Maxwell Village Hall on 575-375-2752.

Applications to expect

County E-911 address. Download the E-911 Address Verification or Request form, then mail it with payment to Colfax County, Attn: E-911, or email it and pay online. A new address is $25 and a verification is $10 under Ordinance 2021-01. Addresses in rural areas are distance-based, and the county will change one that was not obtained through its E-911 office.

County road forms. The Road Department publishes the Driveway Permit, Encroachment Permit, Culvert Application and Cattleguard Application for work on county-maintained rights-of-way.

State building permit. CID takes plan review and building permit applications, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, through its online portal.

Angel Fire. The Village’s new-residential checklist asks for the Village permit packet with the water and sewer meter application, a complete site plan, a copy of the deed, the completed CID form, a physical address request and an encroachment permit for the driveway and culvert. Lots in the Angel Fire Resort subdivisions need the resort’s Environmental Architectural Control Committee approval first (575-377-1135).

Raton. The zoning permit application needs a scaled diagram showing lot and setback dimensions, existing structures, proposed construction and anything to be demolished.

Eagle Nest. The Village’s Building Permit Application packet holds its Planning and Zoning Permit Application Form, a checklist, a site inspection authorization, an encroachment permit application and CID’s Multi-Purpose State Building Application for the state permit. It asks for a site plan at 1 inch = 20 feet and construction plans at 1/4 inch = 1 foot with 4 exterior elevations.

Fees

The Angel Fire figures are from the Village’s 2025 Fee Schedule and the Eagle Nest figures from Resolution 2013-25, the schedule in the Village’s posted packet. All of them are local charges only; the CID permit fee is separate.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

These are CID permits throughout the county. Angel Fire states that the State administers the building codes for all construction in the village, and none of the six municipalities publishes a trade permit of its own.

Paperwork to gather

How to proceed

Inspections

CID inspects building and trade work in the unincorporated county. Angel Fire says the State conducts all building inspections inside the village as well, and gives CID’s number as 505-476-4700; owners in the resort’s subdivisions may also have to coordinate with the Environmental Architectural Control Committee. In Raton the zoning office checks work against the zoning permit, and construction inspections belong to the state permit. Eagle Nest asks applicants to sign a site inspection authorization with the Village application.

Local details

Start work only after approval in Angel Fire: the Village warns that fines apply if site clearing or construction begins before it has approved the required permits. A Village permit expires 1 year after the payment date, and structures are limited to 36 feet from the point of grade.

Raton time limits: a zoning permit expires if the work has not begun within 2 years of issue or is not substantially complete within 3 years.

County roads: the Road Department maintains about 563 miles of road, of which 8.7 miles are paved, so most rural access is by gravel or dirt road.

Eagle Nest time limits and exemptions: a Village permit is void if work has not started within 180 days of issue, with one extension of up to 180 days, and construction must be finished within 1 year. Ordinance 1983-10 exempts, among other things, one-story detached sheds and playhouses with a roof area of 120 sq ft or less, fences not over 6 feet that do not block sunlight, and interior remodeling that does not change the occupancy.

Cimarron time limits: the Municipal Code gives a permit holder 30 days to start and 6 months from the date of issue to finish, unless the mayor and council grant an extension for hardship.

Addressing inside the towns: the county sends address questions within Raton to the City (City Hall is on 575-445-9551) and within Angel Fire to Village Hall (575-377-3232).

Septic systems: liquid waste permits are issued by the New Mexico Environment Department through its Raton field office.

New Mexico building code

New Mexico adopts its building codes statewide; a city or county with its own certified building official issues its own permits, and elsewhere the state Construction Industries Division does. New Mexico rules

Official resources for Colfax County

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Colfax County
• Colfax County E-911 rural addressing and subdivision forms
• Colfax County Road Department permits
• Colfax County ordinances
• Colfax County 2015 Comprehensive Plan
• Village of Angel Fire building permits
• Village of Angel Fire 2025 Fee Schedule (PDF)
• City of Raton Planning & Zoning
• City of Raton Zoning Permit FAQs
• Village of Eagle Nest Planning and Zoning
• Village of Eagle Nest Building Permit Application packet (PDF)
• Cimarron Municipal Code
• New Mexico CID: apply for a permit
• New Mexico CID frequently asked questions
• New Mexico CID inspection requests
• New Mexico Environment Department liquid waste field offices

Frequently asked questions — Colfax County

Does Colfax County issue building permits?

No. The county has no building department, and construction in the unincorporated county is permitted by the state Construction Industries Division.

Does Colfax County have zoning?

Not in the unincorporated area. The county has subdivision regulations and an extraterritorial zone around Raton.

What do I need to build in Angel Fire?

A Village of Angel Fire permit and a state CID permit. The Village fee for a single-family home is $1,000 on its 2025 schedule, and the State does the inspections.

What do I need in Raton?

A $35 zoning permit from the City’s Planning and Zoning Department, with a scaled site diagram, and for the construction itself a New Mexico State building permit; the zoning office at City Hall gives out the state permit information.

Does Eagle Nest issue its own building permit?

Yes, and it is mandatory, but it does not replace the state permit. The Village permit costs $75 for a house under 1,000 sq ft and $100 at 1,000 sq ft plus $10 for each additional 100 sq ft, and the Village Council approves it after the Planning and Zoning Commission has reviewed it.

What does Cimarron require?

Plans and specifications filed with the Village clerk-administrator for approval by the mayor and council, with a fee of $5 to $15 set by construction cost, and the state CID permit for the construction itself.

How do I get an address for rural land?

From the county’s E-911 office in Raton, 575-445-2314 ext. 7857. A new address costs $25.

Who issues septic permits?

The New Mexico Environment Department; its Raton field office is on 575-445-3621.

Simplify Colfax County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in New Mexico. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Colfax County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.