Lincoln County, New Mexico Building Permit Guide

Lincoln County does not issue building permits, but it controls the first step. For any project in the unincorporated county, the Planning Department at 109 Kansas City Road in Ruidoso (575-258-1232) reviews a one-page Approval to Construct form and a site plan, and the Planning Department and the County Floodplain Manager both sign it. That signed form then goes with the building permit application to the issuing agency, the state Construction Industries Division (CID). Inside the Village of Ruidoso, the Village’s own inspectors issue the permits.

What the county reviews

The Approval to Construct form is headed “for issuance of building permits in the unincorporated areas of Lincoln County” and has three project classes: new construction, addition and remodel. Each project is reviewed and approved by the county before the building permit is issued.

Who issues building permits in each part of the county

Five municipalities sit inside Lincoln County, and they do not all work the same way.

• Unincorporated Lincoln County: CID issues the building permit after the county’s Approval to Construct.
• Ruidoso (population 7,580): the Village says its inspectors issue permits for all residential and commercial structures and must inspect all construction projects. It publishes its own building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permit applications, and completed applications, plans and forms are emailed to CommunityDev@ruidoso-nm.gov. Community Development is on 575-258-6999 and Village Hall is at 313 Cree Meadows Drive. Under Executive Order 2024-01 the Village waives permit and installation fees for rebuilding properties destroyed in the South Fork and Salt fires and the floods that followed.
• Ruidoso Downs (population 2,588): all construction permits are issued through CID. Builders first get sign-off from the City’s Planning & Zoning Department, and receive a city permit after the state permit. The City states that it no longer has building inspectors. City Hall, 123 Downs Drive, 575-378-1342 ext. 1050.
• Capitan (population 1,402): the Village code requires two permits for a new residential or commercial structure or a manufactured home, one from the Village of Capitan and one from CID. The Village permit costs $25, and the construction plans then go to the planning advisory board, which meets as needed on the first Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m., and the board of trustees. Village Hall, 114 Lincoln Avenue, 575-354-2247, is open Monday to Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Carrizozo (population 959): the Town states that it issues no building permits and has no building inspector, and that CID requires the Town’s zoning approval before it will issue a permit. The local step is a notarised Planning and Zoning Application with a $50 fee, in a site-built, a manufactured home or an accessory version (accessory dwellings, sheds, decks, carports and fences). The Board of Trustees decides it at its meeting on the second Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m., and the papers are due with the Town Clerk by noon on the Monday one week before. Proof of approval can be collected 3 days after the meeting and goes to CID; the CID permit then comes back to Town Hall, because no utilities are connected without it. Town Hall, 575-648-2371, Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Corona (population 128): the Village publishes no building or zoning permit process of its own, so the permit there is the state one from CID. Village Hall is on 575-849-5511.

The Approval to Construct form and other county applications

The form asks for the property’s owner number and GeoNumber, subdivision, lot and block or section, township and range, the main road the driveway leaves, the legal description, the owner and the applicant, who may be a licensed contractor or agent. A box confirms that the driveway permit has been obtained. Send it with the site plan to the Planning Department by post, in person or by email.

On the second page the county records the result: signatures from the Planning Department and the County Floodplain Manager, the new 9-1-1 address, the flood zone and panel number, and whether a Floodplain Development Permit is or is not required. The same form is used for an Approval Renewal.

Other applications on the county site:

• Rural Addressing–Planning Approval to Construct/Address Application, the combined address request.
• Claim of Exemption for exempt land divisions.
• Application for Permit for Construction or Alteration of Billboard.
• Manufactured home application and permit under Ordinance 2007-01.

Fees

The Approval to Construct form states no county fee. The county’s own charges are for addressing; Capitan and Carrizozo charge for their local step, Ruidoso charges for the permits it issues, and elsewhere the building permit fee is CID’s.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

In the unincorporated county, Ruidoso Downs, Capitan, Carrizozo and Corona, trade permits are applied for through CID’s online portal, the same place as the building permit. Ruidoso Downs tells callers with inspection or permitting questions to contact CID, and gives the division’s Albuquerque office (505-222-9800) for building code questions. In Ruidoso the electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are Village permits, applied for on the Village’s own forms. Carrizozo reminds applicants that in most cases this work has to be permitted and done by a New Mexico licensed contractor.

What to submit

For a manufactured home, the county ordinance adds a certificate from the Assessor’s Office showing no outstanding tax on the home, and sign-off from the Planning, Treasurer, Assessor and Rural Addressing departments, before a permit to move the home or connect utilities is issued.

How to apply in Lincoln County

Inspections

Whoever issues the building permit inspects it. CID inspections are booked through the division’s inspection request page, quoting the permit number, and Ruidoso Downs sends its inspection callers to CID as well. Village of Ruidoso inspectors inspect all residential and commercial construction inside the village, and the Village warns that unpermitted work can hold up a later sale because lenders ask for proof of inspections.

The county does not inspect buildings. Its role ends with the Approval to Construct, any floodplain permit and the address.

Local conditions in Lincoln County

Time limits on the county approval: an Approval to Construct becomes void if construction does not begin within 6 months of the approval date, if work halts for more than a year, or if construction is not completed within a year of approval. A renewal uses the same form.

Flood maps: the county’s form cites a Flood Insurance Rate Map dated November 16, 2011, and notes that parts of the county have never been mapped, so a property there could still be in a flood zone. In Ruidoso Downs every new building or substantial repair must apply for a Flood Plain Development Permit so the City can check the flood zone.

Flood-damaged property in Ruidoso: the Village publishes rebuilding guidance for flood-damaged sites, where elevation, engineering documents and a floodplain permit may be required.

Wildfire: the county describes much of its forested land as a wildland urban interface and recommends defensible space and fire-resistant materials. A state and county cost-share programme reimburses owners who thin their land, through the State Forestry office in Capitan (575-354-2231).

Building in Carrizozo: the Town sets a minimum dwelling size of 840 sq ft. Water during construction needs Town Council approval, first for 45 days, with the hookup paid in full and proof that the state permit is issued or in process; a 3/4-inch water tap is $1,000.

Address signs: county placards and private-road street signs are supplied at cost by the Road Department.

Septic systems: liquid waste permits come from the New Mexico Environment Department; its Ruidoso field office is at 1216 E Mechem, Building 2 (575-258-3272).

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 Lincoln County

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

• Lincoln County Planning Department
• Lincoln County Approval to Construct form (PDF)
• Lincoln County Rural Addressing
• Lincoln County ordinances (floodplain, subdivision, manufactured homes)
• Lincoln County wildland urban interface information
• Village of Ruidoso Planning & Zoning and building permits
• Village of Ruidoso permit applications, fees chart and construction codes
• City of Ruidoso Downs Planning and Zoning
• Village of Capitan Code, Chapter 90: buildings
• Town of Carrizozo forms: Planning and Zoning Applications
• Town of Carrizozo: Information on Building in Carrizozo (PDF)
• New Mexico CID: apply for a permit
• New Mexico CID inspection requests
• New Mexico Environment Department liquid waste field offices
• 14.6.5.9 NMAC: the state rule on building officials and local jurisdictions

Frequently asked questions — Lincoln County

Does Lincoln County issue building permits?

No. The county issues an Approval to Construct, signed by the Planning Department and the Floodplain Manager, and the building permit is then issued by the state Construction Industries Division.

Who issues building permits in Ruidoso?

The Village of Ruidoso. Its inspectors issue permits for all residential and commercial structures, and applications are emailed to Community Development (575-258-6999) on the Village’s own forms.

And in Ruidoso Downs, Capitan or Carrizozo?

CID issues the building permit in all three, after a local step. Ruidoso Downs requires Planning & Zoning sign-off first and issues a city permit afterwards; Capitan requires its own $25 Village building permit as well; Carrizozo requires a notarised $50 Planning and Zoning Application approved by its Board of Trustees.

Do I need approval for a shed or fence in Carrizozo?

Yes. The Town’s accessory Planning and Zoning Application covers accessory dwellings, sheds, decks, carports and fences, with the same $50 fee and Board of Trustees meeting.

How long is the county approval good for?

Construction must begin within 6 months and be completed within a year of the approval, and a halt of more than a year also voids it.

Do I need a driveway permit?

Yes, if the driveway comes off a county-maintained road. The county will not issue an address until the County Road Driveway Permit is in place.

Where do I send the Approval to Construct form?

To the Lincoln County Planning Department, 109 Kansas City Road, Ruidoso, NM 88345, or by email to the planning office; phone 575-258-1232.

Simplify Lincoln 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 Lincoln County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.