Luna County does not issue building permits: it has no local building inspector, so permits and inspections for the unincorporated county come from the state Construction Industries Division (CID) through its Las Cruces office and online portal. The County Planning Department at 115 S. Cody Road in Deming reviews each application first and gives CID a written zoning and floodplain determination that is good for 1 year. Inside Deming the City adds its own building permit application, and the state permit and CID inspections still apply.
What needs a permit in Luna County?
The County’s Building Code Ordinance (Chapter 150 of the County Code) covers all construction outside the municipalities, residential or commercial, including additions, expansions, repairs, remodels and renovations, and site-built and modular buildings alike. It says the permit is issued by a county building official or a State Building Official; with no county inspector in post, that means CID.
County approvals
- Planning and zoning determination for CID
- Floodplain review, and a floodplain development permit in a flood hazard area
- Manufactured home installation permit
- Driveway permit on a county road
- Rural address and placard
- RV occupancy permit (30 days or 180 days)
- Claim of exemption or subdivision review when land is divided
- Energy generation and wireless facility applications
Exempt under Chapter 150
- One-story detached tool or storage sheds and playhouses up to 120 sq ft
- Fences not over 6 ft high
- Water tanks on grade up to 5,000 gallons
- Sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and counter tops
- Prefabricated pools under 24 inches deep that hold no more than 5,000 gallons and sit entirely above ground
- Swings and playground equipment at a house
Chapter 150 also sets county rules that apply whoever issues the permit: structures sit 25 ft back from the front property line and 5 ft from the side and rear lines, and a lot may hold only one main dwelling.
Who issues permits in Luna County?
Three bodies share the work. CID issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and inspects construction in the unincorporated county. The County Planning Department administers land use, floodplain, subdivision, manufactured housing and RV rules and must approve an application before CID will accept it. Inside the two municipalities:
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →- Deming (population 14,944): two permits. The City has its own Application for Building Permit, with a zoning approval line and a Building Official sign-off, filed with Planning and Zoning at 1275 E. Pine Street, 575-546-8848. The state permit is separate: the City’s forms library posts CID’s Multi-Purpose State Building Application as its building permit application, and the City’s sign form says sign and electrical permits and the footing, foundation and electrical inspections belong to CID (Las Cruces office, 575-524-6320).
- Columbus (population 1,484): the Village publishes no building permit process. Without a local building official the permit falls to CID, and the County’s determination form says a municipality’s own floodplain administrator gives the floodplain approval. Village hall is at 214 Broadway, 575-531-2663.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| County office | Luna County Planning Department |
| Address | 115 S. Cody Road, Deming (mail: PO Drawer 551, Deming, NM 88031) |
| Phone | 575-543-6620 |
| Fax | 575-544-3455 |
| State building permits | CID Las Cruces, 505 South Main Street, Suite 103, 575-524-6320 |
| Septic permits | NM Environment Department, 405 E. Florida Street, Deming, 575-546-1464 |
County forms and the state application
The County posts its own forms on the Planning Department’s Forms & Applications page and sends building permit applicants to CID’s forms and online permitting portal.
- Local Planning & Zoning and Floodplain Determination (the “Floodplain Request” form, updated September 2026). Part A records whether planning and zoning approval is granted or not required; Part B records the same for the floodplain. CID wants it on County letterhead, and it expires 1 year after it is dated.
- Manufactured Home Installation Permit, in English and Spanish.
- RV applications for 30 days and for 180 days.
- Claim of Exemption, for a land division that is exempt from subdivision review.
- Energy Generation Application, read with the County’s Energy Project Policy, for solar projects.
- Utility Easement Vacation application.
Around Deming, the County also applies its zoning regulations for the former extra-territorial zone (Ordinance 87).
Luna County fees
County fees are in the First Amendment to Resolution 26-03, Notice of Fees, adopted on February 19, 2026. They cover the County’s reviews; CID charges its own building permit fee, which it quotes from the project value.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Floodplain review | $25 |
| Floodplain permit | $50 |
| Mobile home installation permit | $100 ($300 violation fee) |
| Certificate of compliance | $150 |
| Variance | $250 each |
| Conditional use permit | $50 to $300 |
| Special use permit | $100 to $500 |
| Permit amendment | 25% of the permit cost |
| Driveway permit application | $100 for residents; $200 for commercial and government applicants |
| Rural addressing, administrative processing | $35 |
| New or replacement address placard | $30 |
| Claim of exemption | $100 |
The manufactured home application shows how the pieces add up: the $100 administrative fee is non-refundable and already includes the $25 floodplain review, $50 more is charged when the site is in a floodplain, and every housing unit installed in the county pays the $35 addressing fee. Where the Floodplain Manager asks for one, an elevation certificate from a registered land surveyor is at the applicant’s cost.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits
Trade permits are state permits here. Chapter 150 requires every electrical, plumbing and gas hookup to be inspected and approved by a CID inspector before a building is occupied, and it bars any water, sewer, electric or gas provider from connecting service to a parcel whose owner does not yet hold a valid building permit.
Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are applied for through CID’s online portal or its Las Cruces office (575-524-6320), and CID’s fees page lists what each costs.
Placing a manufactured home needs a blocking permit from the state Manufactured Housing Division as well as the County’s installation permit. The Division’s Las Cruces office is on 575-270-2433; the County’s form prints the CID office line, 575-524-6320.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What to bring to the Planning Department
Chapter 150 makes approved on-site utilities (water, sewer and electricity) and legal access to the parcel conditions of a building permit, so the County looks for proof of both.
Site-built project
- The applicant or owner name and the E911 address the County has assigned
- A description of the scope of work for the determination form
- Liquid waste permit from the New Mexico Environment Department, or a connection to an approved system
- Domestic well permit from the State Engineer, or a connection to an approved water utility
- Access by public road or a recorded easement
- An elevation certificate when the Floodplain Manager requires it
Manufactured home installation
- Proof of ownership of the home (sales contract or registered title)
- Proof of property ownership (warranty deed or real estate contract)
- Tax release from the Assessor’s Office, except for a new home
- Domestic water well permit
- Liquid waste system permit
- Electric meter pole on site (receipt or contract)
- State Manufactured Housing Division blocking permit
- A site sketch showing the home, well, septic and leach field, electric pole and driveway
Utilities for a manufactured home must be on the site itself and may not be shared, and the applicant agrees to skirt the home within 30 days of placement.
How to apply: 6 steps in Luna County
The County asks landowners, developers and buyers to contact it on 575-543-6620 before starting any development or improvement.
Request a rural address, then obtain the well permit and the liquid waste permit; the Environment Department’s field office is in Deming.
Have the Planning Department complete the planning and zoning and floodplain determination on County letterhead and pay the $25 floodplain review.
Building in a mapped flood hazard area or the path of an arroyo needs the Floodplain Manager’s approval and a $50 floodplain permit.
Submit the state building application, plans and the County determination through CID’s portal or its Las Cruces office, within the year the determination is valid.
CID inspects the building and the electrical, plumbing and gas work before the building is occupied.
Rather not deal with the Luna County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Luna County
Construction inspections are CID’s, not the County’s, and that includes work inside Deming under the state permit. Requests go to CID’s support center on 877-243-0979 or through its online inspection request form.
The County’s own site visits are narrower. Code Enforcement inspects a manufactured home site once on-site utilities are in place and there are no violations on the property, and the Road Department reviews driveway connections to county roads under Ordinance 42.
Local details in Luna County
Floodplain and arroyos: the County Code bars residential, commercial or other development in a flood hazard area, or in, on or over the path of an arroyo or floodway, without the Floodplain Manager’s approval and a floodplain development permit.
Septic systems: liquid waste permits come from the New Mexico Environment Department, whose Deming field office is at 405 E. Florida Street (575-546-1464). Chapter 150 does not allow several users on one domestic well or one on-site liquid waste system, apart from permitted community and cluster systems.
Driveways: a driveway on a county road needs a permit from the County, and the installation itself is priced separately by quote under the County’s driveway specifications.
RVs: living in an RV on a parcel is regulated through the County’s 30-day and 180-day RV applications.
Paying the County: the Planning Department takes card payments by phone on 575-255-1992.
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 Luna County
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →- 14.6.5.9 NMAC building officials and AHJ authority
- New Mexico CID permits, codes and inspections
- Luna County Code Chapter 150, Building Regulations
- Luna County Code Chapter 153, Flood Damage Prevention
- Luna County Planning Department
- Luna County planning forms and applications
- Luna County planning, zoning and floodplain determination form
- Luna County manufactured home installation permit application
- Luna County Resolution 26-03, Notice of Fees (amended February 2026)
- CID online permitting portal
- CID electrical, mechanical and plumbing permit fees
- City of Deming Planning and Zoning
- City of Deming business applications and forms
- NM Environment Department liquid waste field offices
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Luna County permit FAQs
Does Luna County issue building permits?
No. The County has no building inspector, so the state Construction Industries Division issues building permits for the unincorporated county. The County Planning Department reviews the application first for zoning and floodplain compliance.
Where do I apply for a building permit in Luna County?
Get the County’s planning and floodplain determination from the Planning Department at 115 S. Cody Road in Deming, then apply to CID through its online portal or its Las Cruces office at 505 South Main Street, Suite 103 (575-524-6320).
How much does the County charge?
$25 for a floodplain review and $50 for a floodplain permit under Resolution 26-03 as amended in February 2026. CID’s building permit fee is separate.
Who issues building permits in Deming?
Two offices. The City takes its own Application for Building Permit at Planning and Zoning, 1275 E. Pine Street (575-546-8848), and the state building permit and inspections come from CID in Las Cruces (575-524-6320); the City posts the state application among its building forms.
Do I need a permit for a shed or a fence in Luna County?
Not under the County’s Chapter 150 if the shed is a one-story detached storage building of 120 sq ft or less, or the fence is no more than 6 ft high. The 25 ft front and 5 ft side and rear setbacks still apply to permitted structures.
What does it cost to place a manufactured home?
$100 for the County installation permit, which includes the floodplain review, plus $35 for addressing and $50 more if the site is in a floodplain. Moving a home without the County permit carries a $300 violation fee.
Who issues septic permits in Luna County?
The New Mexico Environment Department, through its Deming field office at 405 E. Florida Street, 575-546-1464.
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More New Mexico permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Luna County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.