San Miguel County, New Mexico Building Permit Guide

San Miguel County does not issue building permits. Its Planning and Zoning office at 500 W. National Avenue in Las Vegas administers zoning development permits and floodplain rules for the unincorporated county and signs the zoning and floodplain lines on the state application; the Construction Industries Division (CID) at 2550 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, then issues the building permit. Las Vegas and Pecos each add a local step of their own before the state permit.

What needs a permit in San Miguel County?

Two layers apply to land outside the municipalities. The County regulates the use and layout of land through its Land Development Standards (Ordinance 86-2, in force since August 18, 1986) and its Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance; the state regulates the construction itself.

The County’s demolition form makes the split explicit: a demolition permit is not a building permit, and building permits must be obtained from CID.

Who issues permits in San Miguel County?

The County’s zoning covers the unincorporated area that is not under a municipal extraterritorial zoning ordinance. The three incorporated places each work differently:

• Las Vegas (population 12,574): the City’s Community Development Department issues a Zoning Clearance Verification, which must be in hand before applying to CID for the building permit. City offices are at 1700 N. Grand Avenue, 505-454-1401.
• Pecos (population 1,375): the Village has no planning and zoning, but building plans are approved by the Mayor at the Village office and a Village building permit is required under its Ordinance 1986-46; a copy of the state building permit is then returned to the Village. Village office: 92 S. Main Street, 505-757-6591.
• Mosquero: all 90 of the village’s residents live on the Harding County side, and the Census Bureau counts nobody in the part of the village that crosses into San Miguel County.

County forms and the state application

Planning and Zoning posts these forms in the County’s Document Center:

• Demolition Permit (revised July 2021). It asks for the type of structure, whether asbestos is present and where the rubble will go, and is signed by the applicant and the owner. If asbestos is present, a letter from the New Mexico Environment Department on how the building will be removed and disposed of must be attached.
• Conditional Use Permit Application.
• Temporary Use Permit for events and film.
• Claim of Exemption Application for exempt land divisions.
• Short-Term Rental Permit application packet and the Business License Application.

The County attaches the state’s Multi-Purpose State Building Application to its demolition form. That application has signature lines for planning and zoning approval and for floodplain approval, which is where the County signs before the package goes to CID.

Fees

The main published cost is the state’s: CID bases a building permit fee on the type of construction, square footage and construction cost, quotes the figure once it knows the project value, and will not process the application until the fee is paid. The state permit is applied for through CID’s online portal or its Santa Fe office (505-476-4700).

In the municipalities, Pecos charges $20 for the Village permit to transport a mobile home through the village limits, and Las Vegas warns that building without its zoning clearance can bring fines of up to $500 per day.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

Electrical permits and mechanical or plumbing permits are state permits here. The state application the County hands out has separate approval lines for the general building, mechanical and plumbing, and electrical reviews, and a commercial building permit includes all three reviews.

Documents to prepare

CID asks for the County’s zoning approval to be submitted with the permit request.

How to apply: 5 steps in San Miguel County

Inspections

Construction inspections on a state permit are carried out by CID inspectors. The County’s own enforcement is of its land use, litter and solid waste ordinances: a Land Use Compliance Specialist works in Planning and Zoning, and the public can file a Request for Code Enforcement Investigation form. In Las Vegas, the City says a structure built without zoning clearance can be removed through code enforcement.

Local details in San Miguel County

Zone districts: Ordinance 86-2 divides the unincorporated county into districts that include A-1 and A-2 Residential Agricultural, R-1 Single Family Residential, T-C Traditional Community and R-H Rural Holding, with supplementary rules for yards, lot area and frontage, steep slopes, erosion hazard areas and stormwater runoff.

Floodplain: the County enforces Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance SMC-10-19-10, and floodplain approval is a separate line on the state application.

Septic systems: liquid waste permits come from the New Mexico Environment Department’s Las Vegas field office at 2538 Ridgerunner Road (505-454-2801).

Energy and towers: solar installations, wind energy facilities (the wind ordinance was amended in August 2025) and cell towers each have their own County ordinance.

After the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire: Las Vegas offers to check that a contractor is licensed, bonded, insured and holds a city business licence, in response to contractor fraud during the fire recovery.

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 San Miguel County

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

• 14.6.5.9 NMAC building officials and AHJ authority
• New Mexico CID permits, codes and inspections
• San Miguel County Document Center (forms and ordinances)
• San Miguel County Planning and Zoning
• San Miguel County Demolition Permit and state building application
• City of Las Vegas Community Development
• City of Las Vegas zoning clearance guide for building permits
• Village of Pecos forms and building permit
• CID frequently asked questions
• NM Environment Department liquid waste field offices

San Miguel County permit FAQs

Does San Miguel County issue building permits?

No. The County’s own form states that building permits must be obtained from the Construction Industries Division, 2550 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe (505-476-4700). The County approves zoning and floodplain first.

Where is the County Planning and Zoning office?

500 W. National Avenue, Suite 110, Las Vegas, NM 87701, phone 505-454-1074, open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

How do I get a building permit in Las Vegas, New Mexico?

Take proof of ownership, a letter of intent and a site plan to the City’s Community Development Department for a Zoning Clearance Verification, then apply to CID for the building permit.

Do I need a permit to build in Pecos?

Yes. The Mayor approves the plans at the Village office and the Village issues its own building permit; you also need the state building permit and return a copy of it to the Village.

Do I need a permit to demolish a building in the county?

Yes, a County demolition permit from Planning and Zoning, with a letter from the New Mexico Environment Department if the building contains asbestos.

Who issues septic permits in San Miguel County?

The New Mexico Environment Department, through its Las Vegas field office on 505-454-2801.

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