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Sign Permit in Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico

Required before installing, erecting, or hanging any sign in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, processed entirely by the Village's own Planning & Zoning Department as a Zone Review Permit (ZRP) -- not routed to Bernalillo County. Governed by Village Code Sec. 9.2.22 (Signs) and Sec. 9.2.20 (Dark Skies), with fees set by the Village's own Resolution No. 2008-5-1. Two current Village-published application forms exist online -- a general 'Application for Sign Permit' (2025 revision) and an older 'Sign Permit Application' oriented toward businesses -- both citing the same 2008 fee resolution.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Identify the proposed sign type per Village Code Sec. 9.2.22 definitions: banner, building-mounted (includes window signs), free-standing, illuminated, monument, sandwich board, or temporary
  • Site plan showing the sign location and setbacks -- required only for monument signs or free-standing signs, per the application's own checklist
  • Building elevation or photo: a rendered mock-up (digital or printed) showing the sign in context of the building/property with labeled measurements, or a scaled building elevation with labeled dimensions
  • Commercial sign size compliance per Village Code Sec. 9.2.22(E): individual free-standing signs max 40 sq ft per side (max 2 sides), with an additional 20 sq ft allowed for building-mounted signage for that same business; multi-tenant signs max 50 sq ft of printed area (65 sq ft including embellishments), with 20 sq ft of building-mounted sign allowed per business within the complex
  • If illuminated, luminance may not exceed 200 foot-lamberts at night when the sign is within 50 feet of a residential zone; lighting must be shielded, non-flashing/non-rotating, and (per the Dark Skies provisions, Sec. 9.2.20) turned off between 11:00 p.m. and sunrise except while the business is open
  • Sign must not fall within a list of prohibited types (rooftop building-mounted signs, pole-mounted signs, off-premises signs, right-of-way signs other than mailbox name/address signs, billboards, snipe signs, portable metal-frame signs, electronic message boards with moving messages, or unshielded lighting)
  • Signature of the property owner (or a submitted Letter of Authorization) is required

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Sign Permit Application FeeVillage of Los Ranchos Resolution No. 2008-5-1 ('Establishing Fees for Sign Applications and Permits'), reproduced on page 3 of the Village's own 2025 Application for Sign Permit PDF. This base application fee applies in addition to the sign-specific fee below.
$25.00
Individual free-standing sign (new) applicationPer Resolution No. 2008-5-1.
$50.00
Multi-tenant free-standing sign (new) applicationPer Resolution No. 2008-5-1.
$100.00
Tenant's sign on multi-tenant free-standing sign / multi-tenant building-mounted signs / individual building-mounted signsPer Resolution No. 2008-5-1. The Village's separate, older 'Sign Permit Application' form expresses the combined calculation for this and the base application fee as a single formula: '$25.00 + $2.50 per square foot.'
$2.50 per square foot of sign face
Permissible permanent bannersPer Resolution No. 2008-5-1.
$100.00
30-day temporary banners / construction signs (commercial or residential)Per Resolution No. 2008-5-1.
$2.50 per square foot
Political signs in public right-of-wayPer Resolution No. 2008-5-1, this fee is expressly stated to be exempt from the base Sign Permit Application Fee above.
$25.00 per election
Public notice signsPer Resolution No. 2008-5-1.
$2.00

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Sign Permit permit actually take in Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Zoning / Sign Compliance Review

    Village Planning & Zoning staff verify the requested sign type is allowed in the applicable zoning district, that total sign area complies with the applicable maximum, that height/placement and setback limits are met, that illumination meets brightness and Dark Skies requirements, and that the sign does not obstruct a clear sight triangle -- per the official-use checklist printed directly on the Village's own Application for Sign Permit.

See the full Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Temporary signs four (4) square feet or smaller, and certain government/utility/carved-stone/indoor signs, are exempt from the permit requirement entirely per Village Code Sec. 9.2.22(A) -- confirm your sign doesn't qualify for this exemption before applying.
  • A site plan is only required if you are proposing a monument or free-standing sign -- building-mounted and banner signs need only a building elevation, photo, or rendered mock-up with labeled dimensions.
  • Budget for the flat $25 base application fee PLUS the applicable per-sign or per-square-foot fee from the Village's 2008 fee resolution -- a new multi-tenant free-standing sign, for example, carries its own separate $100 fee on top of the $25 application fee.

Frequently asked questions

Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque requires a sign permit for: Identify the proposed sign type per Village Code Sec. 9.2.22 definitions: banner, building-mounted (includes window signs), free-standing, illuminated, monument, sandwich board, or temporary; Site plan showing the sign location and setbacks -- required only for monument signs or free-standing signs, per the application's own checklist; Building elevation or photo: a rendered mock-up (digital or printed) showing the sign in context of the building/property with labeled measurements, or a scaled building elevation with labeled dimensions; Commercial sign size compliance per Village Code Sec. 9.2.22(E): individual free-standing signs max 40 sq ft per side (max 2 sides), with an additional 20 sq ft allowed for building-mounted signage for that same business; multi-tenant signs max 50 sq ft of printed area (65 sq ft including embellishments), with 20 sq ft of building-mounted sign allowed per business within the complex; If illuminated, luminance may not exceed 200 foot-lamberts at night when the sign is within 50 feet of a residential zone; lighting must be shielded, non-flashing/non-rotating, and (per the Dark Skies provisions, Sec. 9.2.20) turned off between 11:00 p.m. and sunrise except while the business is open; Sign must not fall within a list of prohibited types (rooftop building-mounted signs, pole-mounted signs, off-premises signs, right-of-way signs other than mailbox name/address signs, billboards, snipe signs, portable metal-frame signs, electronic message boards with moving messages, or unshielded lighting); Signature of the property owner (or a submitted Letter of Authorization) is required. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Planning and Zoning Department (Director: Shanna Schultz, AICP) at (505) 344-6582 (fax (505) 344-8978) before starting work.

A flat $25.00 base application fee applies to every Sign Permit, per the Village's own Resolution No. 2008-5-1, plus a sign-specific fee that varies by sign type -- e.g., $50 for a new individual free-standing sign, $100 for a new multi-tenant free-standing sign or a permissible permanent banner, or $2.50 per square foot for most building-mounted and tenant signage.

Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Planning and Zoning Department (Director: Shanna Schultz, AICP) at (505) 344-6582 (fax (505) 344-8978) for current turnaround.

You'll need: Application for Sign Permit; Building elevation, photo, or rendered mock-up with labeled dimensions. Depending on your project, Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque may also ask for: Site Plan showing sign location and setbacks. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Zoning / Sign Compliance Review. Schedule each through Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Planning and Zoning Department (Director: Shanna Schultz, AICP) ((505) 344-6582 (fax (505) 344-8978)).

Apply through Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque Planning and Zoning Department (Director: Shanna Schultz, AICP) at 6718 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, Los Ranchos, NM 87107. Phone: (505) 344-6582 (fax (505) 344-8978), email: Shanna Schultz (Director): sschultz@losranchosnm.gov; Michelle Austin (Business Licenses & Building Permit intake): maustin@losranchosnm.gov; Brennon Williams (Public Hearing deadlines): bwilliams@losranchosnm.gov; Planning & Zoning general: pandz@losranchosnm.gov; Village general: info@losranchosnm.gov. Office hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. The Village does not accept online submittals for Planning & Zoning applications; two (2) complete sets of plans plus the filled-out application form must be dropped off in person at Village Hall, or in the after-hours drop-off box outside the main doors (the Village disclaims responsibility for documents left there). Effective September 1, 2025, all permit fees are collected at the time of a complete application's submittal rather than at issuance, per the Village's own 'Notice of Changes to Permitting Process' (Aug. 11, 2025).. Official information: https://www.losranchosnm.gov/planning-and-zoning.

Per Village Code Sec. 9.2.22(E), an individual commercial free-standing sign is capped at 40 square feet per side (max 2 sides), with an additional 20 square feet allowed for that business's building-mounted signage. Multi-tenant signs are capped at 50 square feet of printed area (65 square feet including embellishments), with each individual business within the complex allowed 20 square feet of its own building-mounted sign.

Yes. Per Village Code Sec. 9.2.22(A), signs required by law, signs of a duly constituted governmental body, signs placed by a public utility for safety/welfare/convenience, temporary holiday decorations, indoor signs not intended to be read from outside, and temporary signs four square feet or smaller do not require a Sign Permit.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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