Certificate of Occupancy / Change of Occupancy or Use in Unincorporated Bernalillo County, New Mexico

Unincorporated Bernalillo County requires a certificate of occupancy / change of occupancy or use permit for: Buildings or structures shall not be used or occupied, nor shall a change in the existing occupancy classification of a building or structure or portion thereof be made, until the CBO or authorized representative has issued a Certificate of Occupancy (Ordinance 2024-8, Sec. 111.1); Changes in the character or use of a building shall not be made except as specified in the building code (Ordinance 2024-8, Sec. 111.1.2); A request for a Certificate of Occupancy must be made by the owner or agent AFTER final inspection approvals have been secured from all county departments/divisions involved in enforcing pertinent codes, ordinances, or laws (Ordinance 2024-8, Sec. 111.2); For commercial and multi-family occupancies, the Certificate of Occupancy must be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises and may not be removed except by the CBO or authorized representative (Ordinance 2024-8, Sec. 111.3.2); Failure to request a Certificate of Occupancy prior to occupancy, or failure to request a change of occupancy or use, constitutes a continuing code violation subject to penalty under Section 109 (Ordinance 2024-8, Sec. 111.3.3); The CBO or authorized representative may suspend or revoke a Certificate of Occupancy issued in error, based on incorrect information, or upon a determination that the building or structure is in violation of any applicable ordinance, regulation, or Code provision (Ordinance 2024-8, Sec. 111.3.4). If your project isn't listed, confirm with Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services — Building Services (Building Safety Division) at (505) 314-0351 (Building Services / Inspection Line); (505) 314-0350 (Planning & Development Services main line / Permitting & Development Center) before starting work.

No dedicated Certificate of Occupancy fee line item exists in Administrative Resolution 25-2009 (Tables 3-A through 3-F checked directly, none found). If the change of occupancy or use requires construction or alteration, that work is priced under the standard Building Permit Fee and Plan Review Fee formulas in Table 3-A; the Certificate itself, once final inspections pass, carries no additional line-item charge that could be located.

Unincorporated Bernalillo County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services — Building Services (Building Safety Division) at (505) 314-0351 (Building Services / Inspection Line); (505) 314-0350 (Planning & Development Services main line / Permitting & Development Center) for current turnaround.

You'll need: Final Inspection Approvals; Certificate of Occupancy Request. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Bernalillo County may also ask for: Underlying Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Bernalillo County requires 1 inspection(s) for a certificate of occupancy / change of occupancy or use permit, in order: Final Inspections (All Applicable County Departments/Divisions). Schedule each through Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services — Building Services (Building Safety Division) ((505) 314-0351 (Building Services / Inspection Line); (505) 314-0350 (Planning & Development Services main line / Permitting & Development Center)).

Apply through Bernalillo County Planning & Development Services — Building Services (Building Safety Division) at 415 Silver Ave SW, 2nd Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Phone: (505) 314-0351 (Building Services / Inspection Line); (505) 314-0350 (Planning & Development Services main line / Permitting & Development Center), email: permits@bernco.gov (Building Services); zoning@bernco.gov (Planning & Development Services main). Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Building Services page separately lists 8–5 p.m.; the FAQ and Residential Building Packet both confirm 8:00 AM–4:30 PM for permit submittal). Official information: https://www.bernco.gov/planning/building-services/.

Unincorporated Bernalillo County, New Mexico has adopted: Bernalillo County Building Ordinance, Ordinance No. 2024-8 (adopted August 13, 2024; repeals and replaces prior Ordinance 2009-5) — Bernalillo County Code Chapter 10, Article II — GOVERNANCE MODEL: Bernalillo County operates its OWN Local Enforcement Agency (the Planning & Development Services Building Program, headed by a County Certified Building Official) for the unincorporated area, rather than defaulting to the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) for plan review/inspection. However, Sec. 10-34 of the ordinance expressly adopts BY REFERENCE 'the current codes adopted by the State of New Mexico Construction Industries Division,' amended by the county's own Exhibit A amendments — so the substantive code editions in force track whatever CID has currently adopted statewide, layered with Bernalillo County-specific amendments.; International Building Code (IBC), including Appendix Chapters B, C, E, H, I, and J — adopted by reference to the current CID-adopted edition, per Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(1); International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendix Chapters G, H, and K — adopted by reference to the current CID-adopted edition, per Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(2); International Existing Building Code (IEBC), as published by ICC — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(3); International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(4). NM CID's Construction Industries Commission voted to adopt the 2021 IECC/energy code family (per CID's own 2024 press release 'Construction Industries Commission votes to adopt new energy-efficient building codes' and CID's 2021 Residential Energy Code Fact Sheet), which is the edition presently in force through this reference chain.; New Mexico Earthen Building Materials Code — CID-adopted, effective July 1, 2011 — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(5); New Mexico Non-Load Bearing Straw Construction Building Standard — CID-adopted, effective July 1, 2011 — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(6); International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), as published by ICC — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(7); Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC), as published by IAPMO (International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials) — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(8). NOTE: Bernalillo County uses the IAPMO Uniform Mechanical/Plumbing/Solar/Pool code family rather than the ICC's IMC/IPC/IFGC family used by many other states.; Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), as published by IAPMO — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(9). The county's own homeowner plumbing-test materials (Homeowners Plumbing/Electrical/Mechanical Work page, bernco.gov) cite the 2015 IAPMO Uniform Plumbing Code as the current test/reference edition in practice.; National Electrical Code (NEC), as published by NFPA — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(10). NOTE: The county's own Homeowners Electrical Exam information sheet (Electrical-HomeOwners-exam-info, rev. 8/2025) specifies the only code books permitted for the county's homeowner electrical exam are the '2020 N.E.C., 2020 N.M.E.C. [New Mexico Electrical Code], and the most current Bernalillo County Ordinance' — indicating 2020 NEC is the edition in practical current use for that exam, even though the ordinance text itself does not hard-code an edition year.; New Mexico Electrical Safety Code, as adopted by CID, effective January 1, 2008 — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(11); Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code, as published by IAPMO — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(12); Uniform Solar Energy Code, as published by IAPMO — Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 10-34(13); Bernalillo County amendments to the above International/Uniform/New Mexico codes are compiled as Exhibit A to Ordinance 2024-8 and together with the base codes are termed the 'Uniform Construction Codes of Bernalillo County,' controlling within the unincorporated area.. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Bernalillo County overview page for the full list.

Yes. Per Ordinance 2024-8 Sec. 111.1, a building or structure may not be used or occupied, and its occupancy classification may not be changed, until the Certified Building Official issues a Certificate of Occupancy. The county's own terminology is 'Certificate of Occupancy,' covering both new occupancy and changes of occupancy or use.