Skip to main content
PermitBase

Sign Permit in Roswell, New Mexico

Required for a new sign, relocation of an existing sign, altering the height of a sign, or varying the Display Surface Area (DSA) of a sign within Roswell city limits, per Article 60 (Signs) of the City of Roswell Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance 20-08, amended August 13, 2020). Issued as a City Building Permit by the Building & Inspections Division. Signs constructed or erected along any State or Federal Highway additionally require a separate Sign Permit from the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) per state statute.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A new sign, relocation of an existing sign, altering the height of a sign, or varying the DSA of a sign requires a City Building Permit with fees as determined by the City Building Inspection Department, except for the signs listed in Article 60 Section 3 as not requiring a permit (Article 60, Section 4.A)
  • Signs constructed or erected along any State or Federal Highway must separately apply for and receive a Sign Permit from NMDOT per state statute, including adherence to all applicable NMDOT regulations (Article 60, Sections 1 and 4)
  • All electrical work for a sign must be approved by the City Electrical Inspector and performed/overseen in the field by a State Licensed Electrical Contractor (Article 60, Section 4.B) Contractor
  • Companies that install, erect, alter, relocate, dismantle, or repair signs must possess a current State Contractor's License and a City Business License (Article 60, Section 4.C) Contractor
  • Signs must be constructed, installed, erected, maintained, and/or repaired per the current City-adopted International Building Code Standards; City Staff determines application completeness and notifies the applicant within 5 business days of their decision (Article 60, Section 4.D)
  • It is unlawful to change, modify, or otherwise deviate from the terms of the original sign Building Permit without written approval from the Building Inspector and Planning and Zoning Department (Article 60, Section 4.E)
  • A foundation, structural, and final inspection by the Building Inspector is required before any sign requiring a Building Permit can be issued a Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O); scheduling inspections is the responsibility of the contractor or sign owner (Article 60, Section 4.H)
  • Signs listed in Article 60 Section 3 (any sign placed by a governmental entity, construction signs, directional/information signs, temporary residential signs, signs within an enclosed building, holiday signs, special event signs limited to 45 days before/5 days after the event, nameplates, political signs removed within 5 days after the election, real estate signs removed within 5 days after closing, window signs, and hand-held signs/displays up to 6 sq. ft. DSA) do not require a Building Permit

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet — 0 of 2 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29 →

Fee schedule

Sign Building Permit FeeArticle 60, Section 4.A states fees are "as determined by the City Building Inspection Department"; there is no dedicated sign-specific fee line item, and cross-checking the published City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule (DocumentCenter/View/26127) confirms it is the same general valuation-tiered table used for other Building Permits, already documented in this file's residential-building-permit entry
Valuation-based per the City of Roswell Building Fee Schedule

Review timeline

Plan reviewTypical estimate — confirm current times with the Roswell building department
~5–5 business days

How long did your Sign Permit permit actually take in Roswell?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation

    Required for any sign requiring a Building Permit, per Article 60 Section 4.H

  2. 2

    Structural

    Required for any sign requiring a Building Permit, per Article 60 Section 4.H

  3. 3

    Final

    Required before a Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) can be issued for the sign; scheduling is the responsibility of the contractor or sign owner, per Article 60 Section 4.H

See the full Roswell inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Most small, temporary, or non-commercial signs are exempt from a Building Permit — see the exemption list in Article 60, Section 3 (construction signs, directional/informational signs, temporary residential signs, holiday signs, special event signs, nameplates, political signs, real estate signs, window signs, and hand-held signs/displays up to 6 sq. ft. DSA).
  • If your sign is located along a State or Federal Highway, you need a separate NMDOT Sign Permit in addition to the City permit — contact NMDOT at (505) 827-5460 or www.dot.nm.gov/business-support/permits/.
  • Sign contractors must hold both a current New Mexico State Contractor's License and a City of Roswell Business License. Contractor
  • As of January 1, 2026, electrical work for signs (like all other electrical work in Roswell) is administered by the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID), not the City — see this file's electrical-permit entry for the conversion/fee details.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, in most cases. Article 60 of the Roswell Zoning Ordinance requires a Building Permit for a new sign, sign relocation, height alteration, or Display Surface Area (DSA) change, unless the sign falls into one of the exempt categories listed in Section 3 (e.g., temporary residential signs, real estate signs, political signs, or small hand-held signs).

There is no separate sign-specific fee schedule. Article 60 states fees are "as determined by the City Building Inspection Department," which is the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee Schedule used for other construction permits.

Plan review for a sign permit in Roswell typically runs 5–5 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with City of Roswell Community Development — Building & Inspections Division at (575) 637-6280.

You'll need: City of Roswell Building Permit Application; Sign Plan / Site Plan (DSA, height, and setbacks). Depending on your project, Roswell may also ask for: NMDOT Sign Permit Application (State/Federal Highway signs only). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Roswell requires 3 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Foundation, Structural, Final. Schedule each through City of Roswell Community Development — Building & Inspections Division ((575) 637-6280).

Apply through City of Roswell Community Development — Building & Inspections Division at 400 W. 2nd St., Roswell, NM 88201 (mailing: PO Box 1838, Roswell, NM 88202-1838). Phone: (575) 637-6280, email: permits@roswell-nm.gov. Official information: https://www.roswell-nm.gov/1279/Building-Inspections.

Roswell, New Mexico has adopted: 2021 International Building Code, adopted as the New Mexico Commercial Building Code (NMCBC); 2021 International Residential Code, adopted as the New Mexico Residential Building Code (NMRBC); 2021 International Existing Building Code, adopted as the New Mexico Existing Building Code (NMEBC); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC); 2020 National Electrical Code, adopted as the New Mexico Electrical Code (NMEC); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, adopted as the New Mexico Energy Conservation Code (NMECC); 2017 ANSI A117.1 (Accessibility); 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code, adopted as the New Mexico Mechanical Code (NMMC); 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted as the New Mexico Plumbing Code (NMPC). Local amendments apply — see the Roswell overview page for the full list.

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 Roswell building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Other permits in Roswell

Residential Building PermitRe-Roofing PermitPlacement Permit for Fence or Accessory StructureElectrical Permit (State-Administered)Plumbing / Mechanical (Gas/HVAC) PermitEV Charger / EVSE Permit (State CID Electrical)Solar PV Permit (City Building Permit + State CID Electrical)Homeowner's Plumbing PermitFire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System PermitChange of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy Permit

Sign Permit in other cities

Alamogordo, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New MexicoArtesia, New MexicoAztec, New MexicoBernalillo, New MexicoBloomfield, New MexicoCarlsbad, New MexicoClovis, New Mexico

Compare sign permit fees across New Mexico →

Look up this fee in a different city →

Embed this data card →

Now live

Build your Roswell project checklist

Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Roswell — in one checklist. Sign up and pay once to generate it, or go unlimited with Pro.

Get started →