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Sign Permit in Unincorporated Doña Ana County, New Mexico

Required before erecting, re-erecting, constructing, altering, relocating, or resizing most signs in unincorporated Doña Ana County, per Doña Ana County Code Chapter 350 (Unified Development Code), Article V, § 350-508 (Signs). Administered by the Community Development Department's Planning & Zoning Division under the zoning code — a DIFFERENT department and process than the Building Services Division that issues the building/electrical/plumbing/mechanical trade permits documented elsewhere in this file. A short list of sign types (yard signs, government signs, signs on vehicles, delivery boxes, and limited temporary signs) are exempt from permitting by right under § 350-508H. No standalone sign-permit fee schedule, application form, or review-timeline SLA was found published on the county's own website after checking the Building Services 'Permit Requirements' form list (20 documents, none for signs), the Community Development/Planning & Zoning pages, the Building Permit Fee Schedule PDF, and DAC Code Chapter 179 (Fees) — documented honestly as a gap rather than invented.

Reviewed 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A sign permit is required before the erection, re-erection, construction, alteration, placement, or installation of any sign regulated by DAC Code § 350-508, except for the specific sign types listed as exempt in § 350-508H
  • Also required for expansion of the face area or height of an existing sign, a change in the location of an existing sign, or a change in the dimensions of an existing sign
  • Additional electrical and/or building permits may separately be required for a sign's structural or electrical components and must independently meet all requirements of those permits
  • Allowed sign types, sizes, and quantities vary by zoning district/community type per UDC Table 5.24 (Signs Allowed by Zone or Community Type) — some types are allowed by right (B), some only for an active business (B), some are conditional (C), and others are prohibited outright depending on the zone
  • Illuminated signs may only be illuminated from dusk to dawn and must permit no direct view of the bulbs; electrical raceways, conduits, and wiring must not be exposed
  • Nonconforming signs may be maintained but not altered, enlarged, or replaced except to bring them into conformity, and must be brought into compliance with right-of-way/clear-sight-triangle prohibitions within 180 days of the code's adoption

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Sign Permit FeeDoña Ana County's Building Permit Fee Schedule (PDF) and DAC Code Chapter 179, Article VI (Building Code Fees) contain no distinct sign-permit line item, and no separate zoning/sign fee schedule was found on the county's website after checking the Planning & Zoning Commission page, the Unified Development Code itself, and the Building Services Permit Requirements form list. Confirm the current fee directly with the Community Development Department, Planning Division: (575) 525-7350 / planningdivision@donaana.gov
Not published
Associated Building/Electrical Permit (if the sign requires structural or electrical work)Doña Ana County Building Permit Fee Schedule (PDF) / Electrical Permit fee form — same catch-all treatment this file's roofing-permit and solar-pv-permit entries use for construction categories with no dedicated fee line item
Assessed under the general 'Other Construction' valuation scale of the Building Permit Fee Schedule (e.g., $45 for $1–$500 up to $790 + $5.00 per additional $1,000 above $100,000), or the applicable Electrical Permit fee tier

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Sign Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Doña Ana County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Zoning Compliance / As-Built Verification

    Doña Ana County does not publish a distinct multi-phase inspection checklist for sign permits (unlike the trade permits documented elsewhere in this file). UDC § 350-508E requires signs to be maintained in conformity with the adopted Building Code and kept in good repair, and § 350-508C(2) authorizes the County to inspect a sign, require its correction or removal, and revoke the sign permit if it is found out of compliance — functioning as the county's ongoing as-built/compliance check rather than a scheduled pre-final inspection.

See the full Unincorporated Doña Ana County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Sign permits in unincorporated Doña Ana County are administered by the Community Development Department's Planning & Zoning Division under UDC § 350-508 — NOT by the Building Services Division that issues the building/electrical/plumbing/mechanical permits documented elsewhere in this file.
  • Several common sign types are exempt from permitting entirely per § 350-508H, including yard signs, signs required by law, government signs, signs on vehicles, delivery boxes/mailboxes, and limited temporary signs (max 2 per property, 50 feet apart, non-illuminated, removed at the end of the event).
  • Allowed sign types, sizes, and quantities vary significantly by zoning district/community type (UDC Table 5.24) — a monument sign, pole sign, or band sign, for example, may be conditional or prohibited outright depending on the zone.
  • No standalone sign-permit fee schedule, application form, or review-timeline SLA is published anywhere on the county's website as of 2026-07-22 — confirm the current fee and timeline directly with the Planning Division, (575) 525-7350.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, for most sign types. A sign permit is required before erecting, re-erecting, constructing, altering, relocating, or resizing a regulated sign, per Doña Ana County Code § 350-508B. A short list of sign types is exempt by right under § 350-508H, including yard signs, government signs, signs on vehicles, and limited temporary signs.

Not published. Neither the Building Permit Fee Schedule (which covers Building Services' own trade permits) nor the Unified Development Code itself lists a distinct sign-permit fee; sign permits are handled by the Community Development Department's Planning & Zoning Division, not Building Services — contact planningdivision@donaana.gov or (575) 525-7350 for the current fee.

Unincorporated Doña Ana County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Doña Ana County Community Development Department — Building Services Division at (575) 647-7350; Fax (575) 525-6131; TDD (575) 525-5951 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Sign Permit Application; Site Plan or Elevation Drawing. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Doña Ana County requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Zoning Compliance / As-Built Verification. Schedule each through Doña Ana County Community Development Department — Building Services Division ((575) 647-7350; Fax (575) 525-6131; TDD (575) 525-5951).

Apply through Doña Ana County Community Development Department — Building Services Division at 845 N. Motel Blvd., Room 150, Las Cruces, NM 88007. Phone: (575) 647-7350; Fax (575) 525-6131; TDD (575) 525-5951, email: buildingservices@donaana.gov. Office hours: County administrative offices open at 8:00 AM (confirmed via the county's own delayed-opening notice stating a 2-hour delay resumes 'normal operations' at 10 a.m., i.e. normal opening is 8:00 AM); the Building Services Division's own site does not publish a distinct closing time or Building-Services-specific hours separate from general county office hours, and no further closing-time citation could be independently confirmed after checking the department's own pages, the county homepage, and the general department directory.. Official information: https://www.donaana.gov/departments/community_services/building_services/permit_requirements.php.

Unincorporated Doña Ana County, New Mexico has adopted: New Mexico is a statewide-minimum-code state under the Construction Industries Licensing Act (NMSA 1978 § 60-13-44(E)): 'All political subdivisions of the state are subject to the provisions of codes adopted and approved under the Construction Industries Licensing Act. Such codes constitute a minimum requirement for the codes of political subdivisions.' A county or municipality may become its own code-enforcement authority (operate independently of the state Construction Industries Division field office model) if it employs a certified building official and has adopted at least the current state minimum code standards (NMSA 1978 § 60-13-41(D)-(F)). GOVERNANCE MODEL CONFIRMED: unlike some New Mexico counties that route permits through the state CID field office, Doña Ana County SELF-ADMINISTERS for all trades — Building, Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical alike — through its own Community Development Department / Building Services Division, headed by Sean Vick, the Doña Ana County Certified Building Official/Assistant Director (per the department's own 'Welcome to Building Services' page). The division also employs its own Certified Building Inspector (Jesse Gomez), Certified Electrical Inspectors (Riley Roman, Joel Candelaria), and Certified Plumbing/Mechanical Inspectors (Candido Jasso and David Murillo) — confirming direct county-level review and inspection for every trade, not CID field-office enforcement.; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — per the Doña Ana County Building Services 'Building Codes' page (donaana.gov); 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — per the Doña Ana County Building Services 'Building Codes' page; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — per the Doña Ana County Building Services 'Building Codes' page; the county's own Single Family Dwelling Permit Application requires a signed '2021 RESCheck' Energy Certificate, confirming the 2021 IECC edition is the one actually enforced in practice; 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code (IAPMO) — per the Doña Ana County Building Services 'Building Codes' page; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO) — per the Doña Ana County Building Services 'Building Codes' page; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — per the Doña Ana County Building Services 'Building Codes' page; 2017 ICC/ANSI A117.1 (Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities) — per the Doña Ana County Building Services 'Building Codes' page; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — per the Doña Ana County Building Services 'Building Codes' page (this matches the current 14.10.4 NMAC statewide adoption also enforced in the City of Las Cruces; NOTE: the county's own Reroof & Reroof/Overlay Permit Requirements handout still lists an older code slate — '2015 IRC; 2015 NMRBC; 2009 Energy Conservation Code; 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code; 2015 New Mexico Plumbing Code; 2012 Swimming Pool, Spa, Hot Tub Code; 2015 Uniform Mechanical Code; 2015 New Mexico Mechanical Code; 2012 New Mexico Solar Energy Code; 2017 NEC; 2017 New Mexico Electrical Code' — this appears to be a stale, unrevised handout PDF; the county's live, currently-published Building Codes page (2021 IBC/IRC/IECC/UMC/UPC family, 2020 NEC) is treated as the authoritative current adoption for this entry); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — per the Doña Ana County Building Services 'Building Codes' page; 2012 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code — per the Doña Ana County Building Services 'Building Codes' page; Doña Ana County makes clear it cannot host these copyrighted code texts online and directs the public to review physical copies in person at the Building Services Dept., 845 N. Motel Blvd., Las Cruces, NM, or to consult the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD) Construction Industries Division's own current-adoption page for the statewide baseline (rld.nm.gov/construction-industries/rules-laws-and-building-codes).. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Doña Ana County overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Key facts 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 Unincorporated Doña Ana County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Other permits in Unincorporated Doña Ana County

Single Family Dwelling PermitElectrical PermitPlumbing / Mechanical PermitReroof & Reroof/Overlay PermitSolar Photovoltaic (PV) PermitEV Charger / EVSE PermitFire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System PermitCertificate of Occupancy (Change of Use/Occupancy)

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