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Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in Unincorporated Doña Ana County, New Mexico

Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mount solar photovoltaic systems in unincorporated Doña Ana County. Unlike many jurisdictions in this database, Doña Ana County issues its OWN electrical permits directly — it is not routed to the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) — and publishes a distinct flat electrical fee specifically for 'Photovoltaic (Solar PV)' work. The structural/mounting portion is billed as a building permit under the County Code's general 'Other construction' valuation scale (Chapter 179, Article VI), since solar is not separately addressed in that fee article.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Building permit required for the structural/mounting portion, valued under Doña Ana County Code § 179-16C's general valuation scale for 'construction not otherwise specifically addressed' in the fee article
  • Separate Electrical Permit required for the interconnection work, obtained AFTER the building permit is issued, by a New Mexico-licensed electrical contractor — issued directly by Doña Ana County itself, not the State CID
  • 25% of assessed permit fees due at building-permit application submittal when construction drawing/site plan review is required; remaining 75% collected prior to permit issuance, per County Code § 179-16D

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Misc. — Photovoltaic (Solar PV) [Electrical Permit]Doña Ana County Electrical Permit Form / Fee Schedule (PDF) — a distinct flat line item, per this database's electrical-permit.json record for the same county
$45.00
Building Permit Fee — $1 to $500 valuation (Other construction)Doña Ana County Code § 179-16C, 'Other construction' valuation scale — applies to solar since it is not separately addressed in the fee article
$45
Building Permit Fee — $2,001 to $25,000 valuation (Other construction)Doña Ana County Code § 179-16C
$60 for first $2,000 plus $10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof

Review timeline

Plan reviewUnincorporated Doña Ana County’s published plan-review target
15–15 business days

How long did your Solar Photovoltaic (PV) 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

    Rough Electrical

    Conduit runs, wire sizing, and disconnect placement before energizing

  2. 2

    Final

    Racking, roof-penetration, and electrical interconnection compliance verified by the County

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

Tips

  • Doña Ana County is unusual in this database: it issues its OWN electrical permits (not routed to the State CID) and publishes a distinct flat $45.00 'Photovoltaic (Solar PV)' fee on its own Electrical Permit Form/Fee Schedule — cheaper and simpler to look up than the valuation-based tables used by most neighboring counties for the electrical side.
  • The electrical permit must be applied for AFTER the building permit is issued, per the County's own process — don't submit both simultaneously expecting parallel processing.

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Doña Ana County requires a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit for: Building permit required for the structural/mounting portion, valued under Doña Ana County Code § 179-16C's general valuation scale for 'construction not otherwise specifically addressed' in the fee article; Separate Electrical Permit required for the interconnection work, obtained AFTER the building permit is issued, by a New Mexico-licensed electrical contractor — issued directly by Doña Ana County itself, not the State CID; 25% of assessed permit fees due at building-permit application submittal when construction drawing/site plan review is required; remaining 75% collected prior to permit issuance, per County Code § 179-16D. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Doña Ana County Community Development Department — Building Services Division at (575) 647-7350; Fax (575) 525-6131; TDD (575) 525-5951 before starting work.

Yes — $45.00, listed as 'Photovoltaic (Solar PV)' under the Miscellaneous category of the County's own Electrical Permit Form/Fee Schedule. This is separate from the building permit fee for the structural/mounting portion, which is billed under the County Code's general valuation-based 'Other construction' scale.

Unincorporated Doña Ana County's published plan-review target for a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit is 15–15 business days.

You'll need: Doña Ana County Building Permit Application; Doña Ana County Electrical Permit Form. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Doña Ana County requires 2 inspection(s) for a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit, in order: Rough Electrical, Final. 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

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.

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 PermitEV Charger / EVSE PermitSign PermitFire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System PermitCertificate of Occupancy (Change of Use/Occupancy)

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in other cities

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

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