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Sign Permit in Artesia, New Mexico

Required before erection of any sign constituting an independent structure within Artesia city limits, per City Code of Ordinances Title 9, Chapter 11 (Signs), Sec. 9-11-1. Filed on the same universal Building Permit Application used for other trade permits ('Sign' checked as Permit Type) and billed under the City's general valuation-based Building Permit Fee table, since no separate sign-specific fee line item is published.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Before erection of any sign constituting an independent structure, a drawing of the sign showing dimensions, materials, and location must be submitted to the building inspector/code enforcement officer, per City Code Sec. 9-11-1
  • The building inspector/code enforcement officer may deny a sign permit if the sign is or would be unsafe or insecure so as to be a menace to the public, per Sec. 9-11-1
  • The building inspector/code enforcement officer may require staff review of the construction drawings; if an inspection is required, the associated inspection fee applies, per Sec. 9-11-1
  • In residential and semi-public zoning districts, permitted signs are limited to bulletin boards up to 15 square feet and temporary signs up to 10 square feet, per Sec. 9-11-2
  • In commercial and manufacturing districts, signs are subject to a minimum 12-foot height clearance where applicable, property-line-projection limits, and setback requirements scaled to sign height, per Sec. 9-11-3
  • The City's 'Do I Need A Permit?' chart lists 'Signs' as requiring a City Building permit but marks Fire review 'No' -- one of the few categories on that chart with no fire-department sign-off requirement, per artesianm.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1151
  • Filed on the City's universal Building Permit Application (also covering Building/Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical/Gas/Fence/Lane-Alley Closure permit types) with 'Sign' checked as the Permit Type

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee -- valuation-based (same schedule as other building permit types)City of Artesia Building Permit Fee schedule, artesianm.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1763 -- no separate sign-specific fee line item is published; City Code Sec. 9-11-1 states only that 'the associated inspection fee shall apply' if a plan review/inspection is required, consistent with the general fee-setting clause at Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-1-6
$50.00 minimum (valuation $1,000), scaling per the same table used for building/commercial permits

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

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

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Sign Inspection (if required)

    The building inspector/code enforcement officer may require staff review of the construction drawings and/or a field inspection to confirm the sign is safely constructed and installed per the approved drawing, per Sec. 9-11-1

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

Tips

  • Signs are one of the few categories on the City's 'Do I Need A Permit?' chart marked 'No' for Fire Marshal review -- unlike most other permit types, no separate fire sign-off is required regardless of building type.
  • There is no dedicated sign fee schedule; signs are billed on the same general valuation-based Building Permit Fee table used for building permits generally, per artesianm.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1763.

Frequently asked questions

Artesia requires a sign permit for: Before erection of any sign constituting an independent structure, a drawing of the sign showing dimensions, materials, and location must be submitted to the building inspector/code enforcement officer, per City Code Sec. 9-11-1; The building inspector/code enforcement officer may deny a sign permit if the sign is or would be unsafe or insecure so as to be a menace to the public, per Sec. 9-11-1; The building inspector/code enforcement officer may require staff review of the construction drawings; if an inspection is required, the associated inspection fee applies, per Sec. 9-11-1; In residential and semi-public zoning districts, permitted signs are limited to bulletin boards up to 15 square feet and temporary signs up to 10 square feet, per Sec. 9-11-2; In commercial and manufacturing districts, signs are subject to a minimum 12-foot height clearance where applicable, property-line-projection limits, and setback requirements scaled to sign height, per Sec. 9-11-3; The City's 'Do I Need A Permit?' chart lists 'Signs' as requiring a City Building permit but marks Fire review 'No' -- one of the few categories on that chart with no fire-department sign-off requirement, per artesianm.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1151; Filed on the City's universal Building Permit Application (also covering Building/Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical/Gas/Fence/Lane-Alley Closure permit types) with 'Sign' checked as the Permit Type. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Artesia Community Development Department -- Planning & Zoning Division / Building Inspection (self-administering city building department; permits are issued directly by the City, not routed through the NM Construction Industries Division) at (575) 748-8298 (Planning & Zoning / Permit Technician Elida Martinez); Don Plotner, Res. Building/Plumbing/Mechanical Inspector (listed elsewhere on the City site as 'Chief Building Official'), (575) 748-8295; Fire Marshal Brenden Harvey (575) 746-5051 for the fire-department sign-off required on many non-1-and-2-family-home permits before starting work.

In Artesia, the published Building Permit Fee -- valuation-based (same schedule as other building permit types) is: $50.00 minimum (valuation $1,000), scaling per the same table used for building/commercial permits. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Artesia does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Artesia Community Development Department -- Planning & Zoning Division / Building Inspection (self-administering city building department; permits are issued directly by the City, not routed through the NM Construction Industries Division) at (575) 748-8298 (Planning & Zoning / Permit Technician Elida Martinez); Don Plotner, Res. Building/Plumbing/Mechanical Inspector (listed elsewhere on the City site as 'Chief Building Official'), (575) 748-8295; Fire Marshal Brenden Harvey (575) 746-5051 for the fire-department sign-off required on many non-1-and-2-family-home permits for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Sign); Sign Drawing / Sketch. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Artesia requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Sign Inspection (if required). Schedule each through City of Artesia Community Development Department -- Planning & Zoning Division / Building Inspection (self-administering city building department; permits are issued directly by the City, not routed through the NM Construction Industries Division) ((575) 748-8298 (Planning & Zoning / Permit Technician Elida Martinez); Don Plotner, Res. Building/Plumbing/Mechanical Inspector (listed elsewhere on the City site as 'Chief Building Official'), (575) 748-8295; Fire Marshal Brenden Harvey (575) 746-5051 for the fire-department sign-off required on many non-1-and-2-family-home permits).

Apply through City of Artesia Community Development Department -- Planning & Zoning Division / Building Inspection (self-administering city building department; permits are issued directly by the City, not routed through the NM Construction Industries Division) at Planning & Zoning physical address per the City's current Building Permits and Building Inspection webpages: 15 E Compress Rd., Artesia, NM 88210 (mailing: PO Box 1310, Artesia, NM 88211-1310). Note: the City's own materials are not fully consistent on this point -- the City's live FAQ (artesianm.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=199 and related Q's) separately states 'the Permit office is located at 119 S Roselawn STE 303,' and the Building Permit Application form and several plan-requirement/policy PDFs (Community Development Department letterhead) list 801 W. Bush Ave. / 801 Bush St., Artesia, NM 88210. All three addresses appear on current or recently-dated official City of Artesia materials; confirm the current in-person intake location by phone before visiting.. Phone: (575) 748-8298 (Planning & Zoning / Permit Technician Elida Martinez); Don Plotner, Res. Building/Plumbing/Mechanical Inspector (listed elsewhere on the City site as 'Chief Building Official'), (575) 748-8295; Fire Marshal Brenden Harvey (575) 746-5051 for the fire-department sign-off required on many non-1-and-2-family-home permits, email: buildingpermits@artesianm.gov. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fax: (575) 746-8502. Plan reviews are conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays specifically, per the City's own Residential and Commercial Permit Application Procedure documents.. Official information: https://www.artesianm.gov/280/Building-Permits.

Yes. Per City Code Sec. 9-11-1, before erection of any sign constituting an independent structure, a drawing showing dimensions, materials, and location must be submitted to the building inspector/code enforcement officer, who may deny the permit if the sign would be unsafe or a menace to the public. Source: City of Artesia Code of Ordinances 9-11-1.

No. The City's own 'Do I Need A Permit?' chart lists Signs as requiring a City Building permit only, with Fire review marked 'No' -- one of only a few categories on that chart without any fire-department sign-off. Source: artesianm.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1151.

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