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Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit in Gallup, New Mexico

Gallup addresses a change of use through two distinct, independently-verified tracks depending on what the change triggers. (1) Zoning: if the proposed use is not permitted-by-right in the property's zoning district, a City of Gallup Conditional Use Permit (Land Development Standards Section 10-5-B-d-iii) is required from the Planning & Zoning Commission — e.g., multi-family use requires this. (2) Building/fire code: if the change places the structure in a different occupancy group or division (International Fire Code Section 102.3, as amended by Gallup Ordinance No. C2024-1, and IEBC Chapter 10 / 14.7.7 NMAC, New Mexico Existing Building Code), the structure must comply with the currently-adopted New Mexico Commercial Building Code or Existing Building Code, subject to Fire Code official approval, and no occupancy classification may change until a Certificate of Occupancy or approved final inspection is issued (14.5.3.13 NMAC) — a function now performed by CID rather than the City, since Gallup's own certified building official position was not filled after the July 6, 2026 transition. A given project may require one or both tracks.

Verified 2026-07-23 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Zoning track: a Conditional Use Permit is required when the proposed use is not permitted-by-right in the applicable zoning district (e.g., multi-family use), per City of Gallup Land Development Standards Section 10-5-B-d-iii
  • Zoning track: only the property owner (or their agent) may apply, and a pre-application conference with the Planning & Development Director is required first
  • Zoning track: application must include the property's legal description, current zoning designation, a written statement of compliance with the Conditional Use criteria (Section 10-5-B-d-iii-2), and a site plan drawn to scale showing structures, ingress/egress, parking, utilities, and screening/landscape buffers
  • Zoning track: applications are due by the second Friday of the month to be heard the following month; the applicant or a representative must be present at the Planning & Zoning Commission hearing or the request will not be heard
  • Building/fire-code track: changing a structure's occupancy group or division requires compliance with the currently-adopted New Mexico Commercial Building Code or Existing Building Code, and is subject to Fire Code official approval under amended IFC Section 102.3; a less-hazardous-use change may be allowed without full code conformance at the Fire Code official's discretion
  • Building/fire-code track: a City of Gallup Site Development Permit (zoning/infrastructure prerequisite) is required before CID will accept the building-permit application, per the City's July 2026 CID Transition process used for other general-construction-adjacent permits in this jurisdiction
  • Building/fire-code track: no change in occupancy classification is allowed until the building official (now CID, post-transition) issues a Certificate of Occupancy or an approved final inspection — 14.5.3.13 NMAC
  • A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy may be issued for a 30-day period (or longer if approved), extendable up to a maximum of 12 months — 14.5.3.13 NMAC; a C/O does not guarantee compliance with other agencies' requirements (fire marshal, environmental, health) and can be revoked or suspended if issued in error

Required documents

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Fee schedule

City of Gallup Conditional Use Permit processing feeCity of Gallup 'Instructions for Obtaining a Conditional Use Permit' packet (version 2026.03.04): 'Pay your processing fee of $150.00 at this time. Checks can be made payable to the "City of Gallup".' Payment guarantees processing only, not approval. Re-confirmed 2026-07-23: re-fetched gallupnm.gov/DocumentCenter/View/56, still version 2026.03.04, $150.00 figure and 5-day GTF review / 15-day hearing notice / 10-day appeal timeline all unchanged.
$150.00
CID General Construction Building Permit Fee (valuation-based, if construction work is required to meet the new occupancy classification)N.M. Admin. Code 14.5.5.11(A) — applies only if the change of occupancy requires structural or system work under a CID building permit
$3.00 per $1,000.00 valuation up to $15,000; $1.00 per $1,000.00 valuation over $15,000
Certificate of Occupancy feeAvenues exhausted: NM RLD CID Forms and Applications: Fees page (no C/O-specific line item in the Electrical, Mechanical/Plumbing, or General Building tables), N.M. Admin. Code Title 14 Chapter 5 Part 5 (Fees), City of Gallup Fee Schedule page (338 — shows unrelated Fitness Center rates). The C/O appears to be bundled into the general-construction building-permit fee rather than billed separately. Re-confirmed 2026-07-23: RLD fees page and NMAC 14.5.5 re-fetched, no separate C/O line item found, gap still genuine. Confirm with a CID office or narchie@gallupnm.gov.
GENUINELY UNPUBLISHED as of lastVerified — no separate C/O fee line item was located

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Gallup?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy Inspection

    Verifies the structure complies with the applicable code for its new occupancy classification; no occupancy change is permitted until this inspection is approved and a C/O or approved final inspection is issued, per 14.5.3.13 NMAC

  2. 2

    Fire Code Official Inspection

    Verifies compliance with the amended IFC Section 102.3 change-of-occupancy provisions, particularly where the new use is more hazardous (life/fire risk) than the existing use

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

Tips

  • Determine which track applies before starting: a use change that is not permitted-by-right in your zoning district needs a Conditional Use Permit from Planning & Zoning; a use change that shifts the building's occupancy group/division needs code-compliance work and a Certificate of Occupancy, now issued by CID rather than the City. Some projects need both.
  • The Conditional Use Permit has a hard monthly cutoff — applications must be in by the second Friday of the month to be heard the following month, and the applicant (or a representative) must attend the hearing in person or the request will not be heard.
  • The $150 Conditional Use Permit fee only guarantees your request will be processed — it does not constitute approval.
  • Because the City of Gallup no longer employs a certified building official as of July 6, 2026, code-compliance review for an occupancy change (and the resulting Certificate of Occupancy) now routes through CID, following the same Site Development Permit prerequisite used for this jurisdiction's other general-construction-adjacent permits.

Frequently asked questions

It depends on what the change triggers. If the new use isn't permitted-by-right in your zoning district (for example, converting to multi-family), you need a $150 Conditional Use Permit from the Planning & Zoning Commission. If the change shifts the building's occupancy classification under the fire/building code, you need code-compliance work and a Certificate of Occupancy — now issued through CID rather than the City, following the City's Site Development Permit prerequisite. Some projects require both.

The City of Gallup Conditional Use Permit processing fee is a verified $150.00, per the City's current Conditional Use Permit application packet. If construction work is needed to meet a new occupancy classification, CID's separate valuation-based General Construction Building Permit fee also applies (N.M. Admin. Code 14.5.5.11). No standalone Certificate of Occupancy fee was found published.

Gallup does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Gallup Planning & Development Department (site development / zoning / fence / sign permits and mandatory zoning-compliance prerequisite review); New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID) — building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permit issuance, plan review, and inspections at City of Gallup Planning & Development: (505) 863-1240 (fax (505) 722-5131 / 5134); CID Albuquerque: (505) 222-9800/9801; CID Santa Fe: (505) 476-4700; CID inspection scheduling: (505) 222-9813 or (877) 243-0979 for current turnaround.

Depending on your project, Gallup may also ask for: City of Gallup Conditional Use Permit Application; City of Gallup Site Development Permit Application; Multi Purpose State Building Application / CID Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Gallup requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupancy permit, in order: Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy Inspection, Fire Code Official Inspection. Schedule each through City of Gallup Planning & Development Department (site development / zoning / fence / sign permits and mandatory zoning-compliance prerequisite review); New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID) — building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permit issuance, plan review, and inspections (City of Gallup Planning & Development: (505) 863-1240 (fax (505) 722-5131 / 5134); CID Albuquerque: (505) 222-9800/9801; CID Santa Fe: (505) 476-4700; CID inspection scheduling: (505) 222-9813 or (877) 243-0979).

Apply through City of Gallup Planning & Development Department (site development / zoning / fence / sign permits and mandatory zoning-compliance prerequisite review); New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID) — building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permit issuance, plan review, and inspections at City of Gallup Planning & Development: 110 W. Aztec Avenue, Gallup, NM 87301 (mailing: PO Box 1270, Gallup, NM 87305). Nearest CID office: Albuquerque, 5500 San Antonio Dr. Suite F, Albuquerque, NM 87109. Phone: City of Gallup Planning & Development: (505) 863-1240 (fax (505) 722-5131 / 5134); CID Albuquerque: (505) 222-9800/9801; CID Santa Fe: (505) 476-4700; CID inspection scheduling: (505) 222-9813 or (877) 243-0979, email: City of Gallup Planning & Development fee questions: narchie@gallupnm.gov; CID permit help: CID.PERMITHELP@rld.nm.gov; CID inspections: CID.Inspection@state.nm.us. Office hours: City of Gallup Planning & Development Department: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (MST). Official information: https://gallupnm.gov/779/Building-Permits.

Gallup, New Mexico has adopted: AUTHORITY TRANSITION (effective July 6, 2026): Per the City of Gallup Planning & Development Department's June 4, 2026 'Immediate Release: Letter to Contractors - CID Transition,' the City's sole Certified Building Official/Building Inspector (John Margis) retired effective July 2, 2026, and after an unsuccessful multi-state recruitment effort the City 'will no longer be able to issue building permits for general construction.' Effective July 6, 2026, the City of Gallup no longer accepts building permit applications for general construction; 'all building permits for anything related to the International Building Code, International Residential Code, International Existing Buildings Code and ADA will go through the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division (CID) for permitting and inspection.' The City transitions to issuing a 'site development permit' covering zoning compliance, fire, water, wastewater, electric services, solid waste, drainage, and pedestrian/vehicular safety infrastructure review, and continues to issue permits for fencing, retaining walls, and signs directly. Source: City of Gallup News Flash, 'Immediate Release: Letter to Contractors - CID Transition,' posted June 8, 2026 (gallupnm.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/1309), signed by Clyde (C.B.) Strain, Planning & Development Director; Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) permits in Gallup were ALREADY issued directly by the CID prior to this transition and are unaffected in routing by the July 2026 change — 'The State of New Mexico provides their own permits and inspections for plumbing, mechanical and electrical' (City of Gallup Homeowner's Building Permit Application, PLANNING-HBP APP REV. 03/2020, page 1) — the July 2026 change specifically adds general construction/building (IBC/IRC/IEBC/ADA) permitting to CID's existing MEP role in Gallup; Statutory basis for CID's role as the default statewide Authority Having Jurisdiction where a municipality cannot maintain a certified local building department: N.M. Admin. Code 14.5.2.8 (Permits Required) and the Construction Industries Licensing Act; CID's general building permit fee structure is set by N.M. Admin. Code 14.5.5.11 (General Construction Building Permit Fees), electrical fees by 14.5.5.12, and mechanical/plumbing fees by 14.5.5.13; 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code (based on 2021 IBC) — per City of Gallup Building Permits - Governing Codes & Laws page; enforced by CID for general-construction permits post-transition; 2021 New Mexico Residential Building Code (based on 2021 IRC) — per City of Gallup Building Permits - Governing Codes & Laws page; 2021 New Mexico Existing Building Code — per City of Gallup Building Permits - Governing Codes & Laws page; 2021 New Mexico Earthen Building Materials Code — per City of Gallup Building Permits - Governing Codes & Laws page (reflects the region's traditional adobe/earthen construction); 2021 New Mexico Historic Earthen Buildings code — per City of Gallup Building Permits - Governing Codes & Laws page; 2018 New Mexico Residential Energy Conservation Code — per City of Gallup Building Permits - Governing Codes & Laws page; 2018 New Mexico Commercial Energy Conservation Code — per City of Gallup Building Permits - Governing Codes & Laws page; ICC A117.1-2017 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities — per City of Gallup Building Permits - Governing Codes & Laws page; 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code (based on 2020 NEC), NMAC 14.10.4 — statewide CID-enforced code for electrical permits (consistent with CID's statewide electrical code cited in the Alamogordo, NM jurisdiction record; no Gallup-specific electrical code deviation was found); 2021 New Mexico Plumbing Code, NMAC 14.8.2, and 2021 New Mexico Mechanical Code, NMAC 14.9.2 — statewide CID-enforced codes for plumbing and mechanical permits; New Mexico Administrative Code, Title 14, Housing and Construction, Chapters 5 through 10 and 12, cited by the City of Gallup as the governing regulatory framework for building permits, land use, and zoning within the jurisdiction (City of Gallup Building Permits - Governing Codes & Laws page). Local amendments apply — see the Gallup overview page for the full list.

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Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit in other cities

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