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Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy in Aztec, New Mexico

Neither the City of Aztec nor the San Juan County Building Department publishes a standalone 'change of use permit' application or fee schedule distinct from the existing Building Permit and City Land Use Permit processes already documented in this file. A change in a building's occupancy classification is governed technically by the New Mexico Existing Building Code's Change of Occupancy provisions (2021 IEBC Chapter 10, adopted at 14.7.7 NMAC), reviewed through the same San Juan County Building Department Building Permit that covers new construction and alterations, and concludes with issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy (or approved final inspection) once all required inspections are approved, per NMAC 14.5.3.13. Separately, if a change in use also shifts the property's City of Aztec impact-fee category (e.g., commercial to residential), Aztec City Code Chapter 16, Sec. 16-56(6) requires the applicant to pay the difference between the impact fee payable for the prior use and the fee payable for the new use.

Reviewed 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A change in occupancy classification, or a change of occupancy within a space involving a different fire-protection-system threshold under Chapter 9 of the New Mexico Commercial Building Code, requires code-official approval before the change may be made
  • Reviewed as part of a standard Building Permit application to the San Juan County Building Department — no separate 'change of use permit' application form is published
  • Project valuation for a change-of-occupancy-classification project is set using ICC Building Valuation Data (BVD), the same method used for new construction — distinct from ordinary alterations/repairs NOT involving a change of occupancy classification, which are valued from contract price (San Juan County Building Department, Plan Review Requirements)
  • A Certificate of Occupancy (or an approved final inspection) must be issued before the building or portion thereof may be occupied, per NMAC 14.5.3.13; all required inspections must be completed and approved first
  • If the change in use also shifts the City of Aztec's impact-fee category for the property, Aztec City Code Sec. 16-56(6) requires payment of the difference between the impact fee payable for the prior use and the fee payable for the new use, collected through the City's Land Use Permit process

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee (valuation-based; no distinct change-of-use fee line item exists)San Juan County Building Department, Plan Review Requirements section, re-verified 2026-07-22 — same formula already documented under this file's Residential Building Permit entry; no separate change-of-use fee schedule is published anywhere.
Project valuation × 0.005 (0.5%), with valuation set via ICC Building Valuation Data for change-of-occupancy-classification projects
City of Aztec Impact Fee Recalculation (only if the use change also shifts the City's impact-fee category)Aztec City Code Chapter 16, Sec. 16-56(6); Chapter 16 Fee Schedule PDF dated 2026 June 10, verified 2026-07-22.
Difference between the impact fee payable for the prior use and the fee payable for the new use

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy permit actually take in Aztec?

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Certificate of Occupancy / Final Inspection

    All required building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical inspections applicable to the new occupancy/use must be completed and approved before a Certificate of Occupancy or an approved final inspection is issued, per NMAC 14.5.3.13.

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

Tips

  • Aztec and San Juan County do not publish a standalone 'change of use permit' — a change in occupancy classification is reviewed as part of the same Building Permit process used for new construction and alterations, valued using ICC Building Valuation Data rather than contract price.
  • A temporary Certificate of Occupancy of 30+ days may be issued where life safety is not compromised, extendable for good cause up to a maximum of 12 months, per NMAC 14.5.3.13.
  • If a change in use also shifts the City of Aztec's impact-fee category for the property (e.g., commercial to residential), budget separately for the City's impact-fee difference under Chapter 16, Sec. 16-56(6), collected at Land Use Permit issuance — this is distinct from the County's Building Permit fee.
  • A Certificate of Occupancy does not guarantee compliance with other agencies' requirements (fire code, environment department, health department), per NMAC 14.5.3.13.

Frequently asked questions

Aztec requires a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit for: A change in occupancy classification, or a change of occupancy within a space involving a different fire-protection-system threshold under Chapter 9 of the New Mexico Commercial Building Code, requires code-official approval before the change may be made; Reviewed as part of a standard Building Permit application to the San Juan County Building Department — no separate 'change of use permit' application form is published; Project valuation for a change-of-occupancy-classification project is set using ICC Building Valuation Data (BVD), the same method used for new construction — distinct from ordinary alterations/repairs NOT involving a change of occupancy classification, which are valued from contract price (San Juan County Building Department, Plan Review Requirements); A Certificate of Occupancy (or an approved final inspection) must be issued before the building or portion thereof may be occupied, per NMAC 14.5.3.13; all required inspections must be completed and approved first; If the change in use also shifts the City of Aztec's impact-fee category for the property, Aztec City Code Sec. 16-56(6) requires payment of the difference between the impact fee payable for the prior use and the fee payable for the new use, collected through the City's Land Use Permit process. If your project isn't listed, confirm with San Juan County Building Department (administers building permits, plan review, and inspections for the City of Aztec under an interlocal service agreement; the City of Aztec Community Development Department separately issues its own required Land Use Permit) at (505) 334-4313 (Building Division, permit/inspection scheduling); (505) 334-4550 (San Juan County Community Development main line); (505) 334-7605 (City of Aztec Community Development / Planning & Zoning, for the City's own Land Use Permit) before starting work.

Not a distinct one. The County's standard valuation-based Building Permit Fee applies, and if the change in use also shifts the City's impact-fee category for the property, the City separately collects the difference between the old and new impact-fee amounts under Chapter 16, Sec. 16-56(6).

Aztec does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact San Juan County Building Department (administers building permits, plan review, and inspections for the City of Aztec under an interlocal service agreement; the City of Aztec Community Development Department separately issues its own required Land Use Permit) at (505) 334-4313 (Building Division, permit/inspection scheduling); (505) 334-4550 (San Juan County Community Development main line); (505) 334-7605 (City of Aztec Community Development / Planning & Zoning, for the City's own Land Use Permit) for current turnaround.

You'll need: San Juan County Building Permit Application. Depending on your project, Aztec may also ask for: City of Aztec Land Use Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Aztec requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit, in order: Certificate of Occupancy / Final Inspection. Schedule each through San Juan County Building Department (administers building permits, plan review, and inspections for the City of Aztec under an interlocal service agreement; the City of Aztec Community Development Department separately issues its own required Land Use Permit) ((505) 334-4313 (Building Division, permit/inspection scheduling); (505) 334-4550 (San Juan County Community Development main line); (505) 334-7605 (City of Aztec Community Development / Planning & Zoning, for the City's own Land Use Permit)).

Apply through San Juan County Building Department (administers building permits, plan review, and inspections for the City of Aztec under an interlocal service agreement; the City of Aztec Community Development Department separately issues its own required Land Use Permit) at 209 South Oliver Drive, Aztec, NM 87410. Phone: (505) 334-4313 (Building Division, permit/inspection scheduling); (505) 334-4550 (San Juan County Community Development main line); (505) 334-7605 (City of Aztec Community Development / Planning & Zoning, for the City's own Land Use Permit). Office hours: San Juan County Community Development: Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM, closed Friday. City of Aztec Community Development: Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Some permit types are available online via the County's SmartGov Community portal at https://permitting.sjcounty.net/ (redirects to co-sanjuan-nm.smartgovcommunity.com); others remain paper applications submitted to the Building Division at 209 South Oliver Drive.. Official information: https://www.sjcounty.net/government/community-development/building-department.

Aztec, New Mexico has adopted: 2021 New Mexico Commercial & Residential Building Code; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — 14.7.3 NMAC; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — 14.7.2 NMAC; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — 14.7.7 NMAC; 2021 New Mexico Energy Conservation Code — 14.7.6 NMAC (residential) / 14.7.9 NMAC (commercial); ICC/ANSI A117.1-2017 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities; 2021 New Mexico Plumbing and Mechanical Code — 14.8.2 NMAC (plumbing) / 14.9.2 NMAC (mechanical); 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC); 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC); 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC); 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code — 14.10.4 NMAC; 2012 Uniform Solar Energy Code — 14.9.6 NMAC; 2012 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code — 14.8.3 NMAC; 2017 NFPA 58 (LP-Gas Code); 2018 NFPA 54 (National Fuel Gas Code); All codes are adopted and amended by the New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) and apply statewide, per the San Juan County Building Department's own published Construction Codes list, which explicitly states its scope covers the City of Aztec.. Local amendments apply — see the Aztec overview page for the full list.

No. Neither San Juan County (which administers building permitting for Aztec) nor the City of Aztec publishes a standalone change-of-use permit or fee. A change in occupancy classification is reviewed through the standard Building Permit process under the New Mexico Existing Building Code's Change of Occupancy provisions, and concludes with a Certificate of Occupancy once inspections are approved.

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

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