Change of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy in Bernalillo, New Mexico

Bernalillo requires a change of occupancy / certificate of occupancy permit for: No building or structure shall be used or occupied and no change in the existing occupancy classification of a building or structure, or portion thereof, shall be made until the Building Official has issued a Certificate of Occupancy or the Town has issued a Certificate of Compliance, as applicable — Town of Bernalillo Ordinance No. 318, Section 12.A; It is unlawful to commence the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, conversion, maintenance, removal, or demolition of a building or structure without first obtaining a Building Permit, if one is required by CID — Ordinance No. 318, Section 10.A; a change of occupancy classification that requires such work must be routed through the same CID Building Permit process (Alteration/Repairs/Demolition) as new construction, including the Town's mandatory zoning/floodplain pre-review sign-off; For site-built or modular buildings, structures, or housing units, a Certificate of Occupancy is signed by the Building Official upon completion and verification of all inspections and requirements, per Ordinance No. 318, Section 12.B; the CID Building Permit Guide for Commercial Construction independently confirms no change in existing occupancy classification is permitted until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy, per 14.5.3.13 NMAC; For manufactured or mobile homes, a Certificate of Compliance is issued by the Town instead, upon completion and verification of all inspections and requirements and prior to expiration of the time period required for skirting — Ordinance No. 318, Section 12.C; Issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Compliance is not construed as approval of any violation of a Building Code or Town ordinance, and the Building Official (or the Town, for a Certificate of Compliance) may suspend or revoke it in writing if the building, structure, or housing unit is later found in violation — Ordinance No. 318, Section 12.D; No distinct standalone fee is published by the Town or CID for a 'change of use' or Certificate of Occupancy application itself — per Ordinance No. 318, Section 9.A, fees for inspection/permitting services performed on the Town's behalf by an entity such as CID follow that entity's own fee schedule, which is the same ICC valuation-based Building Permit fee documented in this file's Residential/Commercial Building Permit entries. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Bernalillo Planning and Zoning Department at (505) 771-7118 (Planning and Zoning); (505) 867-3311 (Town Hall general information); fax (505) 867-0481 before starting work.

In Bernalillo, the published Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance is: No separate fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Bernalillo does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Bernalillo Planning and Zoning Department at (505) 771-7118 (Planning and Zoning); (505) 867-3311 (Town Hall general information); fax (505) 867-0481 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Certificate of Occupancy. Depending on your project, Bernalillo may also ask for: CID Multi-Purpose Building Application (Alteration/Repairs/Demolition); Certificate of Compliance. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Bernalillo requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of occupancy / certificate of occupancy permit, in order: Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy Issuance. Schedule each through Town of Bernalillo Planning and Zoning Department ((505) 771-7118 (Planning and Zoning); (505) 867-3311 (Town Hall general information); fax (505) 867-0481).

Apply through Town of Bernalillo Planning and Zoning Department at 829 S. Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo, NM 87004 (mail: P.O. Box 638, Bernalillo, NM 87004). Phone: (505) 771-7118 (Planning and Zoning); (505) 867-3311 (Town Hall general information); fax (505) 867-0481, email: pzdept@tobnm.gov. Office hours: Not separately published by the Planning and Zoning Department as of 2026-07-18; the department directs applicants to submit electronically to pzdept@tobnm.gov. General Town Hall information line: (505) 867-3311.. Official information: https://www.tobnm.gov/departments/planning_zoning/index.php.

No distinct standalone permit exists. Per Town of Bernalillo Ordinance No. 318, Section 12, no change in the existing occupancy classification of a building may be made until the Building Official issues a Certificate of Occupancy (or the Town issues a Certificate of Compliance for manufactured/mobile homes) — this is achieved through the same Building Permit/Alteration process used for construction work, not a separate application.

For site-built or modular buildings, the Building Official (New Mexico CID, acting as the Town's Certified Building Official) signs the Certificate of Occupancy after verifying all inspections and requirements. For manufactured and mobile homes, the Town itself issues a Certificate of Compliance instead. Source: Town of Bernalillo Ordinance No. 318, Section 12.