Fire Alarm System Permit (Plan Review) in Town of Taos, New Mexico

Town of Taos requires a fire alarm system permit (plan review) for: Fire Inspection Request Application (Town of Taos Fire Department) with the 'Commercial Fire Alarm System Plans' Plan Review Fees checkbox selected, listing the total number of devices; A set of plans must be submitted for plan review, per the application's own checklist; Installation must comply with the 2015 International Fire Code as adopted and locally modified by Town of Taos Code of Ordinances § 8.12.010; For commercial, industrial, or large-scale-residential projects, plans must be stamped by a licensed engineer and/or architect per Town of Taos Code of Ordinances § 16.12.070.3(E); If the installed fire alarm system will be monitored or connected to the Town's central alarm-response panel, a SEPARATE Alarm User Permit is additionally required under Town of Taos Code of Ordinances Chapter 8.04 (§ 8.04.040) — this is a distinct permit governing monitoring/false-alarm liability, not the Fire Department's plan-review permit for the alarm system's construction/installation compliance, and carries its own fee (see Fees); A contractor performing the physical installation must separately hold a current New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) license for the applicable fire-alarm trade, a statewide licensing requirement distinct from this Town-administered plan-review/permit process; Failure to secure a required fire-code permit is a citable offense under the Town's fire code citation program, carrying a $250.00 citation fee per violation, in addition to any permit fee — Town of Taos Code of Ordinances § 8.12.020. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Taos Planning, Community and Economic Development Department (handles zoning review for building permits; the former standalone 'Building Safety Division' name appears on some older documents but current applications and the department's own letterhead identify it as the Planning, Community and Economic Development Department) at 575-751-2016 before starting work.

In Town of Taos, the published Commercial Fire Alarm System Plans (plan review) is: $50.00 + $1.00 per device over 50. Additional published fees: Alarm User Permit (separate permit, only if centrally monitored) — $100.00 initial connection fee, then $50.00 per calendar year (systems connected to the town's central alarm panel); $10.00 per calendar year (all other alarm user permits); False Alarm Service Fees (Alarm User Permit track only, if applicable) — No fee for the first 2 false alarms per calendar year; $50.00 for the 3rd-4th; $100.00 for the 5th and beyond; $500.00 if 7+ false alarms are found to result from negligence; $125.00 no-key-holder-response fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Town of Taos does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Taos Planning, Community and Economic Development Department (handles zoning review for building permits; the former standalone 'Building Safety Division' name appears on some older documents but current applications and the department's own letterhead identify it as the Planning, Community and Economic Development Department) at 575-751-2016 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Fire Inspection Request Application — Commercial Fire Alarm System Plans; Set of Fire Alarm System Plans; Alarm Device Count. Depending on your project, Town of Taos may also ask for: Alarm User Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Town of Taos requires 2 inspection(s) for a fire alarm system permit (plan review), in order: Fire Marshal Plan Review, Fire Alarm System Inspection. Schedule each through Town of Taos Planning, Community and Economic Development Department (handles zoning review for building permits; the former standalone 'Building Safety Division' name appears on some older documents but current applications and the department's own letterhead identify it as the Planning, Community and Economic Development Department) (575-751-2016).

Apply through Town of Taos Planning, Community and Economic Development Department (handles zoning review for building permits; the former standalone 'Building Safety Division' name appears on some older documents but current applications and the department's own letterhead identify it as the Planning, Community and Economic Development Department) at 400 Camino de la Placita, Taos, NM 87571. Phone: 575-751-2016, email: planning@taosnm.gov. Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: walk-ins welcome (appointments prioritized); Tuesday, Friday: by appointment only; no same-day appointments (per Town of Taos Planning Division office-hours notice, effective June 9, 2025). Official information: https://www.taosnm.gov/203/Planning-Community-Economic-Development.

The Town of Taos Fire Department's own fire marshal reviews fire alarm system plans directly, using the Department's Fire Inspection Request Application — self-administered by the Town, not routed to the state Construction Industries Division, the same pattern as fire sprinkler plan review in Taos.

No. The Fire Inspection Request Application's Commercial Fire Alarm System Plans line item covers plan review of the physical alarm system's fire-code compliance. A separate Alarm User Permit under Town of Taos Code of Ordinances Chapter 8.04 is required only if the system will be monitored or connected to the Town's central alarm-response panel, and covers false-alarm liability, not construction compliance.