STATE LICENSE
RequiredNew Mexico Regulation & Licensing Departm…
CID licenses electrical businesses as EE-98 (residential, commercial, and industrial wiring at 5,000 volts or less; four years of experience) or ER-1 (residential one- and two-family dwellings and ground-floor-only multifamily, no more than four units per building; two years). Specialty licenses cover signs (ES-1), cathodic and lightning protection (ES-2), low-voltage systems under 50 volts (ES-3), telephone systems (ES-7), and well pumps (ES-10, ES-10R). Only EE-98 contractors may install raceways in or on buildings, with narrow exceptions.
Under 14.6.6.10 NMAC every individual performing electrical wiring needs a journeyman certificate matching the license (EE-98J requires four years of experience); apprentices work under direct supervision at no more than two per journeyman on commercial work and three on residential. EE-98J and EL-1J journeymen complete 16 hours of continuing education — 8 on code — in every three-year period. Electrical wiring is expressly excluded from the handyman exemption.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
CID licenses contractors statewide under the Construction Industries Licensing Act; the license is the trade credential everywhere in New Mexico. Permits and inspections are issued by CID or, where a city or county runs its own building department, by that jurisdiction under codes adopted pursuant to NMSA § 60-13-44. A municipality may not require a licensed contractor to post an additional license bond (§ 60-13-51).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every New Mexico county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
The $7,200 handyman exemption expressly excludes electrical wiring (NMSA § 60-13-3(D)(14)).
Specialty licensees may not install raceways in or on buildings; ER-1 licensees may install raceways incidental to residential wiring (14.6.6.10(A)(3) NMAC).
A homeowner may wire their own home only after passing CID's homeowner electrical exam (75% to pass) and obtaining a homeowner permit (14.5.2.18 NMAC; CID FAQ).
A practical sequence for a new electrical contractor in New Mexico. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Acting as a contractor without the license the CILA requires is a misdemeanor prosecuted in magistrate or metropolitan court; a second conviction doubles the penalty, and CID says a violator becomes eligible for licensure one year after conviction.
A contractor may not sue to collect compensation for licensed work without alleging and proving it was licensed when the claim arose, and an unlicensed contractor has no right to file a mechanic's lien.
Acting as a journeyman without a valid certificate of competence is a separate misdemeanor; a repeat conviction doubles it.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: License application fee: CID's licensing page lists a $36 application fee paid to PSI, while 14.5.5.8 NMAC as posted by the State Records Center still lists $30; license-fee amounts here ($100 or $200 per two-year term) come from 14.5.5.8 NMAC and may have been changed by a later rule not retrieved · PSI trade and Business & Law exam fees (published only in PSI Candidate Information Bulletins, not on an official state page) · Journeyman certificate fee: CID's fee page lists $75 for all journeyman certificates while 14.5.5.9 NMAC lists a $25 exam fee and $25-per-year renewal; the CID figure is used here · The renewal term and expiration date CID currently assigns (NMSA § 60-13-18(B) allows up to two years with staggered expirations; the current CID/PSI schedule was not retrieved) · Continuing education for electrical contractor licenses themselves — CID's CE page lists requirements only for EE-98J and EL-1J journeyman certificates
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.