STATE LICENSE
RequiredNew Mexico Regulation & Licensing Departm…
CID's MM-3 classification requires four years of experience. The 2022 rule describes it as HVAC air handling and refrigeration equipment, packaged units, evaporative coolers, and ductwork; CID's 2026 amendments rename it 'HVAC, hydronics, fuel gas piping systems, and process piping' and fold in the former MM-2 gas fitting and MM-4 process piping scopes. The adopted journeyman rule (effective August 1, 2026) lets refrigeration (JR), sheet metal (JSM), pipe fitter (JPF), and gas fitter (JG) journeymen work under MM-3.
A JR refrigeration certificate issues only after the applicant shows compliance with EPA refrigerant recovery requirements. HVAC is never handyman work: CID says even a furnace replacement needs a permit pulled by a licensed contractor, and homeowners may not run their own ductwork. The 2024 New Mexico Mechanical Code took effect August 1, 2026, and CID is enforcing 2024 UMC A2L refrigerant provisions under an August 2024 memo.
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.
CID's 2026 amendments merge the old MM-4 process piping and MM-2 gas fitting scopes into MM-3; LP gas appliances still require an LP gas license.
CID's August 28, 2024 memo enforces 2024 UMC A2L refrigerant provisions statewide; suppliers may deplete R-410A equipment stock through 2028.
CID says homeowners may not run their own ductwork, and furnace or water heater replacement needs a permit pulled by a licensed contractor.
A practical sequence for a new HVAC 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: Final adopted text of the 2026 amendments to 14.6.6 NMAC — the State Records Center page still shows the March 10, 2022 version, while the adopted 14.6.4 NMAC (eff. Aug. 1, 2026) already treats MM-1 and MM-3 as the only single-trade mechanical licenses · 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 · How existing MM-2 and MM-4 licensees are converted under the 2026 amendments (no transition provision was found in the documents retrieved)
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.