STATE LICENSE
ConditionalNew Mexico Regulation & Licensing Departm…
Planting and grounds maintenance have no CID classification. The CILA does count leveling or clearing land and excavating earth as contracting (NMSA § 60-13-3(A)(12)–(13)), so grading and excavation need GS-8. Potable-water lawn sprinkler systems, including backflow devices, are MS-6 work (two years of experience). Masonry walls of six feet or more and retaining walls of 36 inches or more are GS-16, and recreation-area construction is GF-5.
Applying pesticides or herbicides for hire on land you don't own or occupy requires a New Mexico Department of Agriculture commercial pesticide applicator license (NMSA § 76-4-17) — categories 3A and 3B cover ornamental and turf work — plus an operator license for each employee who applies them. Small jobs may fit the CILA's $7,200-a-year handyman exemption, but never sprinkler plumbing tied to a potable water supply.
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 the construction scopes statewide and NMDA licenses pesticide applicators statewide. Irrigation, wall, and grading permits come from CID or the local building department where one exists; a municipality may not require a CID licensee to post an additional license bond (NMSA § 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.
Leveling or clearing land and excavating earth are listed as contracting in NMSA § 60-13-3(A); farm and ranch earthwork is exempt.
Potable water lawn sprinklers are MS-6 (or MM-1/MM-98) work, and a JS journeyman sprinkler certificate covers the installers.
For-hire pesticide or herbicide application requires an NMDA commercial applicator license and financial responsibility — a $100,000 surety bond or liability insurance (21.17.50.22 NMAC).
A practical sequence for a new landscaping 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.
Applying pesticides for hire without the required NMDA license or otherwise violating the act or its rules.
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: NMDA's current pesticide licensing web pages (nmda.nmsu.edu refused the connection during research), so the fees actually charged after the 2026 fee-cap amendment were not confirmed · 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 · NMDA continuing education or recertification requirements for commercial applicators (not found in 21.17.50 NMAC as retrieved) · Whether the 2026 amendments to 14.6.6 changed MS-6 experience or scope beyond the control-wiring voltage (final text not 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.