Sign Regulations in Albuquerque, NM (2026)
5 verified sign regulations for Albuquerque, New Mexico, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Election signs qualify as temporary signs under Albuquerque's IDO and need no sign permit, but ordinarily can only stay up 15 days. The code carves out a specific exception for elections: one sign per street frontage may go up 60 calendar days before an election and must come down within 10 days after it.
Albuquerque Election Sign Display Window
Some RestrictionsAlbuquerque Integrated Development Ordinance § 14-16-5-12(I)(1), (I)(2)(c)
5-12(I)(1) Standards Temporary signs may be erected without obtaining a sign permit, provided that they comply with the standards in Table 5-12-7. They shall not count toward any maximum number of signs or sign area allowed on a property. ... 5-12(I)(2) Time Period Temporary signs may be in place no longer than 15 calendar days, with the following exceptions. ... 5-12(I)(2)( ... c) ... One (1) ...
Holiday Displays
Albuquerque's IDO treats string lights, icicle lights, and inflatable holiday displays as 'seasonal lighting,' exempt from the code's usual shielding and color-temperature rules. IDO § 14-16-5-8(I)(2) caps the display at 45 consecutive days, up to twice a year, and bans it outright in Natural Dark Zones.
Albuquerque Holiday & Seasonal Lighting Duration
Some RestrictionsAlbuquerque Integrated Development Ordinance § 14-16-5-8(I)(2)(a)-(c); § 14-16-7-1 (Definitions: Seasonal Lighting); § 14-16-6-9(C)(5)(f)
Seasonal lighting is not allowed in lighting designation NDZ. Seasonal lighting is allowed for up to 45 consecutive days up to 2 times per year. Seasonal lighting is exempt from the uplight, CCT, CRI, and point light source restrictions in § 14-16-5-8(D) and ... Seasonal Lighting Outdoor or site lighting that is portable, temporary, and decorative. This includes but is not limited to string lig...
Digital Billboards
Albuquerque's Integrated Development Ordinance regulates electronic signs, including digital billboards, under IDO § 14-16-5-12(H). Off-premises electronic signs are banned within 660 feet of Alameda, Griegos, Rio Grande, Tramway and Unser boulevards, near historic districts, and within a quarter mile of Major Public Open Space, and must dim automatically and stay under 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light.
Digital Billboard Rules in Albuquerque
Significant RestrictionsAlbuquerque Integrated Development Ordinance § 14-16-5-12(H)(2)-(4)
5-12(H)(2)(b) In residential development in any Residential zone district. For other types of development in any Residential zone district, electronic signs are limited to 25 percent of the total sign area. ... 5-12(H)(2)( ... e) Within 1,320 feet (¼ mile) in any direction of Major Public Open Space. ... 5-12(H)( ... 3)(a) On-premises Signs 1. If a premises meets the requirements for an electro...
Window Signs
In Albuquerque's Mixed-use and Non-residential zone districts, the IDO caps window signage at 15 percent of a building's window and door area, with a separate 25 percent cap for the ground-floor band between 4 and 8 feet above ground. The standard applies to every sign inside a window or on a door that's visible from outside the building.
Albuquerque Window Sign Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsAlbuquerque Integrated Development Ordinance § 14-16-5-12(F)(2)(a), Table 5-12-3
The standards in Table 5-12-2 and this § 14-16-5-12(F)(2) apply to all signs that are not located within any Residential zone district unless specified otherwise in this IDO. ... Window Sign No more than 15% of window and door areas may be covered with signs. On the ground floor, between 4 feet and 8 feet above ground level, window signs shall be limited to 25% of that area. ... Window Sign A s...
Freeway-Facing Signs
Within Albuquerque city limits, off-premises signs (billboards) cannot be erected within 660 feet of Interstate 25 or Interstate 40. The Integrated Development Ordinance also bars off-premises signs outright from every Residential zone district and from the MX-T, MX-FB, and NR-PO districts, leaving only a handful of non-residential zones where they are conditionally allowed.
Albuquerque Bans Off-Premises Signs Near Freeways
Significant RestrictionsAlbuquerque Integrated Development Ordinance § 14-16-5-12(G)(1)
5-12(G) OFF-PREMISES SIGNS 5-12(G)(1) Locations 5-12(G)(1)(a) Off-premises signs are prohibited in any Residential zone district. 5-12(G)(1)(b) Off-premises signs are prohibited in the MX-T, MX-FB, and NR-PO zone districts. 5-12(G)(1)(c) Off-premises signs are only allowed in the NR-BP, NR-SU, PD, or PC zone districts if the maximum number, size, height, and location of such sign(s) are specifi...
Looking for Bernalillo County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Albuquerque city rules.
Sign Regulations in Bernalillo County →