Business Licensing & Operations in Santa Fe, NM (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Santa Fe, New Mexico, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Santa Fe bans sexually oriented businesses from residential districts and requires a 1,000-foot buffer from schools, parks, religious institutions, restaurants, hotels, theaters, day cares and libraries under City Code Section 14-6.2(C)(1). Operators must also hold an annual license from the city's accounts receivable office, renewed each year and subject to background screening and revocation for violations.
Santa Fe Sexually Oriented Business Location Rules
Significant RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code (SFCC 1987) § 14-6.2(C)(1)(b)
A sexually oriented business shall not be located or presented in a residential district, even temporarily; within one thousand (1,000) feet of a district zoned for residential uses or a district in which single-family dwellings or multiple-family dwellings are allowed as principal uses and structures; or within one thousand (1,000) feet of any parcel of real property on which is located any of...
Massage Establishments
Santa Fe defines a 'massage parlor' as any business with two or more people performing massage, and licenses it like any other regulated business: Subsection 18-8.10 sets the fee at $50.00 per year for each place of business, and operating without that license is unlawful under the same subsection.
Santa Fe licenses massage parlors for $50 a year
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code §§ 18-1.2, 18-8.10(A)(14)
Massage means the practice, for compensation, of full body massage by hand through the use of any mechanical apparatus incorporating nonspecific stretching techniques, the use of oil rubs, heat lamps, salt glows, hot and cold packs, tubs, showers, or cabinet baths, steam baths and mineral water. ... masseurs or masseuses shall not diagnose or treat classified diseases, nor practice spinal or ot...
Tobacco Retail License
Santa Fe bars retailers from selling tobacco products by any method other than a direct, face-to-face exchange and bans self-service tobacco displays. Section 20-27.3 SFCC 1987 also confines tobacco vending machines to employee-only areas, remote-lockout machines, or age-controlled venues, backed by mandatory point-of-sale warning signs.
Santa Fe Tobacco Product Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSFCC 1987 § 20-27.3
A.Except as provided in paragraphs B and C of this section:(1)A person shall not sell tobacco products at a retail location by means other than a direct, face-to-face exchange between the customer and seller or the seller's employee; and(2)A person selling goods at a retail location shall not use a self-service display for tobacco products.B.Tobacco products may be sold by vending machines in t...
Secondhand Dealers
Santa Fe requires anyone who buys or sells secondhand goods, junk, core parts or precious metals to hold a city business license under Code Section 18-4.2, at a $50 annual fee for each place of business. Licensees must keep the shop open only 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., hold every item five working days, and log each transaction for 18 months.
Santa Fe Secondhand Dealer Licensing
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code Section 18-4.2
It is unlawful for a person to engage in any business as defined by subsection 18-4.1 SFCC 1987, and coming under the provisions of Section 18-4 SFCC 1987, without first obtaining a business license, as required by Section 18-1 SFCC 1987.
Pawnbrokers
Santa Fe requires every pawnbroker to hold a city business license under City Code Section 18-4, pay a $250 annual fee, post a $5,000 surety bond, pass a police background investigation, and file a daily report of every item pawned or purchased. Applicants convicted of a felony or moral-turpitude crime are automatically denied.
Santa Fe Pawnbroker Licensing Rules
Significant RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code Section 18-4.3
An applicant for a license as a pawnbroker must be of good moral character and shall not have been convicted of any felony or crime involving moral turpitude. A license shall be denied to any applicant whose license was revoked for cause or who was a partner, officer, director, trustee, manager or stockholder of any corporation or unincorporated association the license of which was revoked for ...
Towing Companies
Wrecker companies must register with the Santa Fe Police Department and join a rotating towing list before responding to police-requested tows. Section 20-21.4 SFCC 1987 requires 24-hour availability, arrival within 30 minutes, and storage within 10 miles of city limits, or the chief of police can suspend or remove the registrant.
Santa Fe Non-Consent Towing Wrecker Rules
Significant RestrictionsSFCC 1987 § 20-21.4(I)-(N)
I.The wrecker company shall arrive on the scene within thirty (30) minutes of receipt of a request for service from the Santa Fe police department.J.The wrecker company shall tow or carry vehicles, not drive, to storage sites.K.A vehicle shall not be towed outside of Santa Fe county and not more than ten (10) miles of the city of Santa Fe limits, unless requested by the vehicle owner or a Santa...