Fence Regulations in Doña Ana County, NM (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Doña Ana County, New Mexico.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Doña Ana County caps residential screening walls and fences at four feet in a required front yard and six feet along side or rear setbacks under UDC Table 5.22 at § 350-507R. Livestock enclosures may reach six feet, or eight with Zoning Administrator approval, and no fence is allowed inside a clear sight triangle.
Doña Ana County Fence Height Limits
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code § 350-507R(1)-(2), Table 5.22
Required front yard setback (primary frontage required, secondary frontage required only if used): 4 feet (3*)(2*). Within required side or rear yard setback (nonfrontage): 6 feet (1*). Livestock/animal enclosures/other security (side and rear): 6 feet (1*)(2*)(3*)(4*). Within a clear sight triangle: No screening wall or fence allowed, except as provided by § 350-608 C. (Clear Sight Triangles)....
Fence Permit Requirements
Any screening wall or fence over six feet tall in unincorporated Doña Ana County needs a building permit with plans sealed by a New Mexico-licensed professional engineer. Even shorter fences aren't exempt: the county requires a building permit for every screening wall or fence foundation, regardless of height, before construction starts under the Unified Development Code.
Doña Ana County Fence and Wall Permits
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code § 350-507R(1), Table 5.22, Notes (1*) & (3*)
Screening walls or fences above six feet require a building permit and plans sealed by a professional engineer licensed in the State of New Mexico. ... A building permit is required for all screening wall and screening fence foundations.
Retaining Walls
Inside Doña Ana County's New Urbanism zoning district, the master-planned area built around the Santa Teresa community, a retaining wall that holds back more than 30 inches of soil or fill, or that stands taller than 72 inches, must be designed by a professional engineer licensed in New Mexico. Every retaining wall must also stay entirely within the owner's own property line.
Retaining Walls in Doña Ana's New Urbanism Zone
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code § 350-830.7E(2)(e)-(f)
Retaining walls constructed after original development shall be located such that no part of the wall or footing is outside the property boundaries (i.e., no encroachment on adjacent property). ... Retaining walls retaining more than 30 inches of soil or other fill material and all walls exceeding 72 inches in height shall be designed by a professional engineer licensed to practice in the State...
Material Restrictions
Doña Ana County's fencing rules keep barbed wire and razor wire out of residential settings. Under the Unified Development Code, barbed wire and razor fencing are permitted only in the county's agricultural and industrial zoning districts and uses, and even there the material is off-limits wherever the fence sits adjacent to a residential zone district or use.
Doña Ana County Bars Barbed Wire Near Homes
Significant RestrictionsDoña Ana County Code § 350-507R(2)(d)
The use of barbed wire or razor fences are permitted in the agricultural and industrial zone districts or uses except when adjacent to a residential zone district or use.
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