Sandoval County, NM Ordinances (2026)

Sandoval County limits detached sheds and accessory buildings to fifteen feet in height and to twenty-five percent of the yard area behind the main house under Section 14.C. Buildings…

Sandoval County's zoning code allows one detached, kitchen-free Guest House per lot as a by-right accessory dwelling in the RRA District, plus an attached In-Law Quarters with its own…

For non-residential development in the La Cueva Design Overlay Zone, Sandoval County's zoning code requires every outdoor light fixture to be shielded, focused downward and capped at…

New non-residential lighting in the La Cueva Design Overlay Zone can't spill past the property line. Section 9(2.5)(C)(7)(d) requires exterior lighting to be shielded so emitted light…

Anyone building a residential pool in Sandoval County must first get a building permit from the Zoning Officer. Section 15.G(2)[h] requires a building permit application, a site plan…

Every swimming pool in Sandoval County must be enclosed by a solid wall, fence, or chain-link fence at least five feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates. Section 14.F.1 also…

Sandoval County limits how much of a single-family lot can be covered by buildings, from 15% on the largest-lot R1-35 district up to 50% on the compact R1-5 district. Section 12(1.1).E…

The default Rural Residential/Agricultural (RRA) district, which covers any unincorporated Sandoval County land not otherwise mapped, sets a 20-foot front setback and 10-foot side and…

Commercial solid waste containers in unincorporated Sandoval County must be kept accessible between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., or as otherwise set by the county manager, and cannot hold…

Sandoval County has no curbside yard waste pickup program; grass clippings, leaves, and brush ('yard refuse' under § 14-19) must go out with regular solid waste or be burned only under…

Sandoval County requires solid waste receptacles to be kept clean and located where they're readily accessible for pickup, but never positioned in a way that creates a nuisance or…

Residential trash collection outside Placitas runs through an eight-year exclusive franchise hauler, but county code makes subscribing non-mandatory. Pickup frequency follows the…

Sandoval County makes it unlawful to dump solid waste or debris in any arroyo, streambed, drainage ditch, or public body of water, or on any property in the county whether the dumper…

Sandoval County has no breed-specific dog ban. Instead, Code § 4-9(b) targets individual animals: it is unlawful to keep or harbor any 'vicious animal,' defined in § 4-1 as one that…

In Sandoval County's R1-35 single-family district, residents may keep livestock, defined to include horses, cattle, goats, rabbits and fowl, at one animal per 21,780 square feet of lot…

Dog owners in unincorporated Sandoval County must keep animals under control at all times. Code § 4-9(a) bars any animal from running at large on streets, sidewalks, or private…

Sandoval County makes it a crime to feed a free-roaming horse without a horse feeding permit issued by the county. The rule targets horses specifically, not deer, geese or other…

In Sandoval County's Urban Residential Districts, recreational vehicles, boats and trailers cannot sit in the required front yard. Section 13.D.14 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance…

Sandoval County sets no clock-based loading zone hours. Instead, Section 9(4).F of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance requires any structure that receives or distributes bulk materials…

Sandoval County bans parking one commercial vehicle over five tons, or two or more commercial vehicles under five tons, on any residential lot, treating it as a prohibited commercial…

Sandoval County bans outdoor storage of inoperable or abandoned vehicles unless they're inside a building, fully enclosed, or covered and set back at least five feet from property…

New subdivisions in unincorporated Sandoval County must be designed and built so post-development runoff does not increase flooding or erosion, sized to the 100-year storm, and…

Every subdivision plat in unincorporated Sandoval County must include an erosion and drainage plan as part of the required terrain management plan. Developers must submit watershed…

In the Jemez Valley Community District, Sandoval County's zoning code requires buildings to preserve existing trees to the maximum extent possible, but Section 9(2.4)(E)(1) expressly…

In mapped flood hazard areas of unincorporated Sandoval County, new and substantially improved homes must have their lowest floor built at least one foot above base flood elevation…

Sandoval County requires a floodplain development permit for any construction, filling, grading or excavation in a special flood hazard area of the unincorporated county. Chapter 18…

Sandoval County caps residential front-yard fences and walls at three feet and rear or side-yard fences at six feet under Section 14.E. Walls next to multi-family, commercial or…

Every retaining wall in Sandoval County needs a Zoning Officer building permit, with no minimum height exempting it. The application must include a site plan plus a wall and foundation…

Sandoval County only requires a Zoning Officer building permit for fences taller than six feet; anything six feet or under needs no permit at all. To build a fence over six feet, an…

Sandoval County requires every building's exterior to stay free of deterioration and blight, capping peeling or flaking paint and stucco at 30% of the exterior before it counts as a…

In unincorporated Sandoval County's Rural Residential/Agricultural (RRA) zone, running a day-care or child-care facility out of a home is not a by-right use. Zoning Ordinance Section…

A home-based business in unincorporated Sandoval County may post just one sign, and it can't be illuminated or larger than four square feet; anything bigger or lit up disqualifies the…

Sandoval County's zoning code caps how much business traffic a home-based business can bring to a residential lot: a home occupation cannot generate vehicular or pedestrian visits…

Running a business from home in unincorporated Sandoval County needs no separate zoning permit: 'Home occupations' are a permissive, by-right use in the Rural Residential/Agricultural…

Sandoval County caps sand and gravel mining noise at 70 dBA next to homes, schools, churches and offices and 75 dBA near industrial or undeveloped land, measured at the mine property…

Sandoval County's animal code makes it unlawful for any animal to unreasonably bark, howl, or otherwise disturb the peace of nearby residents. Deputies and county animal control…

In unincorporated Sandoval County, nonresidential properties may display no more than two temporary window signs at a time, each posted for no longer than 30 days. Combined coverage…

Temporary decorations or banners celebrating traditionally accepted patriotic, religious, or local holidays don't need a sign permit anywhere in Sandoval County. The Sign Ordinance's…

Sandoval County's Sign Ordinance flatly forbids illuminated billboards: Section 10 states a permitted billboard "may not be illuminated by any means," which rules out digital, LED, and…

Sandoval County doesn't run a separate solar panel permit program; instead, Section 12(1.1)(F) sets design standards for solar water heaters on R1-5, R1-6, and R1-8 tract lots…

Sandoval County treats a massage parlor as a Special Use District and forbids operating one on the same premises as a cocktail lounge, photo studio, model studio, art studio, telephone…

Sandoval County allows adult bookstores, adult theaters and adult live entertainment establishments only as an approved Special Use District, and bars them entirely within 1,000 feet…

Sandoval County confines pawn shops to its Major Commercial (C-3) district and only as a conditional use, prohibiting them outright in the Commercial Office, Neighborhood Commercial…

Sandoval County does not issue a separate tobacco retail license; it regulates tobacco sellers through Chapter 8's Tobacco and Cannabis Retailer Ordinance. Every tobacco retailer must…

Only a sheriff's deputy or authorized county employee may order a wrecker to impound a vehicle in unincorporated Sandoval County, and only for one of the circumstances the code lists…

Farming is a by-right use across most of unincorporated Sandoval County. Section 9(1)(B)(4) of the Zoning Ordinance lists agricultural activities, including wineries, as a permissive…

Buyers in the Las Placitas Community District must be warned about farming before they close. Section 9(2.8)(D)(6) requires sellers to hand over a Right to Farm and Acequia Awareness…

Every lot in unincorporated Sandoval County, vacant or built, must stay free of rodent harborage. Section 14-21 bans letting junk, debris, or stored material pile up into anything 'in…

Parades in Sandoval County are regulated as Special Events: organizers need a Special Event Permit from the Zoning Officer, filed at least 30 days ahead, reviewed by a county committee…

Sandoval County has no maximum weed or grass height. Instead, weeds, briars or brush on a property are only unlawful once they become hazardous or injurious to public health, or…

Sandoval County outright bans burning garbage, solid waste, or debris anywhere in the county. The county fire marshal's office can issue permits to burn certain types of yard refuse…

Anyone cutting or using county right-of-way, including for a driveway tie-in or utility line, must first get a road cut permit, be licensed and bonded, and post insurance. Unpermitted…

Sandoval County makes it unlawful to throw or deposit litter, including trash, cans, or yard debris, on any sidewalk or other public place except in an approved receptacle. Trash…

Short-term rental hosts count as 'taxable premises' under Sandoval County's Lodger's Tax Ordinance, so anyone who advertises a rental and collects guest payments outside the county's…

Sandoval County's zoning code lists 'Short Term Rentals' as a permissive, by-right use in the Rural Residential/Agricultural (RRA) District, the zoning that covers most of the…

Cannabis retailers in unincorporated Sandoval County must stay 300 feet from any school or daycare center. Section 8-65(b) sets the buffer, measured property line to property line, and…

Sandoval County allows cannabis retail only on unincorporated county land, not inside any city, Pueblo, or federal or state trust land. Section 8-63 sets that territorial limit, and §…

Sandoval County imposes a 5% occupancy tax on gross taxable rent charged at hotels, motels, guest houses, RV parks and other lodging in the unincorporated county. Vendors must hold a…