Doña Ana County, NM Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Section 350-507R governs screening walls and fences for unincorporated Doña Ana County. 22 sets the ceiling at four feet within a required front yard setback (both primary and, if used, secondary frontage), six feet within a required side or rear yard setback, and up to eight feet for livestock or animal enclosures with Zoning Administrator review. Inside a clear sight triangle, 'No screening wall or fence allowed, except as provided by § 350-608 C. ' At a corner lot's primary frontage, § 350-507R(2)(a) caps height at four feet, though a fence up to five feet may sit at the primary frontage line if the top foot above four feet uses an open, non-solid material that lets light, air and visibility pass through; alternatively, a five-foot fence may be set back a minimum of five feet from the frontage property line.

Any screening wall or fence taller than six feet needs a building permit with plans sealed by a New Mexico-licensed professional engineer, and a building permit is required for every screening wall or fence foundation regardless of height. Barbed wire and razor fencing are allowed only in agricultural and industrial districts and never adjacent to a residential district. Fences may not be built over a drainage easement without written Flood Commission permission or over a utility easement without the utility's written consent.