Albuquerque, NM Fence Regulations: Permit Requirements (2026)

IDO Section 14-16-5-7(B)(2) provides that a wall shall be erected only after obtaining a permit under 14-16-6-5(F) (Permit - Wall or Fence - Minor) or 14-16-6-6(H) (Permit - Wall or Fence - Major). The Minor permit covers fences meeting the standards of Section 5-7 and is reviewed and decided administratively by the Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO); applications in historic (HPO) zones or on listed historic properties are first reviewed by the Historic Preservation Planner. A permit will not be approved unless the City Engineer finds the wall is not a hazard to traffic visibility (clear sight triangle) and does not block drainage. A taller-than-standard front or street side yard wall on low-density residential property requires the Major permit, which is decided by the Zoning Hearing Examiner after a public hearing, with appeal to City Council; the Major permit requires the lot to be at least one-half acre or fronting a collector/arterial/interstate, or that a threshold percentage of nearby properties already have taller walls. Walls taller than the IDO allows that do not qualify for a Major permit require a Variance.