Doña Ana County, NM Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Doña Ana County's fence and wall standard sits in § 350-507R of the Unified Development Code, the section that governs landscaping, buffering, and fencing across every zoning district. Screening walls are mandatory wherever a Commercial or Industrial District abuts a Residential District or use; in the residential districts themselves, a screening wall or fence is optional, but once an owner decides to build one, the same construction rules apply. 22 caps most fences at four feet in a required front yard setback and six feet in a side or rear yard, with up to eight feet allowed around livestock enclosures if the Zoning Administrator signs off.

Two permit triggers run through the section. 22 requires a building permit with plans sealed by a professional engineer licensed in New Mexico for any screening wall or fence taller than six feet. Second, Note 3 requires a building permit for the foundation of every screening wall and screening fence, no matter how short, and Subsection R(2)(g)-(h) repeats both rules for commercial and industrial development specifically. Owners are also encouraged, though not required, to hire a licensed surveyor to confirm the property line before building, since a shared wall built beyond it becomes an encroachment unless the neighbors record a joint maintenance agreement.

Fencing may not be placed over a utility easement without the utility's written permission, and it may not go over a required drainage easement without Flood Commission approval.