Valencia County, NM Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

168(A) sets out a list of conditions that apply to every home occupation in the county's zoning districts. The operator must be a resident of the property, the business can employ no more than 2 full- or part-time workers on site besides the applicant, and operations must stay substantially inside the dwelling or in accessory buildings normally associated with permitted uses in that zone, so a home business cannot justify building something the zone would not otherwise allow. Only one home occupation is permitted per dwelling or parcel, and activities substantially different in nature count as separate home occupations requiring their own approval.

Outdoor storage tied to the business cannot exceed the parcel's allowable lot coverage for that zone. 057, the same track used for other discretionary land uses in the county. 168(A)(14), a home occupation permit is personal to the applicant, does not run with the land if the property sells, and expires 2 years after issuance unless the Department renews it on finding the operator still meets the subchapter's requirements; the Department may charge a renewal fee. Changing the nature of the business requires a new conditional-use permit, and departing from the activities described in the original application is grounds for revocation.