Las Cruces, NM Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Authority
- Municipal Code ch. 18 (Nuisances)
- Targets
- Weeds, junk, inoperable vehicles
- Process
- Notice, then correction deadline
- Penalty
- Up to $500 / 90 days
- Report To
- 575-528-4100
Summary
Las Cruces enforces property upkeep through Codes Enforcement under Chapter 18 (Nuisances) of the Municipal Code, fielding about 17,000 calls a year. Weeds, accumulated trash, junk, and inoperable vehicles are nuisances, correctable under threat of a $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail.
A person convicted of a violation of this Code shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both. Each day the violation continues is a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33 | Land Development Code: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Las Cruces polices blight through its Codes Enforcement office, which handles roughly 17,000 calls for service a year. Chapter 18 of the Municipal Code declares it unlawful to maintain, place, or permit nuisance conditions on public or private property, and Section 18-2 enumerates them: overgrown weeds and brush, accumulated trash and debris, and inoperable or wrecked vehicles left in view. A code officer who finds a violation notifies the responsible party and sets a deadline to correct it. Most cases end in voluntary cleanup. Where they do not, the violation is prosecuted as a petty misdemeanor. Report a property through Central Dispatch at 575-526-0795 or the Codes Enforcement office at 575-528-4100.
Violations & Fines
Overgrown weeds, accumulated junk and debris, and inoperable vehicles in view are nuisances under Chapter 18. Conviction is a petty misdemeanor: a fine up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Las Cruces make a neighbor clean up a blighted property?
What is the penalty for a code violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Las Cruces
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