Albuquerque, NM Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- City ordinance § 9-15-4
- Application fee
- $130, nonrefundable
- Decision timeline
- Mayor decides within 45 days
- Permit term
- 2 years, nontransferable
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, per-day violation
Summary
Albuquerque requires anyone operating a syringe exchange facility to hold a City permit, designate a community response representative, and notify neighbors within 500 feet before dispensing sterile needles under the state Harm Reduction Act.
No person shall operate a syringe exchange facility at any location in the City without having a valid permit for such syringe exchange facility in accordance with this ordinance. Except, however, any syringe exchange facility in operation on the effective date of this ordinance shall obtain a valid permit within a period of 6 months from the effective date of the ordinance.
(B) Operation. No permit shall be issued unless the facility demonstrates to the Zoning Enforcement Officer that it has designated and will maintain a community response representative who shall be reasonably available and who shall respond to, and keep a record of, all telephone calls and writings received from any individual and organization regarding concerns with the operation of the facility and its effect on the community. Such records shall be made available to the City upon request.
(C) Notice of Complaint Procedure. Within 45 days after the City has approved a permit for a syringe exchange facility, the operator of the facility shall mail a copy of the facility’s complaint procedures to the owners of record of all property within 500 feet of the facility. (Ord. 55-2001)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-95: Current through Ordinance 2026-010, passed 4-6-2026).
Full Breakdown
Any person operating a syringe exchange facility, a site dispensing sterile needles under the state Harm Reduction Act, NMSA 1978 §§ 24-2C-1 et seq., must obtain a City permit before opening. The Mayor decides within 45 days of a $130 application, and the facility must maintain a community response representative who logs and responds to neighborhood complaints. Permits run two years, are non-transferable, and the Zoning Enforcement Officer can revoke one for unresolved complaints. Hospital-based programs, state-operated programs, and programs with 100 or fewer enrolled participants are exempt from the permit requirement.
Violations & Fines
Operating a syringe exchange facility without a valid permit is a misdemeanor, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense under § 1-1-99.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Albuquerque ban needle exchange programs?
Are small harm-reduction programs exempt from the permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albuquerque
Compare Albuquerque to another location·View the New Mexico public health rules overview
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