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Las Cruces, NM Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

City registration fee
$35.00 per year
Visit Las Cruces fee
$50 one-time, $35 renewal
Tax ID required
NM State Tax ID at registration
Taxes owed
Lodger's, gross receipts, income tax
Effective date
January 1, 2026

Summary

Las Cruces charges short-term rental operators a $35 annual registration fee plus a separate one-time $50 fee to register with Visit Las Cruces, on top of every applicable local, state and federal tax. Operators must supply a New Mexico State Tax ID and stay current on lodger's tax, gross receipts tax and income tax obligations.

(k)The short-term rental operator is expected to pay all applicable local, state, and federal taxes, including, but not limited to, lodger's tax, gross receipts tax, and income tax. Upon obtaining a business registration from the community development department, the owner must provide the New Mexico State Tax ID number associated with the short-term rental business. ... The fee to obtain a registration for any short-term rental unit from the community development department shall be an annual fee of $35.00. Short-term rental operators will also need to register each short-term rental unit with Visit Las Cruces, and are required to pay a one-time $50.00 registration fee and a subsequent annual renewal fee of $35.00.

View official code

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

Sec. 00 per year, paid to the Community Development Department. 00 annual renewal. Sec. 16-508(k) then layers on tax compliance: the short-term rental operator is expected to pay all applicable local, state, and federal taxes, including, but not limited to, lodger's tax, gross receipts tax, and income tax. To confirm that compliance, the ordinance requires the owner to provide the Community Development Department with the New Mexico State Tax ID number tied to the rental business at the time of registration. New Mexico's lodger's tax and gross receipts tax are collected through the state Taxation and Revenue Department, so a Las Cruces short-term rental operator is managing three layers of financial obligation at once: the annual city registration fee, the Visit Las Cruces marketing fee, and ongoing state tax remittance under the operator's own Tax ID.

Because supplying the Tax ID is a condition of registration under Sec. 16-508(k), an operator who cannot produce one can be refused a certificate, which in turn blocks the property from being legally advertised or rented under Sec. 16-508(a). All of these figures took effect with the rest of the Short-Term Rental Ordinance, Ordinance No. 3103, on January 1, 2026.

Violations & Fines

Operating without a current registration fee payment or without a valid state Tax ID on file is treated as an offense under Sec. 16-507, since it counts as a failure to pay business registration license fees or a failure to provide required licensing information. A first offense draws a $50 to $300 civil fine; repeat nonpayment escalates to $300 to $500 and can support revocation of the registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to register a short-term rental in Las Cruces?
The city charges a $35 annual registration fee under Sec. 16-511. Operators must also separately register with Visit Las Cruces for a one-time $50 fee plus a $35 annual renewal, so the combined city and tourism-board cost is $85 in the first year of operation.
Do short-term rental hosts have to pay lodger's tax in Las Cruces?
Yes. Sec. 16-508(k) requires operators to pay all applicable local, state, and federal taxes, expressly naming lodger's tax, gross receipts tax, and income tax, and to give the city their New Mexico State Tax ID number when they register the property.
What happens if I don't provide a Tax ID when registering?
Because Sec. 16-508(k) makes the Tax ID part of the registration process, failing to supply one can hold up or invalidate the business registration certificate, and operating without a valid registration is itself an offense carrying a $50 to $300 fine for a first violation.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Las Cruces

All Las Cruces rules

How Las Cruces compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare Las Cruces to another location·View the New Mexico short-term rentals overview

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