Showing ordinances that apply to Sandia Heights, NM
Sandia Heights is an unincorporated community (population 3,273) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Because Sandia Heights is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Bernalillo County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The political signs rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Bernalillo County permits political signs on private property under IDO §5-12 with a 6 sq ft limit in residential zones and 32 sq ft in commercial. NM Sign Act and First Amendment (Reed v. Gilbert, 2015) prohibit content-based restrictions. Signs in right-of-way are prohibited.
Bernalillo County IDO §5-12 classifies political signs as temporary signs. In residential zones (R-1, R-A), signs are limited to 6 square feet and 4 feet tall per sign, with unlimited number on a single parcel during a campaign window. Commercial zones allow up to 32 square feet. After Reed v. Town of Gilbert (576 U.S. 155, 2015), the County removed prior content-based durational limits; current rules are time/place/manner neutral. Signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, traffic control devices, or public property under NMSA §67-7-10 and County Code §66 (right-of-way encroachment). Signs may not obstruct sight triangles at intersections (IDO §5-1(D), typically 25 ft triangle at 90° intersections). Removal within 10 days of the election is recommended but not strictly enforced on private property post-Reed. The City of Albuquerque has parallel rules in IDO §14-16-5-12.
Sign in right-of-way: removed by County Public Works, no refund. Repeat offender: fine $50–$100 per sign. Sight-triangle violation: immediate removal order. No penalty for content — content-based enforcement is unconstitutional.
See how Sandia Heights's political signs rules stack up against other locations.
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