Fire Regulations in New Mexico (2026)
37 rules on the books across New Mexico, 7 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Rules for fire pits, chimineas, and recreational backyard fires, setback distances from structures, size and fuel limits, attendance requirements, and burn-ban days.
Albuquerque
Some RestrictionsRecreational fires are allowed without a permit if kept at least 25 feet from structures with fuel no larger than 3 ft…
Read full rule →Bernalillo County
Light RestrictionsBernalillo County's Fire Code exempts recreational-fire-sized open burning of yard waste from a burn permit, but the…
Read full rule →Dona Ana County
Light RestrictionsDoña Ana County exempts recreational fires from the Fire Code's open-burning notification system: unlike a brush pile…
Read full rule →Rio Rancho
Few RestrictionsRio Rancho lets residents run outdoor fireplaces, portable chimeneas, and barbecue pits or grills without a burn…
Read full rule →Fireworks
Which types of consumer fireworks are legal, when they can be used, and the fines for setting off illegal fireworks.
New Mexico: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsThe New Mexico Fireworks Licensing and Safety Act preempts local bans on permissible consumer fireworks, but allows…
Read full rule →Albuquerque
Heavy RestrictionsAlbuquerque bans the aerial devices and ground audible devices it is allowed to prohibit under New Mexico's Fireworks…
Read full rule →Bernalillo County
Significant RestrictionsBernalillo County bans aerial and loud consumer fireworks outright, requires a permit for retail fireworks sales, and…
Read full rule →Dona Ana County
Significant RestrictionsDoña Ana County limits unincorporated-area fireworks use to ground and handheld sparkling devices like fountains…
Read full rule →Las Cruces
Significant RestrictionsLas Cruces bans aerial devices and ground audible fireworks outright under Section 11-147(c) and confines lawful…
Read full rule →Rio Rancho
Significant RestrictionsRio Rancho bans possessing, selling, or exploding fireworks citywide except state-approved 'safe and sane' items and…
Read full rule →Santa Fe
Significant RestrictionsSanta Fe bans manufacturing, selling, possessing or discharging any fireworks without a permit. Retailers may sell only…
Read full rule →Brush Clearance
Requirements to clear dry vegetation around your property for wildfire prevention, including deadlines and the distance you need to maintain.
Bernalillo County
Some RestrictionsIn wildland-urban interface areas, Bernalillo County requires 30 to 100 feet of cleared defensible space around…
Read full rule →Las Cruces
Some RestrictionsLas Cruces treats weeds and rank vegetation as a nuisance under Chapter 18. Codes Enforcement can order clearing; if…
Read full rule →Outdoor Burning
Rules for open flames outdoors including bonfires, yard waste burning, and cooking fires. Some cities ban all outdoor burning year-round.
New Mexico: statewide
StatewideHeavy RestrictionsNew Mexico Environment Department regulates open burning statewide under the Air Quality Control Act, requiring permits…
Read full rule →Albuquerque
Heavy RestrictionsAlbuquerque Fire Code Section 307.1 prohibits open burning, recreational fires, bonfires, rubbish fires and…
Read full rule →Bernalillo County
Heavy RestrictionsBernalillo County Fire & Rescue regulates open burning in unincorporated areas. Dry weed piles max 3 ft diameter x 2…
Read full rule →Sandoval County
Heavy RestrictionsSandoval County outright bans burning garbage, solid waste, or debris anywhere in the county. The county fire marshal's…
Read full rule →Dona Ana County
Significant RestrictionsDoña Ana County's Fire Code bans open burning of trash, tires, plastics, and paper products outright and requires every…
Read full rule →Las Cruces
Significant RestrictionsBurning solid waste anywhere in Las Cruces is banned outright by Code of Ordinances Sec. 25-8 unless the city, Doña Ana…
Read full rule →Rio Rancho
Significant RestrictionsRio Rancho requires a special event permit for open burning and flatly bans burning leaves, green weeds, nuisance…
Read full rule →Santa Fe
Significant RestrictionsSanta Fe makes careless outdoor burning a crime, not just a code violation. Section 16-12.1 SFCC 1987 bans setting fire…
Read full rule →Wildfire Zones
Special building and landscaping requirements for properties located in designated wildfire hazard areas or fire severity zones.
New Mexico: statewide
StatewideHeavy RestrictionsNew Mexico's State Forestry Division administers wildfire prevention statewide on non-federal lands, designates…
Read full rule →Albuquerque
Significant RestrictionsThe Fire Chief can declare fire bans and staged restrictions across Albuquerque's 28,000-acre wildland-urban interface…
Read full rule →Santa Fe
Significant RestrictionsWithin Santa Fe's Escarpment Overlay District, wildfire risk is one of the express reasons the city regulates the…
Read full rule →Bernalillo County
Some RestrictionsHomes in Bernalillo County's mapped Wildland-Urban Interface areas must maintain defensible space and may need a Fire…
Read full rule →Smoke Detectors
Requirements for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in homes, including how many you need and where they must be installed.
Albuquerque
Some RestrictionsAlbuquerque's Allan Peifer Smoke Detector Ordinance, City Code Sec. 9-13-4, requires every owner or lessor of a leased…
Read full rule →Bernalillo County
Some RestrictionsBernalillo County's Fire Code amendment requires every smoke detector, including duct detectors, to be tested with…
Read full rule →Dona Ana County
Some RestrictionsShort-term rentals in unincorporated Doña Ana County must meet residential fire life-safety code, including working…
Read full rule →Las Cruces
Some RestrictionsShort-term rentals in Las Cruces must have working smoke detectors and posted evacuation maps at every exit, with…
Read full rule →Rio Rancho
Some RestrictionsRio Rancho requires smoke alarms in every bedroom before the city will issue or renew a short-term rental permit for a…
Read full rule →Santa Fe
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe requires smoke alarms in every bedroom of a short-term rental unit before the city will issue or renew a…
Read full rule →Propane Storage
Limits on size and location of residential propane tanks, including setback distances from buildings, property lines, and ignition sources.
New Mexico: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsNew Mexico's LPG Bureau regulates propane storage, installation, and transport statewide under uniform safety codes…
Read full rule →Bernalillo County
Some RestrictionsIn Bernalillo County's Wildland-Urban Interface areas, LP-gas containers must sit within the property's defensible…
Read full rule →Dona Ana County
Some RestrictionsDoña Ana County caps residential propane storage at 2,000 gallons of water capacity per installation under its Fire…
Read full rule →Las Cruces
Some RestrictionsLas Cruces limits residential propane installations to 2,000 gallons of aggregate water capacity under fire code…
Read full rule →Rio Rancho
Some RestrictionsRio Rancho, New Mexico requires residential LP-gas tanks to sit behind the primary structure, hidden from the address…
Read full rule →Santa Fe
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe caps aboveground liquefied-petroleum-gas storage tanks at 1,000 gallons citywide, allowing them only at…
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