Are there any steps I can take to make the permitting process easier?
The County has several options that can make the permitting process easier, depending on your specific requirements. Franchise agreements are available, which avoid the need to pay separately for each permit. Alternatively, Right of Way Fee agreements provide a similar benefit, allowing fees to be billed rather than required upfront. Finally, per-project/bulk permits allow a single permit to cover a project, reducing the administrative burden of multiple individual permits.
How can I work with Doña Ana County?
If you have an idea for a broadband project or are interested in working with the County to bring broadband services to County residents and businesses, please complete our potential partner form. Someone will contact you within 2 business days.
I want my permit to sail through on the first attempt. What can I do to make that more likely?
Be sure to include plans prepared and sealed by a NM licensed engineer. Providing bound hard copies of plans also aids the review process and makes things move more quickly. Ensure that any maps provided include both scale and cardinal directions. For ROW permits covering more than one road at a time, be sure to list all roads where construction is anticipated, with specific measurements and crossroads where applicable. Finally, please complete all required fields on permit forms to prevent delays in reviewing your application.
What are the County’s permit requirements?
County permits are provided by two separate departments, depending on whether the permit is for use of a County right of way (ROW) or a construction permit. For ROWs, County Engineering is the correct contact. ROWs are governed by Doña Ana County Code, Chapter 274, available online here.
Construction permits are provided by Building Services. Their requirements for permits can be found here.
What fees apply to permit requests?
The County fee schedule is available here. Further details regarding fees for use of ROWs are provided in Chapter 274 of County code. For additional information on construction permit fees, please refer to the following document, under “Other Construction”.
What timelines can we expect from the county for locates and permits?
The County follows NM811 requirements for locates, responding to normal requests with 48 hours and emergency requests within 4 hours. Our typical turn-around time for ROW permits is 15 days.
