Septic System Regulations in New Mexico

In New Mexico, onsite wastewater (septic) systems are regulated by New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Environmental Health Bureau, Onsite Wastewater (Liquid Waste) Program, which sets the statewide code; some counties are delegated to issue permits and inspect locally, others are handled directly by the state agency. Installing, replacing or repairing a septic system here means, in sequence: a site and soil evaluation, a design, a permit application, an inspection while the system is open, and a final as-built record once it is approved.

counties

with records we hold

Who regulates septic systems in New Mexico

The state-level regulator is New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Environmental Health Bureau, Onsite Wastewater (Liquid Waste) Program (official program page). NMED's Onsite Wastewater Program administers liquid waste permitting directly statewide, except unincorporated Bernalillo County, which regulates onsite systems under its own local ordinance rather than the NMED program.

The statewide onsite-wastewater code is cited as 20.7.3 NMAC (Liquid Waste Regulations) and 20.7.11 NMAC (Liquid Waste Treatment and Disposal Fees Regulations), under the Environmental Improvement Act, NMSA 1978 §§ 74-1-1 through 74-1-16. We link the agency's own page above rather than restating specific numeric requirements from it, since those change by rule revision and by local amendment.

The permit sequence

The order of operations is broadly consistent across the country, even though the specific numbers in each step vary by state and often by county. None of the figures below are specific to New Mexico; treat this as the shape of the process, and get the actual numbers from the agency linked above or from the county office.

Site and soil evaluation. A qualified evaluator (see licensing below) digs test pits or runs a percolation test, and records the soil profile, depth to seasonal water table, depth to any restrictive layer, and slope. This determines whether the lot can support a conventional system or needs an alternative design.
Design. Under most state codes, daily design flow is set from bedroom count, not square footage. That flow drives tank capacity, and the soil evaluation sets the drainfield application rate and therefore its size. The designer also lays out setbacks to wells, property lines, surface water, foundations and a reserve/replacement area.
Permit application. Submitted to whichever office issues permits here (state agency or county/district health office, per the delegation model above), along with the design and soil work.
Installation and open inspection. The installer builds the system, and it is inspected before backfill while it is still open to view.
As-built and approval. A final drawing of what was actually built is filed once the system is approved. That as-built is the document a future owner, pumper or inspector needs, and it is what ends up in the county record.

Who can design and install a septic system

Design	Not clearly specified for standard systems on the official pages reviewed; advanced treatment systems (ATS) require additional documentation and may need engineering review per 20.7.3 NMAC.
Installation	Licensed contractor holding an MM-1, MM-98, MS-1, or MS-3 classification; alternatively, a homeowner may install a simple conventional system on their own property after passing a written test and obtaining a Homeowner Qualification Certificate from NMED.

Getting septic records in New Mexico

Septic records in New Mexico are generally held by the county or local health jurisdiction that issued the permit, not by the state agency, and are released under the state's public records law. We have not logged the specific statute name and response deadline for New Mexico yet; check with the county office listed on its records page below, or with New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Environmental Health Bureau, Onsite Wastewater (Liquid Waste) Program.

Counties in New Mexico we hold records for

We do not yet hold scanned septic records for any New Mexico county. See the New Mexico county index for portal status county by county.

Full New Mexico county-by-county index · Open the parcel map

Common questions

Who regulates septic systems in New Mexico?

New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Environmental Health Bureau, Onsite Wastewater (Liquid Waste) Program. NMED's Onsite Wastewater Program administers liquid waste permitting directly statewide, except unincorporated Bernalillo County, which regulates onsite systems under its own local ordinance rather than the NMED program.

What is the septic permit process in New Mexico?

The sequence is a site and soil evaluation, a design sized from the evaluation and (under most state codes) bedroom count, a permit application, an inspection before backfill, and a final as-built filed once the system is approved. Exact numeric requirements are set by the agency's own code, not restated here.

Who can install a septic system in New Mexico?

Licensed contractor holding an MM-1, MM-98, MS-1, or MS-3 classification; alternatively, a homeowner may install a simple conventional system on their own property after passing a written test and obtaining a Homeowner Qualification Certificate from NMED.

How do I get septic records for a property in New Mexico?

Septic records are generally held by the county or district health office that issued the permit. See our county-by-county New Mexico index for the specific office and portal in each county.

Sources

Regulatory information on this page was researched against official state agency sources and last verified 2026-08-31. It is informational only: the agency linked above is authoritative, and requirements can change. We are not lawyers, not a government body, and not affiliated with, licensed or certified by any agency named on this page.