Albuquerque’s city ordinances are the local laws the City Council passes under its home rule authority, and they govern daily life inside city limits: noise, pets, yards and fences, water use, parking, business licensing, short-term rentals, and building projects. They are collected in the city’s Code of Ordinances and enforced through 311 complaints, code enforcement officers, the Animal Welfare Department, the police, and administrative hearings. Violations can bring daily fines, permit suspensions, animal seizure, or a lien on your property, so the specifics are worth knowing before a problem lands on your doorstep.
Where to Read the Code
The full Code of Ordinances is published online by American Legal Publishing, the city’s official hosting platform.1American Legal Publishing. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances It is organized into numbered Chapters, then Articles and Sections. You can search by keyword or browse by chapter. The City Clerk’s office maintains the master records and folds in amendments after the Mayor signs them, so the online version is the authoritative text to cite if you are contesting a citation or checking a current rule.
Noise Rules
Chapter 9, Article 9 is the Noise Control Ordinance. Nighttime runs from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. every day of the week, with no separate weekend schedule. Residential property is capped at 55 decibels during the day and 50 at night, measured at the receiving property line.2City of Albuquerque. Albuquerque City Ordinances Article 9 – Noise Control Fifty-five decibels is roughly the volume of a normal conversation. Officers use calibrated sound meters to confirm violations.
Construction, demolition, or excavation within 500 feet of a noise-sensitive property such as a home, school, or hospital is prohibited on Sundays, holidays, and between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on other days, unless the contractor obtains a Temporary Construction Noise Permit.3American Legal Publishing. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 9-9-4 – General Noise Equipment must keep sound-control devices at least as effective as those it shipped with. Pulling a muffler off a generator is a violation on its own.
For events with amplified sound, you can apply for a free temporary noise permit through the ABQ-PLAN portal.4City of Albuquerque. Noise Permits Applications submitted by 4:00 p.m. are processed the next business day. Permitted noise can run until midnight on Friday and Saturday and until 10:00 p.m. other nights. The city will not issue permits for recurring events like weekly band practice, or for bars and nightclubs that feature music as part of regular operations. Heavy complaints can get a permit suspended without notice and block future permits at that location.
Weeds, Litter, and Clear Sight Triangles
The Weeds and Litter Ordinance in Chapter 9, Article 8 sets the baseline for property upkeep.5American Legal Publishing. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 9-8-1 – Short Title Owners must cut weeds once they reach four inches and clear accumulated trash, scrap, and abandoned appliances. Neighbors report through 311, and the city can abate the nuisance itself and bill the owner.
Corner-lot owners have an added duty under Section 8-2-2-15. Nothing between three and eight feet above the gutter line, including fences, hedges, signs, or parked trailers, may obstruct the triangle formed by the curb lines and a line connecting points 25 feet back from the intersection along each property line.6American Legal Publishing. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 8-2-2-15 – Clear Sight Triangle A violation is a misdemeanor and also exposes the owner to civil liability for any crash the obstruction causes.
Outdoor Water Use
Water rules carry real weight in a high-desert city. Section 6-1-1-5 restricts spray irrigation between April 1 and October 1 to the hours of 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.7American Legal Publishing. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 6-1-1-5 – Watering Restrictions Drip irrigation, bubblers, and hand watering are exempt from the time restriction. City-owned properties other than parks and golf courses follow an alternating-day schedule based on address. The city frames the day-of-week pattern as a guideline for private properties, but the time-of-day restriction is mandatory for everyone.
Any hose used for outdoor watering or car washing must have a shutoff nozzle, with an exemption for single-family residential hoses. New sod gets a 30-day grace period from the time restrictions, and newly seeded turf gets a full year.
Pet Ownership Under the HEART Ordinance
The Humane and Ethical Animal Rules and Treatment Ordinance in Chapter 9, Article 2 sets Albuquerque’s pet standards. Every pet in the city must be microchipped. Dogs over six months and cats over five months must be spayed or neutered unless the owner buys an intact animal permit at $150 per animal per year, renewed annually.8City of Albuquerque. Ethical Animal Treatment – HEART Ordinance Information
Households are capped at six pets total, with no more than four dogs. Outdoor animals must have shelter, shade, and clean water. Any animal off the owner’s property must be under the owner’s control, which in practice means leashed. The Animal Welfare Department enforces the ordinance through patrols and complaint responses and can seize animals when standards are not met.
Business Licensing and Short-Term Rentals
Every business operating within city limits must register under the Business License Ordinance in Chapter 13, Article 1 and pay an annual fee of $35 per location.9American Legal Publishing. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 13-1-4 – Business License Fee Starting a new business before paying the fee, or missing a renewal, triggers a late fee of $10 per calendar day until the fee is paid.10American Legal Publishing. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 13-1-10 – Business License Late Fee A month of delay turns a $35 fee into a $335 bill.
Short-term rentals like Airbnb and Vrbo listings are regulated separately under Chapter 13, Article 19.11American Legal Publishing. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances Article 19 – Short Term Rentals Owners must obtain a short-term rental permit, register the business, provide a floor plan, carry short-term rental insurance, and post a Good Neighbor Agreement inside each unit covering noise, litter, and parking rules.12City of Albuquerque. Short Term Rental FAQ
Overnight occupancy is capped at two adults (anyone over 12) per bedroom plus two additional people, so a two-bedroom unit maxes out at six overnight guests.13City of Albuquerque. Short-Term Rental FAQ Gatherings are limited to twice the overnight occupancy or 20 people, whichever is less, and any gathering above the overnight limit must disperse by 10:00 p.m. Stays are also subject to the city’s 5% lodgers’ tax and 1% hospitality fee.
Cannabis retail has its own layer: a state license, a separate Cannabis Retail Location Approval from the Planning Department, and the standard $35 business registration, with distance buffers from schools, daycares, and other retailers set in the Integrated Development Ordinance.14City of Albuquerque. Application for Cannabis Retail Locations in Albuquerque
Parking and Abandoned Vehicles
A vehicle on a public street is considered abandoned if it has no current license plate or has been left in the same spot for more than 36 hours.15City of Albuquerque. Abandoned Vehicles FAQs The Albuquerque Police Department’s Abandoned Vehicle Unit handles removal, which can take several weeks because of the required legal steps. Reports need at least two identifiers (plate, make and model, or color) and a description of the vehicle’s condition.
If an operable, plated vehicle has to stay on the street temporarily, the Chief of Police can issue a sticker allowing it for 15 days. No owner can hold more than four stickers at once.
In neighborhoods with permit parking, residents can buy up to three permits per address at $30 per year each, valid within a two-block radius of the home.16City of Albuquerque. On-Street Parking Permit Parking Renters need a valid lease or a notarized letter from the landlord. Outstanding parking citations block applications. Visitor permits are capped at two per address at $30 per year and are not replaced if lost. Caregiver permits run as low as $1 per day and contractor permits start at $5 per day through the city’s online portal.
Fences and Small Building Projects
Not every backyard project needs a building permit. A one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool shed, playhouse, or similar purpose is permit-free as long as it stays at or under 120 square feet.17City of Albuquerque. Storage / Accessory Buildings Larger structures require a permit from the Building Safety Division.
Residential fences are generally limited to three feet in the front yard and six feet on the sides and rear. A minor fence permit, with a detailed drawing, covers standard-height fences. A front-yard fence taller than three feet requires a major permit and a public hearing before the Zoning Hearing Examiner. Some historic neighborhoods, including Monte Vista and College View, prohibit front-yard walls over three feet outright, with no variance available.
Reporting a Violation
The city’s main complaint channel is the ABQ311 Web App, or 311 by phone (505-768-2000 from outside city limits).18City of Albuquerque. ABQ311 Web App Categories include abandoned vehicles, aggressive dogs, housing code violations, weeds and litter, parking, graffiti, and more. Reports route to the department responsible for enforcement.
Contesting a Citation
If you receive a code violation citation and believe it is wrong, you can request a hearing through the Office of Administrative Hearings in the City Clerk’s office at 600 2nd Street NW, Suite 620.19City of Albuquerque. Office of Administrative Hearings Most hearings happen by phone or Zoom. The office handles appeals for a defined list of violation types, including abandoned vehicle citations, alarm permit suspensions, towed vehicle disputes, weeds and litter violations, water service terminations, and housing code violations. You start by submitting the Request Appeal Form on the office’s website.
What Noncompliance Can Cost
Penalty amounts depend on the ordinance. For dilapidated commercial buildings and properties that fail to come into compliance after the city’s remediation process, the city can impose civil assessments of $500 per day for every day the property stays in violation after the compliance deadline passes, and it can place a municipal lien to recover enforcement costs.20American Legal Publishing. Albuquerque Code of Ordinances 14-20-6 – Enforcement and Penalties Business license late fees run $10 per day and compound quickly. The specific penalty for any given violation sits in the ordinance section that governs it, so checking the relevant chapter before assuming a fine amount is worth the few minutes it takes.