New Mexico Handyman License Requirements
New Mexico's figure is $7,200 in yearly earnings. The exact wording below decides whether you fit.
60-13-3(B)(14): exempt is an individual who works on one undertaking or project at a time that, 'in the aggregate or singly, does not exceed seven thousand two hundred dollars ($7,200) compensation a year' ('does not exceed', so AT OR BELOW $7,200), for casual, minor or inconsequential work 'such as handyman repairs'. Conditions: (a) the work is not part of a larger operation; (b) no advertising, sign or card suggesting the person is a contractor; (c) the person files an annual declaration with CID (the Handyman Certificate). The exemption never covers electrical wiring, plumbing or gas fitting.
What counts toward it: other: total compensation per YEAR (all handyman contracts combined, 'in the aggregate or singly'), not a per-job limit. The statute says 'compensation' and does not say whether materials count.
"an individual who works on one undertaking or project at a time that, in the aggregate or singly, does not exceed seven thousand two hundred dollars ($7,200) compensation a year, the work being casual, minor or inconsequential, such as handyman repairs"
Source: rld.nm.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Who regulates this
New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), Construction Industries Division (CID); Construction Industries Commission. License applications are handled through PSI.
Source: rld.nm.gov · rld.nm.gov · rld.nm.gov · checked November 2, 2026
When a permit changes the answer
The statute does not tie the exemption to permits. The exemption is lost when the work involves electrical wiring, plumbing or gas fitting, when it is part of a larger operation, when the person runs more than one project at a time, advertises, or exceeds $7,200 a year.
Source: rld.nm.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Registration
Handyman: an annual declaration filed with CID on its form (Handyman Certificate; 14.6.2.8 NMAC). Licensed contractors: a $10,000 corporate surety bond as proof of responsibility (60-13-49), plus classification exams and a qualifying party. Statute copy used is RLD's 2021 compilation.
Source: rld.nm.gov · rld.nm.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Trade work
Electrical, plumbing, gas fitting and mechanical/HVAC are all licensed by the state through CID (contractor classifications under 14.6.6 NMAC and journeyman certificates under 14.6.4 NMAC). The handyman exemption expressly excludes electrical wiring, plumbing and gas fitting, so there is no handyman carve-out for those trades.
Source: rld.nm.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Insurance and bond
Licensed contractors: $10,000 bond (60-13-49(B)). Trade bureaus may also require a reasonable bond by regulation. Cities may not require an additional license bond from a CID-licensed contractor (60-13-51). Handyman exemption: no bond found.
Source: rld.nm.gov · checked November 2, 2026
City and county rules
Contractor licensing is statewide (CID). Cities may not add license bonds for CID licensees (60-13-51) but may require local business registration. Some jurisdictions issue permits and do inspections under 60-13-44.
Source: rld.nm.gov · checked November 2, 2026
What a handyman should charge in New Mexico
Statewide planning estimate: $68 to $94 an hour. It's an estimate from public data, not the market rate. City pages use local wages when we can match them.
| Step | Low end | High end |
|---|---|---|
| Your pay (employee wage for this work in New Mexico) | $45,760 median | $56,870 top quarter starts here |
| Overhead ($33,148 national, adjusted to local prices at 92.2) | $30,567 | $30,567 |
| Profit 15% + PTO 10% + warranty 3% + business taxes 12% | +40% | +40% |
| Yearly total to cover | $106,857 | $122,411 |
| Billed hours a year (hours on the job × 52) | 30 × 52 = 1,560 | 25 × 52 = 1,300 |
| Hourly rate | $68 | $94 |
- Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 49-9071 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, New Mexico (statewide figure, because we could not match a metro for this place). The top-quarter figure is in the BLS data file.
- Local prices: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, New Mexico, all items index 92.2 (US = 100).
- Overhead, hours and percentages: median answers from members using our hourly rate calculator, the same formula that tool uses. National, not local.
New Mexico places we cover (17)
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.