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State packet

New Mexico Contractor Packet

What you need to start and run a trade business in New Mexico, in one printable PDF: a first 30 days checklist, everyday forms, the rules in plain English, and a calendar of what’s due.

$17

Instant PDF download · 47 pages · Digital product, all sales final (policy)

What’s inside

Getting set up

  • First-30-days checklist
  • Which trades need a state license, and who to call
  • The workers’ comp decision, and what you have to file

Pricing and taxes

  • Who pays sales tax on your materials, and on your labor
  • A yearly calendar of filings and due dates

Forms and checklists

  • Business setup sheet and a before-your-first-job checklist
  • New job sheet, estimate, invoice and change order forms
  • Sub information sheet and a home contract checklist

If a customer doesn’t pay

  • What to collect on day one of every job
  • Your lien rights and deadlines, for when you need them
  • Printable job tracker

Where to check

  • The agencies and statutes behind the rules, with links
  • Checked November 3, 2026

What you won’t get from a quick search

  • A first 30 days checklist for New Mexico, in the order to do it
  • Everyday forms you can copy and use: a new job sheet, estimate, invoice, change order and sub information sheet
  • Which trades need a state license, which ones the state stopped licensing, and what the $7,200 handyman exemption really requires
  • Why licensed work means workers’ comp at any size, and when you can owe comp for a sub’s crew
  • How gross receipts tax works on a job, how to show it on your invoice, and the Type 6 certificate that keeps tax off your materials
  • The written disclosure a home job needs before work, a contract or money, and the $500 to $1,500 fee for skipping it
  • The 120-day and 90-day lien clocks, and the trap on homes of four or fewer units, where an owner’s final payment appears to wipe out a lien you haven’t filed

What this packet doesn’t cover

We only state rules we could confirm. All sales are final, so here’s what’s not in it. The packet tells you who to ask.

  • Whether a New Mexico LLC has to file any report after formation. The LLC fee section lists no report fee, but that doesn’t settle it. Confirm on the Secretary of State’s business filing portal or with Business Services at 505-827-3600.
  • The unemployment tax wage base and quarterly due dates. Ask the Department of Workforce Solutions at 1-877-664-6984, option 3.
  • Whether an LLC or corporation in a trade that doesn’t need a license must carry comp below three workers, and what a sole proprietor has to file to stay out or get covered. The statute and the agency come at this differently. Ask the Workers’ Compensation Administration’s Employer Compliance Bureau.
  • New Mexico’s own cancellation rules for home sales. Only the federal rule is covered. Ask the New Mexico Attorney General’s consumer protection office or an attorney.
  • The disclosure form the licensing law requires on home jobs. The rule is covered, but the form isn’t included. Get the current one from the Construction Industries Division.
  • Recent changes to the licensing rules. The licensing law here comes from the division’s copy dated July 1, 2021, and the classifications from the 2022 rule, with amendments noticed for hearing in 2026. Confirm the $7,200 handyman cap, penalties and your classification with the Construction Industries Division.
  • State income tax rates, the personal return date and the due date for the quarterly comp fee. Ask the Taxation and Revenue Department or a CPA.
  • Homestead rules outside the lien article, which could affect a lien on someone’s home. Ask a New Mexico construction attorney.

Informational only. This packet should not be considered legal, financial, tax or business advice. Check with a licensed professional in your state before you rely on it.