- No contractor license needed for casual, minor work totaling no more than $7,200 a year. Does not cover electrical wiring, plumbing or gas fitting.
- The handyman declaration is filed every year.
Do you need a state license in New Mexico?
New Mexico licenses some handyman work at the state level and leaves the rest alone. Which side of that line a job falls on decides whether you need the state license.
No contractor license needed for casual, minor work totaling no more than $7,200 a year. Does not cover electrical wiring, plumbing or gas fitting.
New Mexico license types for handyman work
New Mexico splits the work into 2 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Handyman certificate | Casual, minor or inconsequential repairs, one project at a time, up to $7,200 in pay per year |
| GB-2 or GS specialty license | A CID contractor license in the right classification, needed for work outside the handyman limits |
Steps to get licensed in New Mexico
- Confirm your work is small, casual and will stay under $7,200 in pay for the year.
- File the handyman declaration with the Construction Industries Division.
- Do one project at a time and stay out of electrical, plumbing and gas work.
- Do not advertise as a contractor.
- Refile the declaration each year, or get a GB-2 or GS license when you outgrow the limits.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. The board's pages do not list one.
The license to apply for. Handyman certificate (declaration with CID).
New Mexico handyman exams
Trade exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in New Mexico
We could not confirm the current fee schedule on an official page. Check with the board before you budget: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division.
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. The handyman declaration is filed every year.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in New Mexico
- You cannot advertise or put up signs saying you are a contractor under the handyman exemption.
- The work cannot be part of a bigger job being done by you or another contractor.
- Electrical, plumbing and gas work always needs the proper license.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a handyman near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how handyman businesses run on Koira.