New Mexico · Checked October 22, 2026
State license. New Mexico licenses roofers through the Regulation and Licensing Department's Construction Industries Division (CID). Roofing work needs the GS-21 Roofing specialty classification — or a broader building license that includes it — with a designated Qualifying Party who has two years of foreman-level experience and passes the trade and Business and Law exams. There is no roofing work exemption for a real roofing business; the only carve-out is a narrow handyman certificate capped at $7,200 a year in total pay.
Checked in part. The load-bearing facts on this page (regime, threshold, exam) are sourced below, but one or more figures for New Mexico could not be confirmed on a primary board or statute page in the October 22, 2026 pass. Anything unconfirmed is printed as “Not published” — never estimated. Confirm the open figures with the board before you file.
| Item | New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Regime | State contractor license — GS-21 Roofing classification (CID) |
| Exam | PSI GS-21 Roofing trade exam plus New Mexico Business and Law exam (both open-book) — pass mark Not published. Exams are administered by PSI after the Qualifying Party application and experience affidavit are approved. A published numeric pass score for the GS-21 exam was not found on a primary CID/PSI page in this check — marked Not published rather than assumed. Business and Law exam fee reported at $68.88 by PSI-linked guides. |
| Experience | GS-21 requires two years of foreman-level practical or related trade experience (14.6.6 NMAC). Accredited technical training counts at one-half year per year of training, up to one-half of the total requirement. Experience must generally fall within the 10 years before application. |
| Application fee | $36 Qualifying Party application to PSI (notarized affidavit); the license application fee is reported as $36 in current CID/PSI-linked guides — the older NMAC 14.5.5.8 text states $30, so confirm the live figure with PSI. |
| License / registration fee | $150 classification fee for GS-21 (an 'other classification' at $50/year over the license term); $300 classification fee applies to the major '98 / GB-2 classifications. Additional classification $6 certificate in some schedules |
| Total state cost | About $222 in state/PSI application and classification fees for GS-21 before exam fees, plus the $10,000 bond premium (commonly $100-$500/year or about $250 for a 3-year term through surety sellers) — Fee sources conflict by vintage: NMAC 14.5.5.8 (Cornell) states a $30 application fee and $50/year for non-major classifications; current guides citing CID's Apply page state $36 application and $36 QP application. Both figures are shown honestly; confirm the current amount on CID's Apply page before filing. |
| Bond | $10,000 contractor license bond (or cash deposit) required for issuance and renewal under NMAC 14.6.3, filed for the benefit of consumers damaged by defective construction or license violations and employees owed wages. The contractor pays a premium, not the full $10,000. |
| Insurance minimums | No general liability amount is stated as a condition of the CID license itself in the sources checked — shown honestly as Not published for a state-set GL minimum. Workers' compensation is required for construction employers under New Mexico workers' compensation law, and project owners / public works commonly impose their own insurance and bonding requirements. |
| Who qualifies | Every license must name a Qualifying Party (QP) — the individual whose experience and exam passage qualify the business for its classifications. QP application and notarized work-experience affidavit go to PSI ($36); the QP certificate is classification-specific. If the sole QP separates, the licensee and QP must notify CID/PSI in writing within 30 days and the firm has 120 days to attach a new QP; a QP qualifying two or more licenses at once must show at least 30% common ownership. |
| Timeline | Typically several weeks to a few months: QP approval, exam scheduling with PSI, then license packet review. Secondary guides report about 7-10 business days to process a complete license packet once exams are passed, plus mailing time; first-time applicants should plan 3-6 months end to end. |
| Renewal | Three-year license term, expiring the last day of the month of issuance. Renewal is by notarized application to PSI with a valid bond on file; renewal fee is $150 per GS classification ($300 for major classifications, capped at $300 per category in the Harbor/CID schedule checked). Failure to renew brings a suspension notice about 15 days after expiry. |
| Credential | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GS-21 Roofing | both | Install, alter or repair roof systems on new or existing roof decks to create a weatherproof / waterproof membrane, with or without insulation, using asphalt, pitch, tar, sealants, felt, shakes, shingles, tile, slate, urethane or other approved materials, including preparatory work, roof coatings, and incidental sheet metal at or near roof lines (cornices, flashing, skylights without structural framing changes, gutters, leaders, downspouts, pans, prefabricated chimneys, metal flues). 14.6.6 NMAC. |
| GB-98 General Building Contractor | both | Broadest building classification; includes GS specialty work including roofing when the project is within GB scope. Requires 4 years of experience (at least 2 years commercial in the classifications guidance checked). |
| GB-2 Residential Building Contractor | residential | Residential structures up to four family units; includes GS specialty work including roofing when limited to residential construction. Requires 2 years of experience. |
License trigger: $7,200 — Handyman exemption ceiling — total compensation per year, not per job. Under 14.6.2.8 NMAC / NMSA 60-13-3, casual, minor or inconsequential work is exempt only if total compensation does not exceed $7,200 a year, one project at a time, the worker does not advertise as a contractor, and an annual declaration is filed with CID. The exemption never covers electrical, plumbing or gas work. A roofing business operating above that ceiling needs a full CID license.
Work outside a contractor's classification must be subcontracted to a contractor validly licensed in that classification; a prime contractor may only hold out as prime where the majority of the project's dollar value falls within its own classification. Subcontractors performing roofing need their own GS-21 (or covering) license and QP — being a sub does not exempt roofing work.
State license is the operative credential statewide. NMSA 60-13-51 bars municipalities from requiring a separate contractor bond as a condition of licensure, though permit-specific requirements and local business registration / permits still apply. Check the city or county building department for permit rules.
No specific deductible-waiver statute found. No New Mexico statute specifically banning a roofing contractor from paying, waiving or advertising to pay an insurance deductible was found in searches on 2026-10-22. General insurance-fraud and unfair-practices law still applies. Status is 'no specific statute found', not permission.
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