New Mexico Low Voltage License Requirements

New Mexico’s low-voltage contractor classification is ES-3, Low Voltage Special Systems (under 50 volts)—not ES-1 or ES-2. ES-3 covers interior and exterior systems, cabling, and interconnections at commercial and residential locations operating at 50 volts or less, including telecommunications, fire and burglar alarms, CATV, audio/visual, security, door/gate controls, and certain temperature-control circuits. It does not cover wiring above 50 volts, which requires EE-98 or ER-1 as applicable. CID licenses business entities through a qualifying party; the qualifying party needs two years of relevant experience, preapproval, and the relevant PSI trade and Business and Law examinations. Local permit authorities can impose their own permit and inspection processes.

Regulatory Body

New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under NMSA 1978 Chapter 60 Article 13 (Construction Industries Licensing Act); NMAC Title 14 Chapter 6. CID licenses construction contractors and tradespeople statewide through its General Construction Bureau, Electrical Bureau, and Mechanical Bureau, enforces adopted building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical codes, and conducts inspections and disciplinary proceedings.

Official portal: https://www.rld.nm.gov/construction/
Address: 2550 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone: (505) 476-4700

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. CID issues licenses to qualified business entities that employ or are owned by one or more qualifying parties. Follow the entity registration requirements listed in CID’s application instructions.

Good moral character

CID’s application process reviews the qualifying party and business documentation; disclose required information accurately.

Background investigation

Confirm any current background-screening requirements with CID; do not rely on an alarm/fire-alarm claim from another program.

Experience and Education

A minimum of 2 years of ES-3 requires two years of experience. The experience must be in the field and within the 10 years immediately preceding the qualifying-party application. must be documented and verified. Unless the board publishes a different lookback period, applicants should keep payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records that support the claimed experience.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

CID/PSI qualifying-party application and work experience affidavit

Education substitution

Confirm any current education credit with CID; its published application instructions emphasize qualifying experience and preapproval.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

ES-3 Low Voltage Special Systems trade examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 75%
New Mexico Contractor Business and Law examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 75%

Examination fee: CID requires a $36 fee with the qualifying-party application/experience affidavit; examination fees are listed in PSI’s current Candidate Information Bulletin.

Retake policy: Confirm PSI’s current retake rules. CID states that a passing score is valid for one year.

Insurance and Bonds

There is no statewide surety bond tied to this credential in the cited record. Bonding can still surface at the project level — permit, license, or public-works bonds — so check before you bid.

General liability

CID’s application instructions require a license bond; confirm the current bond amount and any insurance documentation with CID for the requested license classification and monetary limit.

Workers' compensation

CID’s current application instructions state that workers’ compensation coverage is required for all licensed entities.

Additional financial requirements

CID’s ES-3 materials do not state a general ES-3 financial-statement requirement; confirm any monetary-limit documentation with CID.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$36
Initial license	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Renewal (every 3 years)	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for New Mexico low voltage.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The New Mexico ES-3 Low Voltage Special Systems Contractor License runs on a 3 years renewal cycle. No separate statewide renewal fee is listed in the cited sources. CID’s published application materials direct applicants to current license fees and requirements; do not rely on old tier or fire-alarm renewal claims.

Continuing education: Confirm current ES-3 renewal and continuing-education requirements with CID.

Downloadable Asset

2026 New Mexico Low Voltage License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

For this classification, New Mexico does not recognize the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

Do not assume an out-of-state low-voltage license qualifies for ES-3. Confirm any current New Mexico recognition or reciprocity process directly with CID.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Low Voltage license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Low Voltage Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare New Mexico's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Arizona Low Voltage License Requirements — Arizona Low Voltage Communication Systems Contractor — C-67 Commercial / R-67 Residential / CR-67 Dual
Colorado Low Voltage License Requirements — Colorado Low-Voltage Work — State Electrical and Local Permit Rules
Oklahoma Low Voltage License Requirements — Oklahoma Low-Voltage: Electrical Boundaries and Alarm-System Licensing
Texas Low Voltage License Requirements — Texas Low-Voltage Work: DPS Private Security, State Fire Marshal, and TDLR Requirements
Utah Low Voltage License Requirements — Utah Low-Voltage Work — No Standalone DOPL Low-Voltage Contractor Class

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Confirm that ES-3 matches the work. ES-3 is for special systems operating at 50 volts or less. Above-50-volt work requires EE-98 or ER-1 as applicable.
Document qualifying-party experience. The ES-3 qualifying party needs two years of relevant experience within the preceding 10 years.
Submit for preapproval. Send the qualifying-party application and work experience affidavit to PSI with the $36 fee before scheduling examinations.
Pass trade and Business and Law examinations. CID states applicants must pass applicable PSI examinations with at least 75%.
Apply for the business license. Submit the business application, applicable fee, license bond, tax registration, required entity documents, and qualifying-party documentation through the CID process.
Use proper worker supervision. CID’s low-voltage rule limits commercial/industrial special-systems supervision to one journeyman overseeing two apprentices.
Get permits from the authority having jurisdiction. Check CID and the local permit authority for electrical/fire-alarm permits and inspections. ES-3 contractors cannot install raceways within or on buildings.

Application Checklist

Have each of the following squared away before the packet goes to CID:

ES-3 scope review
Two years of qualifying-party experience within the preceding 10 years
Qualifying-party application and experience affidavit with $36 fee
ES-3 trade and Business and Law examinations at 75% or higher
CID business application, bond, tax registration, and entity documents
Workers’ compensation coverage
Local/CID permit and inspection confirmation
EE-98 contractor for any in-building raceway or above-50-volt work

Common Filing Mistakes

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost New Mexico Low Voltage applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Using ES-1 or ES-2 for low voltage

ES-1 is signs/outline lighting and ES-2 is cathodic/lightning protection. ES-3 is the low-voltage special-systems classification.

Working above 50 volts under ES-3

The ES-3 scope excludes circuits above 50 volts.

Installing in-building raceways under ES-3

CID assigns those raceways to EE-98, subject to stated exceptions.

Skipping qualifying-party preapproval

CID directs QP applicants to submit the application and experience affidavit before scheduling examinations.

Assuming municipal permits are waived

Confirm electrical and fire-alarm permits and inspections with the authority having jurisdiction.

Study and Reference Materials

These materials are drawn from the regulator's own citations and the references applicants commonly use to prepare. CLR receives no compensation for listing them.

New Mexico CID classifications and scopes — New Mexico CID. Official ES-3 scope, limitations, supervision ratio, and related electrical classifications.
New Mexico CID license application instructions — New Mexico CID. Current qualifying-party and business-license process.

Other New Mexico Trade Licenses

For a different New Mexico credential, see these companion guides published by CLR:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is New Mexico’s low-voltage contractor classification?

ES-3, Low Voltage Special Systems (under 50 volts).

Does ES-3 cover fire alarms and security systems?

Yes, the ES-3 scope includes fire and burglar alarms, security systems, telecommunications, CATV, audio/visual, and other listed systems operating at 50 volts or less.

Does ES-3 permit wiring above 50 volts?

No. The ES-3 scope excludes circuits above 50 volts; EE-98 or ER-1 is required as applicable.

How much ES-3 experience is required?

Two years, within the 10 years preceding the qualifying-party application.

Can an ES-3 contractor install raceways in a building?

No. CID states that raceways within or on buildings must be installed by an EE-98 licensee, subject to the listed exceptions.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.