New Mexico land survey rules
New Mexico's State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors has ten members: five engineers, three surveyors and two public members (NMSA 61-23-5).
Who licenses land surveyors in New Mexico
The governing law is the Engineering and Surveying Practice Act, Chapter 61, Article 23 NMSA 1978; the board posts the version effective July 1, 2025.
The Minimum Standards for Surveying in New Mexico (12.8.2 NMAC, current version effective March 12, 2022) set the minimum competency and performance expected of licensed surveyors.
Sources: Board: Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors; Minimum Standards for Surveying: 12.8.2 NMAC
Who may survey
Anyone practicing or offering to practice surveying in New Mexico must show they are qualified and be licensed under the Practice Act (61-23-2).
New Mexico does not license business entities. A company may offer surveying only if the person in responsible charge of that work is a professional surveyor who can bind the company by contract (61-23-27.9).
Since July 1, 2017, every business offering surveying in New Mexico must file a notarized Surveyor of Record affidavit naming its company officer and responsible professional surveyor.
In every surveying contract, the surveyor must give a written statement of its professional liability insurance coverage or say that it has none.
Sources: Only licensed surveyors may practice; Surveyor of Record affidavit for every surveying business
Minimum standards for a boundary survey
For a boundary survey, the surveyor must visit the property and look for existing monuments and for evidence of possession and use (12.8.2.9 NMAC).
Found monuments the surveyor accepts must be tagged with a metal tag bearing the surveyor's license number, unless set and clearly marked by a government agency.
Monuments a New Mexico surveyor sets must be ferrous metal at least half an inch thick and 16 inches long, with a cap stamped with the surveyor's license number (12.8.2.17 NMAC).
The boundary plat carries the surveyor's signed and sealed certificate that an actual survey was made on the ground and meets the minimum standards.
The plat must show fences, buildings, walls and other evidence of a boundary or line of occupation on or near the boundary.
A boundary plat must be recorded when no plat of the parcel has been recorded before, and in some remonumentation cases.
Checking a surveyor's license
The board posts a PDF roster of licensees, interns and applicants and a list of Engineer and Surveyor of Record affidavits filed by firms.
Filing a complaint
The board cannot order restitution and does not set or review fees for professional services.
Complaints go on the board's form by mail or hand delivery, with as much evidence as possible; documents are not returned.
A surveyor found in violation may be reprimanded, fined up to $7,500 per violation, put on probation, suspended or revoked.
The board says most cases are resolved within six months, though some take a year or longer.
Sources: No restitution or fee review; Fines up to $7,500 per violation
Common questions
What must a boundary survey include in New Mexico?
In New Mexico the surveyor must visit the property and look for existing monuments and evidence of possession, set capped ferrous monuments stamped with the surveyor's license number, and show fences, buildings, walls and other lines of occupation on the plat (12.8.2 NMAC).