Where Albuquerque permits live
The resource page splits the history in three: September 2016 on (the old POSSE search tool), June 2008 to September 2016 (KIVA reports, including "KIVA All Building Permits"), and before June 2008 (reports including "All Permit Data"). Its September-2016 search link still points to the POSSE server, which did not resolve when we tried it on 23 October 2026, so use ABQ-PLAN for anything recent.
The pre-June 2008 reports include a "Permit Query by Contractor Name". For newer permits the City does not describe a contractor search; our compare pages group the City's permits by firm.
How to look up the permits on an Albuquerque address
- Open the ABQ-PLAN portal and choose the public search.
- Search the address or the permit number.
- Open each permit and read its status and inspections.
- For a permit from June 2008 to September 2016, open the KIVA "All Building Permits" report on the Building Safety resource page; before June 2008, the "All Permit Data" report.
- Questions about a building or trade permit: Building Safety, 505-924-3320.
How to read Albuquerque permit statuses
Albuquerque's permit data has a status but no completion date, so we measure finishing, not speed. The City also says "If the contractor has pulled the permit, they are required to schedule the inspection" (Building Safety FAQs).
| Status in the record | What it means | Finished in our data? |
|---|---|---|
| Complete | Final inspection passed | Yes |
| Issued | Work allowed, not yet finished | Not yet |
| Expired | Lapsed without a final | No |
Expired is common here: about two in five permits in the City's file end that way, partly because the 2025 records change expired a block of open old-system permits. Our completion rate compares each firm with permits of the same trade issued in the same quarter for that reason (Albuquerque about page, methodology).
When the permit you want is not online
For a file that is not in ABQ-PLAN or the reports, the City Clerk takes public records requests. For a specific permit, Building Safety at Plaza Del Sol (505-924-3320) can say whether it holds the file (read 23 October 2026).
What our Albuquerque file adds
ABQ-PLAN is organised by permit. Ours is organised by firm.
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Finished |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1,973 | 60 | 83.4% |
| New home | 1,370 | 136 | 59.7% |
| Windows & doors | 692 | 51 | 57.1% |
| Remodel | 409 | 180 | 28.7% |
| Patio cover & sunroom | 187 | 73 | 64.8% |
| Pools | 151 | 29 | 49.5% |
698 firms pulled the 5,009 permits. Only 28.7% of remodel permits a year or more old were Complete, against 83.4% of solar permits.
The Albuquerque permit statistics page has the same file by trade, year and month; the firm lists are on the solar, new home and remodel compare pages. To check the licence behind a name on a permit, use the Albuquerque contractor license lookup; to check whether your job needs a permit at all, see Do I need a permit?.
See every Albuquerque remodeler by finished permits →
What this does not tell you
The City publishes no electrical, plumbing, mechanical or roofing permits after 2016, so only building trades are here. Since the 2025 records change many permits name a person instead of a company, so recent activity is understated. Our file covers October 2023 to September 2026.
How we know this
Portal and report details are quoted from the City of Albuquerque's ABQ-PLAN page, Building Safety resource page and Building Safety FAQs, read 23 October 2026. Statuses are from the City's building permit data, October 2023 to September 2026.
Numbers come from City of Albuquerque building permits, data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I find out if a permit was pulled on my house in Albuquerque?
Search the address in ABQ-PLAN, the City's public permit portal, which replaced POSSE and ePlan. For permits before September 2016, open the KIVA and pre-2008 reports on the Building Safety resource page.
- Are Albuquerque building permits public record?
Yes. The City posts current permits in ABQ-PLAN and older ones in downloadable reports, and the City Clerk handles public records requests for anything else.
- Can I search Albuquerque permits by contractor name?
For permits before June 2008, yes: the City posts a 'Permit Query by Contractor Name' report. For newer permits, our Albuquerque compare pages group the City's permits by firm.
- What does 'Expired' mean on an Albuquerque permit?
The permit lapsed without a final inspection. The City says the contractor who pulled a permit is required to schedule its inspections, so an expired permit is a question for that contractor.
- What share of Albuquerque permits are finished?
It depends on the trade. In our file 83.4% of solar permits a year or more old were Complete, 59.7% of new homes and 28.7% of remodels.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Albuquerque contractor license lookup: the CID license, its classification and the City permits
- How to check a contractor's license in New Mexico
- Bellingham contractor license lookup: L&I registration, electrical licenses and the City permits
- Bend, OR contractor license lookup: the CCB, state trade licenses and the permits
- Arlington, TX building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need a roofing permit in Aurora, CO? Reroof permits, the homeowner exemption and 10,525 permits
For one city
- ABQ-PLAN — City of Albuquerque (2026-10-23)
- ABQ-PLAN SelfService public site (2026-10-23)
- Building Safety Resource Page (forms, reports, permit searches) — City of Albuquerque (2026-10-23)
- Building Safety & Permits FAQs — City of Albuquerque (2026-10-23)
- Public Records — City of Albuquerque Office of the City Clerk (2026-10-23)