Albuquerque, NM zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Albuquerque, NM?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: MX-H, MX-L, MX-M, NR-C.
It is not allowed in 17 districts: MX-FB-FX, MX-FB-ID, MX-FB-UD, MX-T, NR-PO-A, NR-PO-B, NR-PO-C, NR-PO-D, R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-1D, R-A, R-MC, R-MH, R-ML, R-T.
7 districts are not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MX-FB-FX | Not allowed | IDO Table 2-4-10 lists 'Drive-through or drive-up facility' among prohibited uses in the MX-FB sub-zones. Not allowed. | IDO 2-4(E)(3), Table 2-4-10 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| MX-FB-ID | Not allowed | IDO Table 2-4-10 lists 'Drive-through or drive-up facility' among prohibited uses in the MX-FB sub-zones. Not allowed. | IDO 2-4(E)(3), Table 2-4-10 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| MX-FB-UD | Not allowed | IDO Table 2-4-10 lists 'Drive-through or drive-up facility' among prohibited uses in the MX-FB sub-zones. Not allowed. | IDO 2-4(E)(3), Table 2-4-10 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| MX-H | By right | IDO Table 4-2-1: Drive-through or drive-up facility = A in MX-L (changed from CA by the 2020 IDO update), MX-M and MX-H. Same 4-3(F)(5) limits; MX-H/UC-MS-PT lanes must be screened (5-5(I)(2)(e)); prohibited in many mapped small areas - check location. | IDO Table 4-2-1; 4-3(F)(5); 5-5(I)(2) stacking/screening | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| MX-L | By right | IDO Table 4-2-1: Drive-through or drive-up facility = A in MX-L (changed from CA by the 2020 IDO update), MX-M and MX-H. Same 4-3(F)(5) limits; MX-H/UC-MS-PT lanes must be screened (5-5(I)(2)(e)); prohibited in many mapped small areas - check location. | IDO Table 4-2-1; 4-3(F)(5); 5-5(I)(2) stacking/screening | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| MX-M | By right | IDO Table 4-2-1: Drive-through or drive-up facility = A in MX-L (changed from CA by the 2020 IDO update), MX-M and MX-H. Same 4-3(F)(5) limits; MX-H/UC-MS-PT lanes must be screened (5-5(I)(2)(e)); prohibited in many mapped small areas - check location. | IDO Table 4-2-1; 4-3(F)(5); 5-5(I)(2) stacking/screening | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| MX-T | Not allowed | IDO 4-1(A)(2): a blank cell means not allowed; drive-through not allowed in MX-T (transition). Not allowed. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| NR-BP | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| NR-C | By right | IDO Table 4-2-1: Drive-through or drive-up facility is a permissive accessory use in NR-C (IDO training summary of NR-C). 4-3(F)(5): order board max 50 sf facing away from street; CUA within 330 ft of Major Public Open Space, prohibited adjacent to it; prohibited in listed small areas (Downtown, EDo, Nob Hill, University, Uptown restaurants, Volcano Heights MX). | IDO 14-16-4-2 Table 4-2-1; use-specific standard 4-3(F)(5) | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| NR-GM | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| NR-LM | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| NR-PO-A | Not allowed | Parks and open space: drive-through not an allowed use. Not allowed. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| NR-PO-B | Not allowed | Parks and open space: drive-through not an allowed use. Not allowed. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| NR-PO-C | Not allowed | Parks and open space: drive-through not an allowed use. Not allowed. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| NR-PO-D | Not allowed | Parks and open space: drive-through not an allowed use. Not allowed. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| NR-SU | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| PC | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| PD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| R-1A | Not allowed | Drive-through not allowed in Residential zone districts. Residential district. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-1B | Not allowed | Drive-through not allowed in Residential zone districts. Residential district. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-1C | Not allowed | Drive-through not allowed in Residential zone districts. Residential district. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-1D | Not allowed | Drive-through not allowed in Residential zone districts. Residential district. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-A | Not allowed | Drive-through not allowed in Residential zone districts. Residential district. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-MC | Not allowed | Drive-through not allowed in Residential zone districts. Residential district. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-MH | Not allowed | Drive-through not allowed in Residential zone districts. Residential district. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-ML | Not allowed | Drive-through not allowed in Residential zone districts. Residential district. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| R-T | Not allowed | Drive-through not allowed in Residential zone districts. Residential district. | IDO Table 4-2-1 | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
| UNCL | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | codelibrary.amlegal.com | 2026-11-15 |
"By right" means permitted with site plan and building permit review only. Overlay districts, planned developments (PD/PUD) and conditions attached to a past rezoning can change the answer for a single parcel.
Official zoning map layer
To find the district for a parcel, query the jurisdiction's own GIS zoning layer: https://services.arcgis.com/CWv1abTnC3urn4bV/ArcGIS/rest/services/IDOZoneDistricts/FeatureServer/0 (district field: IDOZoneDistrict)
City of Albuquerque IDO zone districts (IDOZoneDistricts layer 0, field IDOZoneDistrict; layer also carries IDOUseTableURL). Small-area prohibitions (Downtown, EDo, Nob Hill, University, Uptown, Volcano Heights) are NOT on this layer.
Permit and impact fees
Worked out from the adopted fee schedules linked below for three sample buildings. "Not found" means the schedule did not give a figure, not that the fee is zero.
| One-time fee | 800 sf drive-thru coffee | 3,500 sf restaurant | 22,000 sf grocery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit and plan review | $1,741 | $5,179 | $25,331 |
| Impact / mobility fees | $1,267 | $5,544 | $34,848 |
| Water and sewer impact / capacity | $11,372 | $22,743 | $36,393 |
| Tap and meter | $373 | $583 | $667 |
| Stormwater (one time) | $2,343 | $4,687 | $12,889 |
| State road driveway permit | not found | not found | not found |
| Total found so far | $17,097 | $38,735 | $110,128 |
State road access: NMDOT access permits: no fee. Allow 30-60 days (assumed).
Assumptions: Valuation uses the Feb 2021 ICC table x 0.90 (city rule for 7/1/2026-6/30/2027). Plan review 65% may overstate (city samples are lower). Drainage fee assumes site outside Central City. ABCWUA charges are the 7/1/2024 schedule.
Fee schedules: cabq.gov · codelibrary.amlegal.com · abcwua.org
Sources
How to confirm before you buy
- Look up the parcel on the official zoning map to get its district and any overlay.
- Open the code section linked in the table and read the use table and the drive-thru standards.
- Call the planning office and ask whether a drive-thru restaurant needs anything beyond site plan review at that address.
Why this library exists
I'm Luke Smith. I find land for drive-thru brands like 7 Brew, Ellianos Coffee and Starbucks, sign the tenant, build the shop and sell it as a net lease property. Every deal starts with the same question: is the use allowed here without a rezoning? Getting that answer takes too long, so we read the codes (with AI research help), and I publish what we find with a link back to every source so you can check it yourself.
If you have a site that fits a drive-thru, or you want to learn how these deals are put together, join the free Reverse Deal Finder community on Skool, see cap rates and land prices by brand, or call 1-760-392-1525. Brokers welcome: I pay commissions.