Otero County, NM zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
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Towns in Otero County: Alamogordo, Holloman Air Force Base, Tularosa.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA's countywide study for Otero County has 143 FIRM panels, the newest effective November 2015; no coastal V zones are mapped in it.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for an Otero house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the county or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the New Mexico county parcel layers (each county publishes its own), so an Otero lot shows the same lines the county assessor draws. Otero County covers about 4,232,039 acres of land and 9,129 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Otero County assessor keeps the parcel record (Otero County website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
Otero County zones its unincorporated land, and Alamogordo, Tularosa each zone the land inside their limits. ParcelSheet shows the use the county assessor lists for the lot and links the county planning and zoning office for the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs.
ADU and guest houses
Under New Mexico's zoning law for counties and municipalities (NMSA 1978, Chapter 3, Article 21, starting at 3-21-1), local governments can allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether an Otero lot can add one depends on its district; the county planning and zoning office has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Otero County is soil survey area NM646, Otero Area, New Mexico, Parts of Otero, Eddy and Chaves Counties, last updated September 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Otero County needs a permit from the New Mexico Environment Department Onsite Wastewater Bureau, through its field office for Otero County.
Setbacks
Setbacks in Otero County come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; the county zoning office gives them for the lot's district, and Alamogordo and Tularosa for land inside their limits.
Hazards that apply
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near an Otero lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Otero County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA's countywide flood map for Otero County has 143 panels, the newest effective November 2015. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Otero County?
Open the New Mexico map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the Otero County assessor shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Otero County?
Zoning in Otero County is set by the county for unincorporated land and by each city (such as Alamogordo, Tularosa) inside its own limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code the county assessor lists and links the office that sets the zoning; the planning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Otero County?
Under New Mexico's zoning law for counties and municipalities (NMSA 1978, Chapter 3, Article 21, starting at 3-21-1), counties and cities can allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Otero County ask the zoning office for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Otero County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Otero County needs a permit from the New Mexico Environment Department Onsite Wastewater Bureau, through its field office for Otero County. ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area NM646 (Otero Area, New Mexico, Parts of Otero, Eddy and Chaves Counties).
What can I build on 5 acres in Otero County?
Zoning in Otero County is set by the county for unincorporated land and each city inside its own limits (such as Alamogordo, Tularosa). The zoning district decides the uses, how many homes and the smallest lot it allows on 5 acres. ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped and the use code on the parcel record; the planning office has the district and its rules. See the Otero County website.
What are the residential setbacks in Otero County (2026)?
Setbacks in Otero County come from the zoning code of the county, or of the city when the lot is inside city limits: the front, side and rear distances depend on the lot's district. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines or give a number it did not read; the zoning office gives them for the district. See the Otero County website.
Next to Otero County: Chaves County, Doña Ana County, Eddy County, Lincoln County, Sierra County.
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