Dona Ana County staff walks contractors through online solar-permit application

Shawn Vic, with Dona Ana County, walked contractors and homeowners through how to submit a solar permit application using the county's online portal, stressing required documents, file formats and a two- to three-day review timeline.

Vic said applicants will receive an email after registering for the portal with a link to set a password and that the username is the email address associated with the account. "This is not spam. Select the link below, select your password," Vic said, demonstrating the login page at donnaanna.my.site.com.

The demonstration outlined key steps and requirements contractors should follow. Vic advised that account profiles show only basic contact details (name, email, phone) and flagged the search bar as the most useful tool: it can return permits by permit number, address or company name and includes records going back to 02/2013. He said new applications submitted from the date of the demonstration will appear under "My permits," while older permits remain in the legacy system.

Vic described the application flow: select "New Permit," choose "Solar," then pick a permit subtype such as rooftop, ground mount, battery-backup, community solar or EV charger. Contact fields should include company and contact names; contractors should save their license number to proceed. For property identification, Vic said applicants should use the property record card information (subdivision, lot and block) when available.

On required documentation, Vic listed items that must be uploaded as a single PDF before submission: building plans, an electrical permit (if already available), warranty deed, property record card, the homeowner contract and an "EPE approval letter." He warned, "Do not submit until you have all of your documents or it will be rejected," and said files must not be zipped or uploaded individually. Vic also recommended uploading any existing electrical permit with the building plans so both can be approved together; otherwise, applicants must wait for plan approval before submitting an electrical permit separately.

Vic noted applicants should avoid placing sensitive information — such as gate or garage codes — in the application comments field. He demonstrated entering a project valuation (using $1,000 as an example) and the description field (for example, "RTS rooftop solar") that appear on the confirmation page alongside the assigned permit number shown in the demonstration: "SOLDash2025Dash00074." He also said his office practices the invoice system and that his account showed a $180 balance during testing.

Regarding timing and next steps, Vic said the county's current workload and verification requirements make the review a two- to three-day process. "If we haven't heard from us by then, then you can certainly reach out to us," he said, and added that payments are still made through building services. Vic told viewers he would send a second video showing how to check inspections, plan-review status and permit issuance.

The demonstration contained procedural guidance, document requirements and user-interface tips rather than any changes to county code or permitting policy. Contractors and applicants with questions were instructed to contact Dona Ana County building services directly if they do not receive a response within the stated review window.