New Mexico
New Mexico licenses 'boarding homes' as their own category: two or more unrelated adults (18+) who get help with instrumental activities of daily living and community service coordination, often after discharge from behavioral-health institutions. Boarding homes may not provide hands-on ADL help or nursing care. Settings serving two or more adults who need help with ADLs must be licensed as assisted living facilities. Both rule sets were moved into Title 8 under the Health Care Authority effective July 1, 2024.
License categories
Boarding homesAssisted living facilities for adults
Key laws
8.370.15 NMAC
General Requirements for Boarding Homes — official text
8.370.14 NMAC
Assisted Living Facilities for Adults — official text
Key requirements
- Boarding homes may not help with ADLs (bathing, dressing, toileting); they may give limited help with self-administered medication and coordinate meals and transportation (8.370.15 NMAC).
- Boarding homes need a full-time manager and staff available within 30 minutes; homes with more than 15 residents need staff on the premises (8.370.15 NMAC).
- Boarding homes may not admit people who need nursing care, people with dementia, or people who need a higher level of institutional care (8.370.15.36 NMAC).
- Assisted living administrators must be 21 or older, have a high school diploma, and complete a state-approved ALF administrator certification program (8.370.14.16 NMAC).
- ALF direct care staff need 16 hours of supervised training before working unsupervised plus 12 hours a year. Facilities with 15 or fewer residents need one awake staff member overnight (8.370.14.17, .19 NMAC).
Sources
- https://www.hca.nm.gov/dhi-regulations/
- https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title08/08.370.0014.html
- https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title08/08.370.0015.html
- https://alf.hca.nm.gov/public-resources/
- https://www.hca.nm.gov/report-abuse-neglect-exploitation/
- https://www.srca.nm.gov/nmac/nmregister/xxxvi/HCA-DHInotice_xxxvi05.html
- https://api.realfile.rtsclients.com/PublicFiles/6c91aefc960e463485b3474662fd7fd2/4dde8421-0ae7-435a-9f14-8add2c161457/ALF%20Public%20Hearing%20Summary%20v.%208.18.2025.pdf