Ham radio operators in New Mexico: new licenses by county
6,055 licensed amateur radio operators; 201 new in the past 12 months. Updated weekly from FCC data.
At a glance · Data as of
- New hams · last 30 days
- 11
- New hams · last 12 months
- 201
- ▲ 12% vs prior 12 mo
- Active licensed hams
- 6,055
- Upgrades · 12 mo
- 88
- Vanity callsigns · 12 mo
- 33
- Address updates · 12 mo
- 87
- Often a move into the area
- Expiring · next 6 mo
- 415
About ham radio in New Mexico
201 new hams got their start in New Mexico over the past 12 months, a 12% jump from the prior year. New Mexico ranks #36 of 52 states and territories for new licenses. Valencia County leads the state with 46 new hams. Technicians make up 49% of the state’s licensees, close to the U.S. average of 48%. 88 operators upgraded their license in the past year, the moment many buy their first HF rig.
New hams by month
Show data table
| Month | New hams |
|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 0 |
| Nov 2025 | 9 |
| Dec 2025 | 24 |
| Jan 2026 | 24 |
| Feb 2026 | 18 |
| Mar 2026 | 34 |
| Apr 2026 | 28 |
| May 2026 | 28 |
| Jun 2026 | 9 |
| Jul 2026 | 11 |
| Aug 2026 | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | 11 |
| Total | 201 |
License classes
| Class | Hams | Share | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technician | 2,947 | 49% | 48% |
| General | 1,443 | 24% | 25% |
| Amateur Extra | 1,328 | 22% | 21% |
| Advanced | 218 | 4% | 3% |
| Novice / Other | 119 | 2% | 2% |
Bar = New Mexico share · Tick = U.S. share
In the past 12 months, 34 operators upgraded to General and 45 to Amateur Extra.
How New Mexico compares
#36 of 52 states and territories for new hams in the past 12 months
| Per 1,000 active hams | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| New hams, past 12 months | 33.2 | 32.3 |
| Upgrades, past 12 months | 14.5 | 14.7 |
| Expiring, next 6 months | 68.5 | 57.3 |
201 new hams in New Mexico this past year. Get next month’s list free.
Sign Up Free →Top 10 New Mexico counties for new hams
Scroll sideways for more columns →
| # | County | New hams 12 mo | Change vs prior year | Active hams | New per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia County | 46 | ▲ 109% | 284 | 162.0 |
| 2 | Bernalillo County | 41 | ▼ 20% | 1,954 | 21.0 |
| 3 | Sandoval County | 16 | ▼ 11% | 608 | 26.3 |
| 4 | Santa Fe County | 13 | ▼ 32% | 474 | 27.4 |
| 5 | Doña Ana County | 10 | ▼ 9% | 450 | 22.2 |
| 6 | San Juan County | 10 | 0% | 222 | 45.0 |
| 7 | Los Alamos County | 8 | — | 295 | 27.1 |
| 8 | Otero County | 7 | — | 232 | 30.2 |
| 9 | Taos County | 6 | — | 105 | 57.1 |
| 10 | Chaves County | 3 | — | 125 | 24.0 |
— in Change means fewer than 10 new hams the year before.
All New Mexico counties
12 counties with their own page. Numbers are new hams in the past 12 months.
- Bernalillo County41 new hams in 12 months
- Chaves County3 new hams in 12 months
- Doña Ana County10 new hams in 12 months
- Grant County3 new hams in 12 months
- Lincoln County2 new hams in 12 months
- Los Alamos County8 new hams in 12 months
- Otero County7 new hams in 12 months
- San Juan County10 new hams in 12 months
- Sandoval County16 new hams in 12 months
- Santa Fe County13 new hams in 12 months
- Taos County6 new hams in 12 months
- Valencia County46 new hams in 12 months
Smaller New Mexico counties
These 21 counties have too few licensees or too little recent activity for a page of their own, so their numbers are listed here.
Show all 21 smaller counties
| County | Active hams | New hams · 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Catron County | 37 | 0 |
| Cibola County | 72 | 0 |
| Colfax County | 35 | 2 |
| Curry County | 116 | 0 |
| De Baca County | 5 | 0 |
| Eddy County | 88 | 1 |
| Guadalupe County | 2 | 0 |
| Harding County | 0 | 0 |
| Hidalgo County | 17 | 0 |
| Lea County | 51 | 1 |
| Luna County | 82 | 1 |
| McKinley County | 59 | 0 |
| Mora County | 6 | 0 |
| Quay County | 19 | 0 |
| Rio Arriba County | 35 | 0 |
| Roosevelt County | 54 | 3 |
| San Miguel County | 36 | 1 |
| Sierra County | 38 | 0 |
| Socorro County | 130 | 0 |
| Torrance County | 63 | 0 |
| Union County | 9 | 1 |
Neighboring states
Share New Mexico’s numbers
Select the text to copy it.
Figures may be reused with credit to Ham Recruiter (CC BY 4.0).
Questions about hams in New Mexico
How many ham radio operators are in New Mexico?
6,055 active amateur radio licensees are on file for New Mexico as of Oct 1, 2026.
How many new hams were licensed in New Mexico last year?
201 people in New Mexico received their first FCC amateur radio license in the 12 months ending Oct 1, 2026.
Which New Mexico counties have the most new hams?
In the past 12 months: Valencia County (46), Bernalillo County (41) and Sandoval County (16).
Where does this data come from?
From the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) public amateur license database, which we download every Monday. Addresses are matched to counties with the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. This page shows totals only.
Can I see the names or call signs on this page?
No. Public pages show totals only. Verified Ham Recruiter users can search and export lists for outreach; see how licensee information is handled.
About this data
Data as of . Source: FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) weekly amateur license database; county from U.S. Census Bureau geocoding. Aggregates only, no individual licensee data is shown. Aggregate figures © Ham Recruiter, CC BY 4.0.
How we count
- New ham: an active licensee whose first license was granted in the period.
- Address updates: a change of FCC mailing address, often a move into the area.
- Counts use each licensee’s current FCC address. Someone licensed here who later moved is counted where they live now.
- Each license keeps only its most recent event of each type, so two upgrades in one year count once.
- PO-box-only addresses often can’t be matched to a county, so rural counties are slightly undercounted.
98% of New Mexico licensees could be matched to a county.