Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller signed Ordinance O-26-49 on October 2, according to the city. It prohibits virtual currency ATMs and cashier-facilitated virtual currency transactions inside city limits. The city's announcement says private cryptocurrency ownership and transfers remain legal. The ban applies to cash-to-crypto sales, not ownership of the asset.
The measure is signed law, not a proposal awaiting a vote. Operators must stop running machines in New Mexico's largest city, and host businesses face enforcement too. Albuquerque joins local governments that have moved beyond kiosk regulation to prohibition, while state legislatures elsewhere have favored caps, holds and refund rules.
City records give different dates for Keller's signature
The city's October 2 news release, published through its Department of Senior Affairs, says Keller signed O-26-49 that day. Its legislative docket on Legistar records a mayoral signature on September 23. Neither entry explains the discrepancy.
The deadlines, however, run from the effective date. The docket lists October 14, 2026. The ordinance text separately says it takes effect five days after publication, so the publication date controls if it differs from the docket entry.
Operation stops October 14; removal follows
Early coverage described a 45-day removal deadline, which some readers took to mean kiosks could keep transacting for six weeks. The ordinance text distinguishes the two deadlines: existing machines must stop operating on the effective date, then be physically removed within 45 days. Counting from the docket's October 14 effective date, removal would be due by November 28, 2026, a date the city has not yet confirmed.
Removing a kiosk would not let a store continue cash-to-crypto sales through a clerk. The ordinance also bans cashier-facilitated virtual currency transactions.
Daily violations can compound across machines
O-26-49 provides several ways to enforce the shutdown and removal deadlines, according to the docketed ordinance:
Enforcement provisions in O-26-49:
- Each machine, and each day it remains in violation, can count as a separate violation.
- Both the kiosk operator and the host business can face action.
- The city may seek business-license revocation, subject to procedural safeguards.
- The city may go to court for an injunction compelling removal.
- The city's general penalty provision allows a fine of up to $500 per offense upon conviction.
For an operator with a dozen units, a $500 ceiling per offense could add up across machines and days. How much force those provisions have will depend on how the city uses them.
CoinFlip and Bitstop locators show Albuquerque sites
There is no verified count of kiosks operating in Albuquerque today. A September report by ABQ News attributed 47 listings to Coin ATM Radar; an October 2 report attributed an estimate of at least 100 kiosks to city officials. The figures use different methods and conflict; they do not establish that the fleet grew.
Operators' locators offer a partial view. CoinFlip's location page lists 11 Albuquerque sites. Bitstop's locator shows Albuquerque machines operated by ATM OPS, Inc., meaning the Bitstop brand on a screen does not necessarily identify the legal operator the city would pursue. Neither locator establishes that every listed machine is functioning, and neither company has publicly announced an Albuquerque exit or compliance plan. Both have open enforcement matters in other states, listed in the operators directory. CoinFlip, for example, faces a pending Washington DFI proceeding seeking license revocation; the allegations and requested relief are not a final order.
We have found no legal challenge to O-26-49 filed by an operator.
Hosts face enforcement alongside kiosk operators
Albuquerque convenience stores, gas stations and other retailers with kiosks on site have their own exposure under the ordinance. Existing machines must stop operating on the effective date and be removed within 45 days. The cashier provision also covers transactions at the register, and the city can seek to revoke a business license.
Residents who already own bitcoin are unaffected; the city says private ownership and transfers remain legal. See our consumer protection resources.
Other jurisdictions are banning kiosks or restricting sales
Coral Springs, Florida advanced a proposed kiosk ban on first reading on October 7, while Hawaii's statewide cash-to-crypto kiosk prohibition took effect October 1. Days ago, 34 jurisdictions announced a settlement requiring Coinme to exit kiosk operations by January 1, 2027. Most states have chosen regulation instead: Wisconsin's restrictions coincided with fewer reported scam complaints and the loss of about half its kiosks. Albuquerque's city materials cite scams targeting seniors as the reason for its ordinance. Whether a city-level ban reduces losses or pushes cash buyers and scam victims to machines outside city limits has not been measured.