How To Find Court Records in New Mexico

You are about to hire a contractor for a major Albuquerque renovation, but you hear whispers of a past legal dispute filed in the Second Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County.

Court records, the official documents that track a case's entire history, including filings, motions, rulings, and hearing dates, hold the answers you need. Ironically, accessing them the traditional way often means endless calls to the clerk's office or tedious courthouse visits, wasting your time and energy.

CourtCaseFinder transforms this process by aggregating and organizing information from courts across New Mexico. When publicly available, you can instantly access case summaries, party details, filings, rulings, and hearings, making it an indispensable tool for research, due diligence, and personal insight.

How To Access New Mexico Public Court Records

Finding court records in New Mexico using CourtCaseFinder is fast and simple. You don't need to switch between multiple websites, navigate confusing pages, or wait hours while court staff dig through piles of files.

However, if you want to explore other methods for retrieving court records, New Mexico provides official sources. Below are the main options for accessing records directly through the court resources:

Online Court Records Access

Pursuant to New Mexico Supreme Court Order No. 23-8500-007, public court records are available online through the following:

• New Mexico Case Lookup: Access records from Appellate, District, Magistrate, and Municipal Courts and the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. It does not include juvenile criminal cases, historic DWI or domestic violence convictions, or Family Violence Protection Act orders of protection cases.
• re:SearchNM: Lets you, as a self-represented litigant, obtain documents and information on civil, criminal, family, and probate cases from the courts listed above.

Request for Public Records Inspection

To inspect public court records, you can submit a written request online or by email, mail, or fax to the court where the records are maintained. You may use the form available on the New Mexico Judiciary's Inspect Public Records Request page.

Your request should include:

• The court location
• The type of record you are requesting
• Your full name, address, and contact information

Walk-In Request

You may also request to inspect or copy court records in person at the Clerk of Court's Office, as long as you know which court handled the case.

To help locate the record quickly, the clerk will ask for details such as the case number, the name of the defendant or plaintiff, and any other identifying information.

New Mexico Court Records: What is Public and What is Not?

Citizens of New Mexico have the right to review public records maintained by state courts, thanks to the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA). This law makes sure that people can access the greatest information about government operations and the official actions of employees.

Under IPRA, the following types of court records are typically available for inspection:

• Case overview
• Involved parties
• Record of actions
• Civil complaint summary
• Judge assignment history

On the other hand, the same law prohibits the disclosure and public scrutiny of certain records, such as:

• Medical and mental health records of individuals in confinement
• Communications protected by the attorney-client privilege
• Documentation from investigations conducted under the Adult Protective Services Act
• Law enforcement notes that disclose confidential sources or involve individuals not formally charged
• Wills filed with a District Court by the testator or their authorized agent

Who Oversees the Courts in New Mexico?

In New Mexico, the Supreme Court is the highest authority overseeing the state judiciary. Composed of five justices, it acts as the ultimate appellate body and supervises all lower courts.

The Court also regulates the legal profession, admitting attorneys and judges and enforcing disciplinary actions for professional misconduct.

Supporting these functions, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) manages the operational resources of New Mexico's courts. Its responsibilities include:

• Allocating and distributing resources equitably across the courts
• Providing and maintaining up-to-date technology
• Managing statewide human resources for court staff
• Developing and refining court procedures
• Collecting and analyzing court data
• Overseeing budgeting and procurement
• Liaising with legislative and executive branches

What Types of Courts Exist in New Mexico?

New Mexico's court system is designed to handle a wide range of legal matters. At the top, the Supreme Court holds ultimate authority. Beneath it, the Court of Appeals and District Courts address civil, criminal, and other complex cases.

For more localized issues such as traffic violations and estate disputes, courts like Magistrate, Municipal, Probate, and Metropolitan offer efficient resolutions tailored to the community's needs.

Court Type	Jurisdiction	Common Case Types
Supreme Court	Court of last resort; superintending control over all lower courts and licensed attorneys; five justices	Mandatory appellate: life/death penalty, Public Regulation Commission (PRC)appeals, habeas corpus, public official matters; discretionary: extraordinary writs, certiorari, certified questions
Court of Appeals	Intermediate appellate; 10 judges (panels of three); offices in Santa Fe and Albuquerque	Mandatory: civil, non-capital criminal, juvenile; discretionary: interlocutory and agency appeals
District Courts	Courts of general jurisdiction: 13 districts, 102 judges; jury trials allowed	Tort, contract, real property, estate, domestic relations, mental health, administrative agency appeals, misdemeanors, juvenile cases
Magistrate Courts	Limited jurisdiction; 46 courts, 67 judges; jury trials allowed	Civil claims ≤ $10,000, landlord/tenant disputes, felony preliminary hearings, misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, other traffic violations
Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court	Limited jurisdiction; 19 judges; jury trials allowed	Civil claims ≤ $10,000, felony first appearances, misdemeanors; DWI/DUI; domestic violence, traffic violations
Municipal Courts	Limited jurisdiction; 81 courts, 83 judges; no jury trials	Petty misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, traffic violations, municipal ordinance violations
Probate Courts	Limited jurisdiction; 33 judges, 33 counties; no jury trials	Informal probate, uncontested estate cases (contested cases go to District Court)

What Federal Courts Are In New Mexico?

In New Mexico, state courts handle most everyday disputes, family law, probate, contracts, torts, property, and criminal cases under state law. You go to state court for divorces, wills, business disputes, or local crimes.

Federal courts, by contrast, have limited jurisdiction under Article III of the U.S. Constitution. They hear cases tied to federal law, bankruptcy, patents, copyrights, admiralty, antitrust, securities, and crimes defined by federal statute. This dual structure balances state sovereignty with the need for national legal uniformity.

The table below outlines the different federal courts in New Mexico:

Federal Court	Jurisdiction	Location & Contact Information
U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico	Steps in when crimes violate federal law or cross state lines (e.g., trafficking, mail fraud, immigration offenses).	Albuquerque: Pete V. Domenici Federal Courthouse 333 Lomas Boulevard NW Albuquerque, NM 87102 Phone: (505) 348-2000 La Cruces: Federal Courthouse 100 North Church Street Las Cruces, NM 88001 Phone: (575) 528-1400 Santa Fe: Santiago Campos Federal Courthouse 106 S. Federal Place Santa Fe, NM, 87501 Phone: (505) 988-6481 Roswell: Federal Courthouse 500 N. Richardson Roswell, NM 88201 Phone: (575) 637-7960
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico	Guides fair debt repayment, oversees business restructuring or liquidation, and prevents fraud.	Colocated with the U.S. District Court office in Albuquerque Phone: (505) 415-7999

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuitreviews cases from federal courts in New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. It handles various federal legal matters, from constitutional to civil and criminal cases.

How Many Cases Are Handled Annually in New Mexico Courts?

New Mexico's District and Magistrate Courts form the backbone of the state's justice system, balancing the demands of serious criminal trials with the resolution of everyday civil disputes.

Far more than legal forums, they serve as arenas where family matters, community conflicts, and public safety concerns are addressed. Together, these courts take on an estimated 160,000 new cases each year, a figure drawn from filings across specific case categories.

Court Level	Case Category	Approx. Annual Case Filings
District Courts	Felony Crimes Against Persons	~3,000
	Felony Crimes Against Property	~3,000
	Felony Drug Offenses	~3,000
	Felony Public Safety Offenses	~1,000
	Juvenile Criminal	~1,000
	Abuse and Neglect	~500
	Child Support Enforcement	~1,000
	Contract/Debt and Money Due	~15,000
	Dissolution	~4,000
	Domestic Violence	~7,000
	Juvenile Mental Health	~800
	Lower Court Competency	~2,000
	Miscellaneous Civil	~2,000
	Parentage	~1,000
	Probate Informal, Will	~1,000
	Probate Informal, No Will	~900
	Tort	~1,000
	Tort Auto	~1,000
Magistrate Courts	General Civil	~4,000
	Landlord Tenant	~5,000
	Forcible Detainer	~300
	Livestock	~20
	Mobile Home Park	~400
	Felony	~13,000
	Misdemeanor	~12,000
	Domestic Violence Felony	~1,000
	Domestic Violence Misdemeanor	~5,000
	DWI Felony	~300
	DWI Misdemeanor	~4,000
	Contempt	~30
	Extradition	~1,000
	Traffic	~66,000

A detailed record of year-to-year caseload trends across all New Mexico courts is published on the New Mexico Judiciary's Reports and Policies page.

How Do I File a Case in New Mexico Courts?

Taking a case to court in New Mexico can seem daunting, whether you're dealing with a contract dispute, a personal injury claim, or property damage. Knowing the legal requirements upfront is critical. This guide walks you through the process step by step:

1. Confirm Jurisdiction and Venue

Before starting a lawsuit in New Mexico, it is important to determine the proper jurisdiction and venue. The case must be filed in the county where the plaintiff lives, the defendant lives, or where the dispute arose.

Magistrate Courts can only handle smaller civil claims, with a monetary limit of $10,000, and they cannot hear matters involving divorce, child custody, real estate title disputes, defamation, or misconduct by public officials. For these types of cases, or those exceeding the limit, the District Court is the proper venue.

2. Prepare Your Complaint

A court case usually begins with a pleading called a "complaint". In certain types of cases, however, this first filing may instead be called a "petition" or an "application".

In civil cases, you can obtain a Civil Complaint (Form 4-202) through the New Mexico Judiciary website or at the court clerk's office. It must include the names and addresses of all parties, a clear statement of your claims, and the amount of compensation requested.

3. File the Court Papers

After completing the required forms and documents, you must file them with the court. In New Mexico, the filing fee for a civil case is $132 in District Court and $77 in Magistrate Court.

Additional fees apply if you request a jury trial. If you need copies of court documents, the cost is $0.35 per page.

4. Make Sure the Defendant Receives Proper Notice

Make sure the defendant is formally served with the lawsuit. New Mexico law does not allow you to serve the defendant yourself. Instead, it must be carried out by a sheriff, a private process server, or a non-party adult at least 18 years old.

Service may be completed by certified mail, personal delivery, or posting and mailing. You should file a Return of Service, or your case could be delayed or dismissed.

How Is the New Mexico Court System Unique?

A hallmark of the New Mexico court system is its statewide Pretrial Justice Program, which shifts pretrial decisions away from monetary bail toward evidence-based risk assessment.

Managed by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), the program provides judges with tools such as the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) and Background Investigation Reports (BIR) to measure the likelihood a defendant may reoffend or fail to appear.

During pretrial hearings, judges use this information to determine conditions for release, including supervision, electronic monitoring, or regular check-ins. This makes sure defendants are treated fairly while protecting public safety and improving court appearance rates.

By the end of 2023, the program had expanded to 16 counties, with statewide implementation planned by fiscal year 2025. Early results show improved public safety and fewer pretrial rearrests, serving as a model for other states seeking to reform their justice processes.

New Mexico Courthouses, Sheriff's Offices, Police Departments, Jails, & Prisons

• Bernalillo
• Catron
• Chaves
• Cibola
• Colfax
• Curry
• De Baca
• Dona Ana
• Eddy
• Grant
• Guadalupe
• Harding
• Hidalgo
• Lea
• Lincoln
• Los Alamos
• Luna
• Mckinley
• Otero
• Quay
• Rio Arriba
• Roosevelt
• San Juan
• San Miguel
• Sandoval
• Santa Fe
• Sierra
• Socorro
• Taos
• Torrance
• Union
• Valencia

Where to Find Additional Information About New Mexico Courts?

• New Mexico Courts
• New Mexico - Odyssey File & Serve
• United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
• Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
• New Mexico Judicial Branch
• General Information | District of New Mexico
• New Mexico Judicial Branch
• New Mexico Case Law

FAQs