New Mexico Public Records

You can search New Mexico public records without incurring a great deal of cost. No mandated response deadlines, fee exemptions, administrative appeals procedures, or citizenship requirements are in place in New Mexico.

The Attorney General has determined that costs must not exceed the actual cost of copying and that search fees are not permissible in the state.

Under the Inspection of Public Records Act, or IPRA, you may file a legal complaint if you're denied public record access to available records. New Mexico follows the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for records retrieval.

In New Mexico, you don't have to be a citizen or pay search fees. Charges are limited to copying files.

How to Find New Mexico Public Records

To locate New Mexico public records, you need to narrow down what you're seeking and visit the appropriate state agency online. Public records in New Mexico cover an extensive file system that includes commonly requested information such as vital records (e.g., birth and marriage certificates), criminal records, court filings, sex offender registrations, property records, driving histories, and vehicle information.

Are New Mexico Public Records Available Online?

You can easily access most public records for New Mexico online, so finding them just requires knowing what agency to access on the Internet. For vital records information, you must visit the state's Department of Health website for birth and death certificates.

For divorce and marriage certificates, you need to go through another process. You can obtain marriage certificates from the county clerk where the license was issued. For instance, if you were married in Santa Fe county, you'd visit the county clerk's site for Santa Fe online.

Divorce decrees may be obtained in the district court where the divorce was filed. You can get further information about divorce information at this link.

You can obtain criminal histories and background checks through the state’s Department of Public Safety.

Jail and inmate information can be accessed through the Corrections Department.

If you're seeking property information, you need to access the link to the assessor for the county where the property resides. For example, if you wanted to find out the fair market value of a property in Lincoln County, you'd click on the assessor’s office for that county.

Maybe you want to conduct a property record search for San Juan county. If so, you'd visit the Assessor's site for San Juan, which features a property database portal.

What Records are Available in New Mexico?

You have access to an extensive range of public records in New Mexico. You can obtain information that includes births, deaths, marriages, and divorces through the vital records on the Department of Health website, as well as court records and criminal histories.

If you're seeking offender information, you can find out more details online through the state's Corrections Department. You can also find information on properties, including unclaimed assets, through the Department of Taxation and Revenue.

Other records include bankruptcy filings through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of New Mexico and historical information through the National Archives.

What Records Are Non-Public in New Mexico?

Some records are exempt from public viewing in New Mexico. The most common of these records include medical records (including mental health files) and law enforcement records covering ongoing criminal investigations or cases where the arrestee was not charged with a crime.

Trade secrets are excluded, as are juvenile criminal records (which are sealed) and expunged records. Both sealed and expunged records are not available for public inspection.

Types of Public Records Available in New Mexico

Records commonly searched in New Mexico are described on the following list.

New Mexico Vital Statistics

As noted, you can get birth and death certificate information on New Mexico's DOH website or the Department of Health itself. If you wish to obtain a marriage or death certificate, you need to visit the county clerk's website for that county.

New Mexico Public Criminal Records

You can look up court cases by visiting the New Mexico Courts website and accessing the Case Lookup portal.

You may also gain public access to a court's electronic records through the PACER database for the New Mexico District Court.

Police Departments and Sheriffe Office in New Mexico :

Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office415 Silver Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM

Sandoval County Sheriff's Office1500 Idalia Rd, Bernalillo, NM

Valencia County Sheriff's Office543 Luna Ave SE, Los Lunas, NM

McKinley County Sheriff's Office300B Nizhoni Blvd, Gallup, NM

Chaves County Sheriff's Office1 St Mary's Pl, Roswell, NM

Lea County Sheriff's Office1417 S Commercial St, Lovington, NM

Otero County Sheriff's Office3208 N White Sands Blvd, Alamogordo, NM

Eddy County Sheriff's Office1502 Corrales Dr, Carlsbad, NM

Curry County Sheriff's Office700 N Main St #4, Clovis, NM

Taos County Sheriff's Office599 Lovato Pl, Taos, NM

Arrest Records and Warrants

The Corrections Department provides state arrest information, warrant details, and has an offender lookup tool to find arrestees and offenders. For information, you can also check the sheriff's department or police agency where the arrest occurred.

Inmate and Jail Records

You can find inmate and jail records through the Corrections Department in New Mexico.

Jails and Prisons in New Mexico :

Bernalillo County NM Metropolitan Detention Center100 Deputy Dean Miera Drive SW, Albuquerque, NM

Sandoval County NM Detention Center1100 Montoya Rd., Bernalillo, NM

Central New Mexico Correctional Facility - CNMCF1525 Morris Road, Los Lunas, NM

New Mexico Men’s Recovery Academy1000 W. Main St., Los Lunas, NM

Valencia County Detention Center436 Courthouse Road, Los Lunas, NM

McKinley NM Adult Detention Center255 South Boardman Avenue, Gallup, NM

Chaves County NM Juvenile Detention Center119 East Fourth Street, Roswell, NM

Chaves County NM Detention Center3701 South Atkinson Avenue, Roswell, NM

Roswell Correctional Center - RCC578 W. Chickasaw Road, Hagerman, NM

Lea County NM Detention Center1401 South Commercial, Lovington, NM

New Mexico Background Checks

The New Mexico Department of Public Safety is the go-to fingerprinting and background checks website.

A "Ban the Box" law is in effect in New Mexico, making it illegal for public sector employees to ask applicants about their criminal records. The Criminal Offender Employment Act, a new law, was approved on April 3, 2019.

Private employers cannot inquire about an applicant's arrests or convictions before "a review of the applicant's application and upon discussion of employment with the applicant," according to the law.

In New Mexico, conducting criminal background checks on prospective workers, subcontractors, and volunteers is still encouraged. According to the measure, a criminal record is a valid reason to refuse employment. Nevertheless, the law helps ensure that an employer does not deny employment until a candidate is thoroughly vetted for a position.

On April 3, 2019, the Criminal Record Expungement Act was also approved. It allows residents of New Mexico to have particular arrest and conviction records erased. To do this, the person must submit a petition to the court.

The record(s) in question may be sealed if a request is granted. An employer cannot evaluate or consider a criminal record after it has been sealed. Exceptions can be made for some occupations, including those in law enforcement or medicine.

Landlords may not run a background check unless they receive the applicant's written consent.

How to Find Sex Offenders in New Mexico

You can obtain direct access to the sex offender registry in New Mexico through the state’s Department of Public Safety website.

New Mexico Public Vital Records

To access birth and death certificate info directly, you need to go to the Department of Health (DOH) website.

You'll have to go to the county clerk for marriage license information or the court where a divorce decree was issued to access marriage and divorce details.

New Mexico Court Records

You can gain direct access by visiting NewMexicoCourts.gov to obtain New Mexico court records. The site allows you to look up specific courts or court cases.

State Court System in New Mexico

The state court system in New Mexico includes the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District Court system, Probate branch, Small Claims Court, and the Municipal and Magistrate branches.

Courts in New Mexico :

Second Judicial District Court - Downtown Courthouse Location400 Lomas Blvd. N.W., Albuquerque, NM

Second Judicial District Court - Children’s Court Location5100 2nd St. N.W., Albuquerque, NM

Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court401 Lomas Blvd, Albuquerque, NM

Rio Rancho Municipal Court500 Quantum Road, Rio Rancho, NM

Los Ranchos Municipal Court6718 Rio Grande Blvd, Los Ranchos, NM

New Mexico Court of Appeals - Albuquerque Satellite Office2211 Tucker N.E., Albuquerque, NM

Thirteenth Judicial District Court - Sandoval1500 Idalia Rd., Bernalillo, NM

Municipal Court Bernalillo829 Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo, NM

Corrales Municipal Court4324 Corrales Rd, Corrales, NM

Belen Municipal Court100 S. Main St., Belen, NM

Driving Records

You can conveniently access individual driving records through the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) in New Mexico. To access the record, you'll need a credit card number (to pay the record fee), your date of birth, and the last four digits of your social security number. You'll also need your 9-digit driver's license number and a confirmation email address.

You can obtain a non-certified or certified copy of the record. Some employers or insurers may not accept the non-certified version of the history. Instead of going online, you can also obtain the record by calling (888) 683-4636.

Civil Infractions

For every moving violation you receive, you also receive demerits, or points, on your driver's license. Receiving 12 points within a year leads to a driver's license suspension. The points you receive remain a permanent part of your driving record. Drivers who build up six or more points within three years are subject to a minimum $150.00 fine.

The points remain a permanent part of your driving record. However, you can reduce your accumulated points by enrolling in a safety program or maintaining a safe driving record for at least one year.

New Mexico License Plate Lookup

You can find out information about license plate purchases and registration on the DMV website.

New Mexico Property and Asset Records

You can obtain direct access to New Mexico property records at the county assessor’s office where the property is located. Property records may include liens, titles, property deeds, mortgage information, and property tax assessments. The Department of Taxation and Revenue provides property tax information.

The Department of Taxation and Revenue also provides information on unclaimed assets.

Important Government Agencies in New Mexico

Some of the important governmental agencies in New Mexico can be accessed at the following links:

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