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New Mexico public records: who holds what

In New Mexico, deeds are recorded by the County Clerk; birth and death certificates come from the State Registrar, Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics; and requests for other government records fall under the Inspection of Public Records Act. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in New Mexico
  2. Public records law in New Mexico
  3. How New Mexico organizes its records
  4. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  5. Counties in New Mexico
  6. Warnings from official sources
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Official directories
  9. Sources

Who holds what in New Mexico

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsCounty Clerk of the county where the land lies; recorded documents are public records1Set by each clerk, capped by statute at $1.00 per page up to 11 x 17 inches1
Property recordsCounty Assessor values property in the county, except property the state department values2—
Court recordsState judiciary: Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, district courts in 13 judicial districts, magistrate courts, the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, 33 county probate courts and municipal courts3Supreme Court clerk: 10 cents per folio, 5 cents for additional copies ordered together; $1.00 per certificate4
Marriage recordsCounty Clerk of the county that issued the license5$55.00 license fee, covering issuing, acknowledging and recording6
Divorce recordsDistrict court where the order was filed5—
Birth certificatesNew Mexico Vital Records (Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics), Department of Health, Santa Fe; some public health offices take requests7$10 per certified copy, non-refundable search fee7
Death certificatesNew Mexico Vital Records, Santa Fe only; public health offices do not issue death certificates8$5 per certified copy, non-refundable search fee8
Probate and willsClerk of the probate court, or clerk of the district court, depending on where filed9—

Public records law in New Mexico

Inspection of Public Records Act (NMSA 1978, Chapter 14, Article 2 (Sections 14-2-1 to 14-2-12)) Read the law1

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Every person; no residency requirement, oral or written. Only a written request triggers the statutory procedure and penalties1
Response time
Immediately or as soon as practicable, at most 15 days after a written request; if not within 3 business days the custodian must explain in writing when records will be available1
Copy fees
Reasonable copying fees, capped at $1.00 per printed page up to 11 x 17 inches, unless another law sets a different fee. No charge for deciding whether a record is disclosable1
If a request is refused
No administrative appeal is required. Enforcement is in district court by the attorney general, the district attorney, or a person whose written request was denied1
What is exempt
Listed exceptions include medical records of persons confined to an institution, letters of reference, opinion material in personnel or student files, some law enforcement records, trade secrets and attorney-client privileged information, plus anything else exempted by law1
Official guide
nmdoj.gov/… NMDOJ IPRA Compliance Guide, Ninth Edition10
More on the Inspection of Public Records Act
Fees no review charge
No fee for determining whether a record is subject to disclosure1
No residency
Requesters cannot be refused for living in another county, state or country11
Written request contents
Written requests give name, address and telephone number and identify the records with reasonable particularity; no reason is required1
Appeal no exhaustion
Administrative remedies need not be exhausted first1
Damages per day
Up to $100 per day if a timely written denial is unreasonably not provided1
Damages
A successful requester recovers damages, costs and reasonable attorneys' fees1
Database use
State-agency databases may carry use limits: copies can require a promise not to use them for political or commercial purposes without written approval1

How to write a public records request

How New Mexico organizes its records

  • Two-tier probate. Probate is split: part-time elected county probate judges hear informal, uncontested estates; district courts hear formal matters4
  • Veteran discharge papers. Veterans' discharge papers recorded with the clerk are segregated from public records1
  • Birth record opening rule. Birth records stay closed until the person has died, even past 100 years12
  • Tribal and religious records. The marriage chapter does not interfere with records kept by religious bodies or federally recognized tribes, nations and pueblos, so those bodies may hold their own records6
  • Bernalillo County has a Metropolitan Court of limited jurisdiction3

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
State Central Repository, Law Enforcement Records Bureau, NM Department of Public Safety13
Who may order
The individual, in person, through counsel or through an authorized agent13
How
Notarized DPS Authorization for Release of Information with original signature13
Fee
$15.00 per record check by money order or cashier's check13
Good standing
Police Certificate of Good Standing with check: $33.00, by mail, 7-15 working days14
More about criminal history checks
Fingerprint check fee
DPS headquarters fingerprinting: $9.00 first two cards, $2.50 each additional14
Confidential
Some arrest record information is confidential by law15
Public parts
Wanted notices and chronological police blotters are open to inspection15

Sex offender registry

Official registry
sheriffalerts.com/…13
Operator
Department of Public Safety must run a public website15
Statute
Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act section on public access15

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
cd.nm.gov/offender-search NMCD Offender Search16
Coverage
People incarcerated or on probation or parole with NMCD16
County jails
County and city jails are separate; NMCD has no jurisdiction, so ask the facility or county16
Updates
Prison data nightly, probation and parole in real time16
No release info
Central Office and Records Bureau will not give release updates16
More about inmate and jail lookups
VINE
cd.nm.gov/… VINE victim notification, linked by NMCD16

Voter records

Public or restricted
Restricted use. Lists come on written request with a signed affidavit, for governmental or election-campaign purposes only17
Who
County clerk or Secretary of State17
Withheld information
SSN, registration agency codes, day and month of birth, and phone numbers if the voter prohibits17
Fee
Electronic: $4.00 per 1,000 with voting history, $3.00 without. Printed $5.00 and labels $20.00 per 1,000. $15.00 setup, $600.00 maximum18
How
Contact the Bureau of Elections18
More about voter records
Self check
voterportal.servis.sos.state.nm.us/… Voters can view their own registration on the SOS voter portal19

Business names (DBA)

Search
enterprise.sos.nm.gov SOS online portal searches registered businesses, fictitious names and trademarks20
Fictitious name
The SOS form titled 'Application for Fictitious Name' is a certified board resolution by which a corporation adopts a fictitious name for use in New Mexico because its true name was turned down; it is not a general DBA registration21
Foreign corp
Foreign corporations may adopt a fictitious name by filing with the SOS22
Trademark
State trademark registration at SOS, minimum $50, $25 per additional class23

Liens and UCC filings

UCC filings
Secretary of State; filed online only since March 202424
No paper
No paper UCC or EFS applications24
UCC county
County clerk for as-extracted collateral, timber to be cut and fixture filings25
Filing fee
Written forms $20 (1-3 pages), $40 (4-25), $100 plus $5 per page (over 25); other authorized media $10 or $20 by size25
County (example)
Santa Fe County records only real-estate UCCs26
More about liens and ucc filings
Federal liens
County clerk: where real property lies, or where the owner resides for personal property27
State tax liens
Any county's tax lien index, or the Secretary of State2
Judgments
A judgment becomes a real-estate lien when its transcript is filed with the county clerk28
Mechanics lien
Filed with the county clerk where the property lies: original contractors within 120 days of completion, others within 90 days27

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal
rgis.unm.edu/rgis6 NM Resource Geographic Information System (RGIS), run by UNM's Earth Data Analysis Center29
Tax GIS
tax.newmexico.gov/… Taxation and Revenue GIS: maps, data files, property tax districts30
Historic aerials
edac.unm.edu/image-archive EDAC Image Archive of historical aerial photography31

Historical and genealogy records

Archives
srca.nm.gov/about-the-archives State Archives of New Mexico, State Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe32
Holdings
Government records 1621-present, manuscripts, genealogy materials32
County records
County records, some on microfilm: clerk, assessor and probate series33
Church records
Catholic sacramental records on microfilm by parish33
Census
Federal census 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1885, 1900, 1910 and 1920 on microfilm, with indices for 1850-1870; the 1890 census was destroyed by fire33
More about historical and genealogy records
Access
Research room by appointment, with photo ID34
Finding aids
nmarchives.unm.edu New Mexico Archives Online32
Repositories
srca.nm.gov/hints HINTS directory of historical records repositories35
Copy fee
State Archives paper photocopies made by staff: $0.25 (8.5 x 11), $0.30 (8.5 x 14), $0.35 (11 x 17); certification of paper copies $0.50 per page; self-service copies $0.10, $0.10, $0.1536

Counties in New Mexico

5 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 33 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.37

Warnings from official sources

  • Taxation and Revenue Department warns against mail scams. Fake mail claims property may be seized over debt payable to an 800 number; verify at the Taxpayer Access Point (NM Taxation and Revenue Department)38
  • Corporate Transparency Act information. Scam websites may target business owners over beneficial ownership filing (NM Secretary of State)39
  • Scam Prevention and Identity Theft. Government agencies do not demand payment by call, email or text (New Mexico Department of Justice)40

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any New Mexico office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 43 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. NMSA 1978 Chapter 14 Records, Rules, Legal Notices, OathsNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  2. NMSA 1978 Chapter 7 TaxationNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  3. New Mexico Courts Public Records pageNew Mexico Courts
  4. NMSA 1978 Chapter 34 Court Structure and AdministrationNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  5. Vital RecordsNM Department of Health
  6. NMSA 1978 Chapter 40 Domestic AffairsNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  7. Birth CertificatesNM Department of Health
  8. Death CertificatesNM Department of Health
  9. NMSA 1978 Chapter 45 Uniform Probate CodeNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  10. Inspection of Public Records Act pageNew Mexico Department of Justice
  11. IPRA Compliance Guide, Ninth EditionNew Mexico Department of Justice
  12. NMSA 1978 Chapter 24 Health and SafetyNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  13. Law Enforcement Records BureauNM Department of Public Safety
  14. Fingerprinting and Background ChecksNM Department of Public Safety
  15. NMSA 1978 Chapter 29 Law EnforcementNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  16. Offender SearchNM Corrections Department
  17. NMSA 1978 Chapter 1 ElectionsNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  18. Voter Data InformationNM Secretary of State
  19. Commercial ServicesNM Secretary of State
  20. Secretary of State home pageNM Secretary of State
  21. Certified Copy of Resolution: Corporation Adopting a Fictitious Name (linked as 'Application for Fictitious Name')NM Secretary of State
  22. NMSA 1978 Chapter 53 CorporationsNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  23. TrademarksNM Secretary of State
  24. UCC FilingsNM Secretary of State
  25. NMSA 1978 Chapter 55 Uniform Commercial CodeNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  26. Santa Fe County Clerk fee scheduleSanta Fe County Clerk
  27. NMSA 1978 Chapter 48 Liens and MortgagesNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  28. NMSA 1978 Chapter 39 Judgments, Costs, AppealsNM Compilation Commission (NMOneSource)
  29. About RGISEarth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico
  30. Geographic Information SystemNM Taxation and Revenue Department
  31. RGIS home pageEarth Data Analysis Center, University of New Mexico
  32. About the ArchivesNM State Records Center and Archives
  33. Pathfinder: Guidelines for Tracing AncestorsNM State Records Center and Archives
  34. Guidelines for ResearchNM State Records Center and Archives
  35. Tracing Your GenealogyNM State Records Center and Archives
  36. 1.13.2 NMAC Fees (State Records Center and Archives)NM State Records Center and Archives (NMAC)
  37. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  38. Taxation and Revenue warns against mail scamsNM Taxation and Revenue Department
  39. Corporate Transparency Act InformationNM Secretary of State
  40. Scam Prevention and Identity TheftNew Mexico Department of Justice
  41. County OfficialsNM Taxation and Revenue Department
  42. County Clerk InformationNM Secretary of State
  43. New Mexico Courts, Courts by CountyNew Mexico Courts