New Mexico, county records
Find the right office in Lincoln County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.
Start here
Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
County court
The United States District Court for the District of New Mexico: federal civil and criminal cases filed in the state, with case records searched through PACER.
Open official site New Mexico Federal CasesState records
The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department runs the state's unclaimed property program, where owners search for money held in their name and file a claim.
Open official site New Mexico Unclaimed PropertyPolice & jail
Search for offenders arrested, convicted and serving in New Mexico Corrections.
Open official site New Mexico Current PrisonersState records
Request a copy of recorded documents from individual county clerks.
Open official site New Mexico Records ClerksState records
Business entity search of active and inactive corporations, or LLC by name from the New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State.
Open official site New Mexico Business & Corporation SearchCity records
Request 3 year certified and non certified driving history records.
Open official site New Mexico Driver History RecordsState records
Request a copy of a New Mexico State Police crash report, get fingerprint background checks, file a public records request, and find concealed carry license contacts and state crime reports.
Open official site New Mexico DPS Law Enforcement Records BureauState records
Verify professional and facility licenses issued by the State of New Mexico.
Open official site New Mexico License SearchCity records
Find info on alcohol and gaming licenses, private investigation regulations, financial institutions licensing status and more.
Open official site New Mexico LicensingPolice & jail
Department of Safety resources to search for missing people by name or location.
Open official site New Mexico Missing PersonsCity records
Online catalog of state archives historical documents.
Open official site New Mexico State Archives SearchLocal record guide
County profile
Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Lincoln County Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Lincoln County.
Police Departments. Lincoln County is served by several law enforcement agencies, including Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments in cities like Ruidoso and Capitan. The Capitan Police Department serves the village of Capitan, coordinating with the Sheriff's Office on larger investigations and emergencies.
Law Enforcement & Arrests. Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 300 Central Avenue in Carrizozo, New Mexico 88301, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Lincoln County. Citizens may request arrest records by submitting a written request to the Sheriff's Office or the specific municipal police department that made the arrest, though agencies may charge reasonable fees for copying and redact certain information to protect ongoing investigations or privacy interests. Some booking information may be posted on the Sheriff's Office social media pages or shared with local media.
Arrest Records. Arrest records in Lincoln County are maintained by Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly, often requiring a formal written request.
Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Lincoln County are taken and retained by Lincoln County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These photos are part of the public record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office, often available online through their official website.
Incorporated municipalities including Ruidoso issue their own business licenses and building permits within their jurisdictions. The Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce (visitruidoso.com, phone 575-257-7395) and Lincoln County Economic Development Corporation provide business resources, networking opportunities, and economic development information. Lincoln County Clerk's Office, located at 300 Central Avenue, Carrizozo, NM 88301 (phone: 575-648-2394), is the primary custodian of land records for Lincoln County. Lincoln County Assessor's Office, also located at 300 Central Avenue in Carrizozo (phone: 575-648-2397), maintains property tax assessment records, ownership information, legal descriptions, and property valuations.
Abandoned mine records
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
The mine records hold 370 named mine sites inside the county, 262 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 725 holes drawn inside the county, 159 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are Iron; Gold; Fluorine-Fluorite.
A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area.
Rows taken off the old survey maps open the USGS record of what sits at that spot, because no single feature on those maps has a page of its own. Rows from the mine records open their own USGS page.
Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Lincoln County Sheriff or a city police department in Lincoln County. Ask that agency for its record.
The New Mexico criminal history record comes from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, Law Enforcement Records Bureau. Send a notarized DPS Authorization for Release of Information form with a money order or cashier's check payable to the Department of Public Safety to see your own arrest record (Section 29-10-6(A) of the Arrest Record Information Act). Fee: $15.00 per record check.
Search the New Mexico DPS Sex Offender Registry, or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Register with the county clerk or through the New Mexico Secretary of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. Voter registration closes 28 days before an election (Section 1-4-8 NMSA 1978); same day registration is available in person at an early voting or Election Day polling location.
Deeds and other recorded land documents in Lincoln County are kept by the Lincoln County clerk. Property values are set by the county assessor, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.
Certified birth and death certificates for New Mexico come from the New Mexico Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. Many New Mexico Public Health Offices offer Vital Records services and can issue birth certificates; death certificates must be ordered through the Santa Fe office. By mail with a certified check or money order payable to New Mexico Vital Records to Post Office Box 26110, Santa Fe, NM 87502, or online or by phone through VitalChek, the authorized expediting service. Fee: $10 search fee per certified birth certificate; $5 per certified death certificate.
Business entity filings are searched with the New Mexico Secretary of State.
Same county
Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.