Guide
How to Search County Records
Select Your County
Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.
Identify the Record Type
Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.
Search Online or In Person
New Mexico Case Lookup on nmcourts.gov is free with no registration, county clerks offer online search of deeds and leases, and birth and death certificates are ordered by mail from the Bureau of Vital Records or through VitalChek.
Pay Any Required Fees
A New Mexico birth certificate costs $10 and a death certificate $5 by mail; VitalChek orders with next day air are $44.50 and $39.50, and public records copies may cost up to $1 a page.
Verify Identity if Required
Open records need no ID. A birth or death certificate application must include a copy of acceptable identification and your relationship to the person on the record, which stays confidential for 100 years for births and 50 for deaths.
Guide
What Records Are Available
- Court RecordsCivil, criminal, family court, probate, traffic cases
- Property RecordsDeeds, mortgages, tax assessments, liens, transfers
- Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Business RecordsBusiness licenses, DBAs, UCC filings, permits
- Voter RegistrationRegistered voters, party affiliation, districts
- Tax RecordsProperty tax assessments, payment history, exemptions
Guide
Select a County in New Mexico
Back to New Mexico Public Records
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Straight answers
New Mexico County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. The New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, NMSA 14-2-1 and following, gives every person the right to inspect public records, and any written denial must be sent within 15 calendar days. Court cases, county clerk land records and assessor data are open. Birth certificates become public 100 years after the birth if the person is deceased and death certificates 50 years after the death; newer ones go to the registrant, parents, grandparents, children, spouses, siblings and legal representatives. Juvenile and sealed court files are closed.
How much do certified copies cost?
A certified New Mexico birth certificate costs $10 and a death certificate $5, each a nonrefundable search fee, from the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics by mail. The office takes no cards, so online and phone orders go through VitalChek, where 3 to 5 business day processing with next day air delivery costs $44.50 for a birth certificate and $39.50 for a death certificate. Under the Inspection of Public Records Act a reasonable fee of up to $1 a page may be charged for copies.
Can I search county records online?
New Mexico Case Lookup on nmcourts.gov is free and requires no registration, covering appellate, district, magistrate, metropolitan and municipal courts, and re:SearchNM adds document access by user profile. Deeds, mortgages and leases are recorded by each county clerk, Lincoln and Lea counties among them, with online search in most counties. Vital records are ordered by mail or through VitalChek, not searched online.
What identification do I need?
Open records need no ID. A New Mexico birth or death certificate application must include a copy of acceptable identification from the Department of Health list, the requester's relationship to the person on the record and the fee; a paternal grandparent qualifies only if the father is listed on the record. Applications without proper ID are returned.
How long does it take to receive records?
The Bureau of Vital Records lists average processing of 6 to 12 weeks for mailed applications, while VitalChek orders are processed in 3 to 5 business days with next day air delivery. Case Lookup and county clerk searches are immediate.