How to search New Mexico court records
New Mexico runs a single statewide case-lookup system, so one search — with the name spelled correctly — reaches courts across the entire state. There's no charge and no account required — results are visible to anyone who searches.
statewide free criminal data
Open the official New Mexico portal →
What's actually there
Case Lookup provides free statewide access to district, magistrate and metropolitan court cases.
Other official lookups for New Mexico
How New Mexico's courts are organized
New Mexico's general trial courts are the district courts, grouped into 13 judicial districts. They hear felonies, civil, family, probate and children's court cases. Below them, most counties have magistrate courts for lower-level criminal, traffic and civil matters. Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, has the Metropolitan Court instead of magistrate courts. Cities and towns run municipal courts for ordinance and traffic violations. Appeals go to the New Mexico Court of Appeals and then the New Mexico Supreme Court.
Most state courts use a shared Odyssey case management system, which is why New Mexico can offer one free public search. The judiciary says Case Lookup shows current electronic court records from the appellate, district, magistrate, metropolitan and municipal courts.
Using the official online search
Case Lookup is open to the general public with no registration and no fee. It shows case information such as parties, charges, events and dispositions, but documents are not available through it, and personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers and addresses are left out. Municipal court data in Case Lookup is limited to historic criminal domestic violence and DWI convictions from September 1, 1991 on, so it is not a full search of city courts.
Documents are available through a second system, re:SearchNM, but only for registered users who qualify: attorneys of record, attorney staff, justice partners, the press, and self-represented litigants for their own cases. Access is tiered, and the most sensitive case types are restricted to law enforcement.
- Juvenile criminal cases are no longer displayed as of July 1, 2007.
- Family Violence Protection Act order of protection cases are no longer displayed as of July 1, 2008.
- Records from before 1997 generally have to be requested through the courts' public records (IPRA) request system.
- Sealed or confidential cases are not shown, and bulk downloading is prohibited by the Supreme Court's case access policy.
Getting copies and certified copies
Copies come from the clerk of the court that handled the case. New Mexico Courts take records requests through an online public records portal at ipra.nmcourts.gov, which routes your request to that court's records custodian, and each district also has its own records request form.
District court fee schedules published by several districts, including the Second Judicial District in Albuquerque and the Fifth, Tenth and Twelfth districts, list copies at 35 cents per page, certification at $1.50 per document, and exemplification at $4.50. The Second District charges $2 for records on a CD or USB drive. Magistrate court fees can differ from district court fees, so confirm with the specific court before paying.
Records that are not public
New Mexico's Criminal Record Expungement Act, NMSA 1978 Sections 29-3A-1 and following, was passed in 2019. A person released without a conviction can petition to expunge arrest and court records. For convictions, the petitioner must have finished the sentence, paid fines and fees owed to the state, paid any restitution, have no pending charges, and show that justice will be served. The court instructions list the waiting periods without a new conviction: two years for a municipal ordinance violation or most misdemeanors, four years for misdemeanor aggravated battery or a fourth degree felony, six years for a third degree felony, eight years for a second degree felony, and ten years for a first degree felony or an offense under the Crimes Against Household Members Act.
You file in the county where the records originated. The judiciary publishes step-by-step instruction packets for conviction and non-conviction petitions. This is a summary of the law, not legal advice; talk to a lawyer or use the New Mexico Courts self-representation resources and HelpLine.
New Mexico tip: when Case Lookup comes up empty
If a name search finds nothing, check three things before concluding there is no case. First, a town traffic or ordinance case that is not a DWI or domestic violence matter may not be in Case Lookup at all; call that municipal court. Second, a case from before 1997 may need a written request through the courts' IPRA portal. Third, Bernalillo County lower-court cases are filed in the Metropolitan Court, not a magistrate court, so filter by that court. The Search for Your Court page lists every district, magistrate and metropolitan court with contact details.
Sources
- New Mexico Courts — Case Lookup
- New Mexico Courts — Public Access and re:SearchNM
- New Mexico Courts — Public Records
- New Mexico Courts — Inspection of Public Records requests
- Second Judicial District Court — Court Fee Schedule
- Steps to Filing Your Petition for Expungement (Conviction), citing NMSA 1978 29-3A
- Steps to Filing Your Petition for Expungement (Release Without Conviction)
- New Mexico Courts — Search for Your Court
Checked against the official sources above in October 2026. Court rules and fees change; the court's own site is the final word. This is general information, not legal advice.
Federal cases filed in New Mexico
State portals don't cover federal court. If the case you're looking for might be a federal criminal prosecution, civil suit, or bankruptcy, use CourtRecordsFree's live federal search — it queries CourtListener/RECAP directly and isn't limited to any one state.
Search tips
- Try both "Last, First" and "First Last" — courts index names inconsistently.
- Middle initials and suffixes (Jr., III) often matter for common names.
- A date of birth or case number is the only reliable way to confirm you found the right person.
- An arrest or charge shown in a docket is not a conviction — read the disposition.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to search New Mexico court records online?
Yes. New Mexico's statewide search is free to use, with no account or subscription required.
Does this include criminal records?
Yes. New Mexico's portal includes criminal case records alongside civil cases, though sealed and expunged cases are not shown.
Does one search cover the whole state?
New Mexico runs one statewide system, so a single search covers the whole state.
Links move. If the New Mexico portal link above is dead, tell us on the corrections page.