Chaves County Court Records

Pursuant to N.M. R. Civ. P. Dist. Ct. 1-079, Chaves County court records refers to all or a part of a material such as a document, exhibit, transcript, and paper filed with any court. They also refer to docket entries and registers of actions a Chaves County court uses to document case activities.

Court records are available to the public upon request. These records are open to agencies and members of the public and can be requested for different purposes. For example, individuals, landlords, and employers can conduct court records searches to see if prospective employees, tenants, or spouses have a criminal or civil case history. These individuals would be able to access the following information in the court record:

• Case detail (case number, name of current judge, filing date, and court)
• Case parties (party type, description, number and name)
• Civil complaint detail (complaint date, sequence number, and description, disposition, disposition date, and COA sequence number and description)
• Register of actions activity (event date, description, and result and amount)
• Criminal charge detail (party, count, statute, charge, class, charge date, CIT number, plea, disposition, and disposition date)
• Case hearings (hearing date, time, type, and judge's name, court, and courtroom)
• Judge assignment history (assignment date, judge's name, sequence number, and assignment event description)

Are Court Records Public in Chaves County?

Yes. The New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) and N.M. R. Civ. P. Dist. Ct. 1-079.1 subject court records to public access unless they are sealed by a court order or protected from public disclosure. Therefore, all courts in Chaves County are required to release records in their custody to individuals upon request. Although most court records are open for inspection and copying, some are deemed confidential and automatically sealed without court orders. Examples of such records are:

• Adoption proceedings
• Testing proceedings
• Guardianship and conservatorship proceedings
• Proceedings commenced under the Criminal Record Expungement Act
• Wills deposited with the court before the probate proceedings begin
• Proceedings commenced under the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Act
• Proceedings initiated under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code
• Adult Protective Services Act proceedings subject to the requirements of firearm-related reporting

Chaves County Court Records Search

Below are some ways to conduct Chaves County court records searches:

• Online via the Case Lookup tool
• Electronically through the Probate Search portal
• Online through third-party databases
• Visiting the courthouse during business hours

Chaves County Courts

Chaves County is part of the Fifth Judicial District. It comprises district, municipal, and magistrate courts that handle civil and criminal cases. Below are the addresses of the courts in Chaves County:

Chaves County District Court
400 N. Virginia Ave.
Roswell, NM 88201
Phone: (575) 622-2212
Fax: (575) 624-9510

Chaves County Probate Court
1 St. Mary's Place
Suite #110
Roswell, NM 88203
Phone: (575) 624-6614
Fax: (575) 624-6523

Dexter Municipal Court
115 E. Second St
Dexter, NM 88230
Phone: (575) 734-5400

Hagerman Municipal Court
209 E. Argyle St.
Hagerman, NM 88232
Phone: (575) 752-3202

Lake Arthur Municipal Court
501 N. Maine St.
Lake Arthur, NM 88253
Phone: (575) 365-2902

Roswell Magistrate Court
Chaves County Magistrate Court
400 N. Virginia Ave., Ste G-1
Roswell, NM 88201
Phone: (575) 624-6088
Fax: (575) 624-6092

Roswell Municipal Court
420 N. Richardson Ave.
Roswell, NM 88202
Phone: (575) 624-6725

Chaves County Criminal Records

Chaves County criminal records are also known as background checks. They can be obtained from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety's (NMDPS) Law Enforcement Records Bureau (LERB) electronically or manually by fingerprints. Online fingerprint searches can be performed using the New Mexico Applicant Fingerprint Processing (NMAPS), which an approved third-party vendor provides. Applicants can visit the NMDPS headquarters for manual fingerprinting services. The fingerprinting hours are from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The DPS charges $9 for the first two fingerprinting cards and $2.50 for each additional card. The DPS also issues Chaves County arrest records when they receive a notarized Authorization for Release of Information form with proper payment. The service costs $15 per record check, payable by money order or cashier's check.

Get Chaves County Civil Court Records

The Chaves County District Court has jurisdiction over civil cases, with a maximum controversy amount of $10,000. Records of these cases can be obtained online and in person at the courthouse. Record seekers can find online civil court records using the Case Lookup tool. The search criteria are name or case number. In-person requests can be made during business hours at the courthouse. The court staff will require the requester to provide basic search criteria to facilitate the search. They will provide copies of the desired records after payment of the fee.

Chaves County Marriage Records

The Chaves County Clerk issues and maintains marriage records. They have an Online Search tool where individuals can obtain certified copies of Chaves County marriage records. Users can search by name or event date range. The Clerk requires customers to include a phone number along with their request. The record staff will call them to process their request and verify protected information. Certified copies of Chaves County marriage certificates cost $2.50 per copy, and duplicate marriage certificates cost $5 per copy.

Chaves County Divorce Records

The Chaves County District Court provides divorce records online to members of the public. Divorce records available online can be found on the Case Lookup tool. Users can conduct a name or case number search. Copies of divorce decrees are also available in person at the courthouse. Customers should visit the office during business hours. The divorce parties' names or the case number will be required to conduct the search. There is a fee for copies of divorce records.

Chaves County Birth and Death Records

Chaves County vital records of birth and death are available at the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. These records are restricted, so they are only available to a select few, like the registrant's immediate family members and those with tangible proof of legal interest in the birth or death record. However, birth and death records become part of Chaves County public records after a while. For example, Chaves County birth records become public 100 years after birth, while death certificates become public 50 years after death.

The New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics issues birth and death records through the following methods:

• Online and by phone: The Bureau partners with a third-party vendor to provide birth and death records to its customers online and over the phone at (877) 284-0963. The processing time for such requests is between three (3) and five (5) business days. Orders delivered through UPS cost $44.50 for a Chaves County birth certificate and $39.50 for a death certificate. In contrast, delivery through regular U.S. mail costs $26 for a birth certificate and $21 for a death certificate. These fees can be paid by credit cards like Discover, American Express, MasterCard, or Visa.
• By mail: Individuals can mail a completed Death or Birth Record Search Application Form or a written letter to the Bureau. This service costs $5 per copy for death certificates, while birth certificates cost $10. Payments can be made by cash, check, or money order. The processing time for mailed birth or death record requests is 6 to 12 weeks. Those submitting a written letter should include the following information:
• The subject of the record's name
• The birth or death date
• The city and county of birth or death
• The deceased person's Social Security Number (if known)
• The mortuary's name handling the decedent's final arrangements.
• The mother's full maiden name and the father's full name (this applies to just birth records)
• The Requestor's relationship to the record holder
• The purpose of the request
• The requestor's name, signature, and mailing address.

Mail requesters should send the form or written letter, the appropriate fees, and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to:

New Mexico Vital Records
Post Office Box 26110
Santa Fe, NM 87502

• In-person: Customers should visit the appropriate office location with their current government-issued picture IDs and complete a search application. They must be willing to pay $5 per certificate for death records and $10 per certificate for birth records. Birth certificates are available at different Chaves County Public Health Office locations. Death certificates are only issued at the Santa Fe office located at:

Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics
2554 Camino Entrada
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone: (505) 827-0121

Chaves County Probate Court Records

Individuals can find probate court records at the Chaves County Clerk's Office. Requests can be submitted online using the Probate Search portal. The search parameters are name, recording date range, or probate number. Users can streamline their searches by selecting a document type. Individuals can also visit the Clerk's Office to request copies of probate court records. Requests can be made from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Clerk charges $0.15 per page for copies of probate court records and $0.50 per document for certified copies.

Chaves County Property Records

All property custodians accept record requests in their offices from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Requesters should know the property owner's name, property address, or parcel number to help the record staff conduct a search. After the search, the staff calculates the fees and releases copies of the records when the fees are paid. Chaves County property record custodians also have online portals where individuals can view or copy property information. For example:

• The Chaves County Assessor's Office has a Parcel Viewer where record seekers can find property information by entering an address in the search field.
• The Chaves County Clerk's Office allows requesters to view and order certified copies of property information on its Document Search portal. The search criteria are the grantor or/and grantee's name, recording date range, book/page, address, document number, or legal description.
• The Treasurer's Office provides a Tax Account Search tool where individuals can find property tax information. A search can be conducted using account ID, parcel number, or address.

Chaves County Court Records Online

Many Chaves County court records are public information and available on third-party websites like newmexicocourtrecords.us. These sites require users to provide a name or case number in the appropriate search field to locate the desired record. The search will return basic court information for free, but full access to court records will be provided for a fee. Note that not all third-party platforms have the most current or accurate information. Therefore, users of these platforms should always verify the information they retrieve.