What are New Mexico Criminal Court Records?

New Mexico Criminal Court Records contain details of legal actions taken before, during, and at the conclusion of criminal cases tried in the state. These records include dockets and case files containing sworn affidavits, witness testimonies, trial transcripts, motions, orders, warrants, and other documents issued by and filed with New Mexico criminal courts. Most of these records are available to the public under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act.

Understanding the New Mexico Criminal Court System

The New Mexico state court system comprises a Supreme Court, a Court of Appeals, 13 District Courts, one Metropolitan Court, 54 Magistrate Courts, one Probate Court, and 81 Municipal Courts. The state also hosts federal courts that hear selected federal crimes committed within their judicial districts.

District courts typically handle criminal court cases while the state supreme court is the court of last resort. It also has superintendent control over all the other courts and mandatory appellate jurisdiction over criminal matters punishable by life sentence or the death penalty. Essentially, most courts have varying judicial authorities depending on whether a case is a felony, misdemeanor, or infraction.

What’s included in a New Mexico Criminal Court Record?

While the contents of criminal court records are similar, the amount of information available in these records may vary depending on the case and court type. Criminal court records typically include the following information:

• Identities of the parties involved.
• Details of criminal charges.
• Court location, hearing dates, and the name of the sitting judge.
• Motions, orders, injunctions, and other court-mandated actions
• Selected details from the inmate records of the accused or plaintiff
• If relevant to the case, New Mexico arrest records and active/executed New Mexico warrants.
• Final judgment.

Obtaining New Mexico Criminal Court Records

Under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, citizens may view, inspect, and copy criminal court records. The three ways of obtaining criminal court records in New Mexico are:

• In person
• Online
• Through third-party websites

How Do I Access New Mexico Criminal Court Records in Person?

Parties who wish to obtain criminal court records in person may do so through the following steps:

• Identify The Right Court

Criminal cases in the state of New Mexico are typically under the jurisdiction of district courts. However, as mentioned above, certain cases fall under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Therefore, those looking for criminal court records must start their searches by identifying the courts that handled those cases. They can use the New Mexico courts directory to find this information.

• Provide Required Information

Court officials need the correct information to locate and retrieve requested records. Information required may include the names of the defendant and/or plaintiff, as well as the case file numbers.

• Visit the Court Record Custodian

After the interested party has identified the correct court, a request to inspect and/or copy the court records can be made in person at the office of the court clerk, who is responsible for maintaining records for the court.

• Provide Identification and Required Fees

Parties wishing to obtain copies of court records may need to provide a form of identification, usually a government-issued photo ID, and pay a fee. This fee depends on the type of court records requested and the number of copies required.

Additionally, publicly available records may be accessible from some third-party websites. Operating independently without ties to any state government body, such platforms' websites offer the benefit of not being limited by geographical record availability. They can often serve as a starting point when researching a specific or multiple records. To find a record using the search engines on these sites, interested parties must provide:

• The name of someone involved, provided it is not a juvenile
• The assumed location of the record in question, such as a city, county, or state name

Third-party sites are not government-sponsored websites. Record availability may differ from official channels.

How Do I Find New Mexico Criminal Court Records by Mail?

Start by sending a written request to the court where the record is located. Requirements for obtaining these records vary by court, but typically include details of the criminal court case, the identity of the requestor, payment (usually money orders or checks) to cover search fees and/or copies of required records, as well as a self-addressed envelope. For more information, contact the court to ask for additional requirements for requesting criminal court records by mail.

How to Find New Mexico Criminal Court Records Online

Citizens can access New Mexico criminal court records online by:

• Completing and submitting an Online Request Form. Parties who request records through this method are advised to be as specific as possible when providing details of the records being requested.
• Searching the New Mexico Courts Case Lookup portal. This portal allows interested parties to carry out either name, case number, or DWI searches when accessing court records.
• Using the Secured Odyssey Public Access. However, access to court records through this portal is restricted and is only available to registered users.

How to Find New Mexico Criminal Court Records Using Third-Party Aggregate Sites

Several third-party websites provide access to New Mexico criminal court records. These websites offer interested parties the benefit of accessibility from remote locations, while operating independently of any government entity. To search for records on these sites, interested parties are required to provide the following information:

• Name of one of the parties involved
• Location of the record in question, such as a city, county, or state

These third-party sites are not government-sponsored websites, so record availability may differ from official channels.

Are all New Mexico Criminal Court Records Public?

Most of these records are publicly available and accessible. However, access to some of these records is restricted to certain eligible parties. Confidential criminal court records include:

• Law enforcement records that reveal confidential sources, methods, information, or individuals accused but not charged with a crime
• Physical or mental health examination records
• Attorney-client privileged information
• Identities of minors

Can I Access Sealed New Mexico Criminal Court Records?

Sealed criminal court records are not available for inspection by members of the public in New Mexico. The parties involved in cases with sealed records can still access those records. A third party may access sealed court records in New Mexico if granted a court order authorizing access to those records.

Are all Juvenile Criminal Court Records open to the Public?

In New Mexico, juvenile criminal records are generally confidential and thus not open to the public.

Are Trial Transcripts Open to the Public?

Trial transcripts are generally public records, and copies may be obtained (if available) by contacting the court where the case was heard. Court officials require requesters to pay copy fees before releasing trial transcripts.

New Mexico Crime Statistics

The Department of Public Safety compiles crime statistics into annual Crime Reports in New Mexico. The Reports serve as the primary repository for Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) in the state. According to the latest crime report, law enforcement officials in New Mexico recorded 22,736 Group A offenses in 2020, a 45.97% decrease from the number of offenses recorded in 2019.

Age Demographics

Notably, crime reports in the New Mexico UCR repository do not highlight the age demographics of Group A offenders. However, the state’s 2024 arrest statistics indicate that less than 15% of all arrestees were juveniles, while the rest were adults.

New Mexico Trends by Category

Crimes Against Persons

According to the data, New Mexico enjoyed a significant decrease in Group A offenses in 2020, especially larceny, forcible rape, motor vehicle theft, and assault.

New Mexico Department of Public Safety
4491 Cerrillos Rd.,
Santa Fe, NM 87507
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1628
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1628