Lea County Court Records

The N.M. R. Civ. P. Dist. Ct. 1-079 defines Lea County court records as all or part of a material such as paper, transcript, document, or exhibit filed with the court. It also includes the docket entries and register of actions a court uses to document a case activity. Court records are crucial to employers, landlords, and government agencies; they are also essential for gathering evidence for a case. Below are some information accessible to individuals when they request court records:

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

Are Court Records Public in Lea County?

Yes. Court records are subject to public access unless sealed by court order or otherwise deemed confidential by the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) or N.M. R. Civ. P. Dist. Ct. 1-079.1. The District Court and City Courts handle the inspection and copying of Lea County court records. However, they do not make the following records available for public disclosure:

• Adoption proceedings
• Mental health proceedings
• Wills deposited with the court
• Attorney-client privileged information
• Proceedings to detain a person (NMSA § 24-1-15)
• Proceedings for testing (NMSA §24-2B-5.1)
• Assisted Outpatient Treatment Act records
• Appointment of a conservatorship records
• Proceedings commenced to remove a firearm-related disability.
• Proceedings commenced for the guardianship appointment for an alleged incapacitated person
• Protected personal identifier information, including a taxpayer-identification number, the last four (4) digits of a social security number, a driver's license number, a person's birth year, and a financial account number

Lea County Court Records Search

Record seekers can generally perform court records searches online or in person at the appropriate courthouse. Online requests can be made using the New Mexico State Judiciary Case Lookup. In-person requesters should visit the appropriate courthouse during business hours. Online requests are free, but copies of records attract a small fee.

Lea County Courts

The Lea County Courts consist of District, Probate, Magistrate, and Municipal Courts. Below are the addresses of these courts:

Lea County District Court
100 N. Love St.
Lovington, NM 88260
Phone: (575) 396-8571
Fax: (575) 396-2428

Lea County Probate Court
100 N Main Avenue
Lovington, NM 88260
Phone: (575) 396-8648
Fax: (575) 396-3293
Email: lhardin@leacounty.net

Eunice Magistrate Court
1008 12th St.
Eunice, NM 88231
Phone: (575) 394-3368
Fax: (575) 394-3335

Eunice Municipal Court
1008 12th Street
Eunice, NM 88231
Phone: (575) 394-2635

Hobbs Magistrate Court
2110 N. Alto Drive
Hobbs, NM 88240
Phone: (575) 397-3621
Fax: (575) 393-9121

Hobbs Municipal Court
301 N. Turner St.
Hobbs, NM 88240
Phone: (575) 397-9272

Jal Magistrate Court
3421 State Highway 18
Jal, NM 88252
Phone: (575) 395-2740
Fax: (575) 395-2595

Jal Municipal Court
3421 S. Road 18
Jal, NM 88252
Phone: (575) 395-3314

Lovington Magistrate Court
26 W. Avenue A
Lovington, NM 88260
Phone: (575) 396-6677
Fax: (575) 396-6163

Lovington Municipal Court
213 S. Love St
Lovington, NM 88260
Phone: (575) 396-4043

Tatum Municipal Court
121 W. Broadway St.
Tatum, NM 88267
Phone: (575) 398-8880

Lea County Criminal Records

The Lea County Detention Center (LCDC) may be queried for criminal records, including arrest information. Individuals can obtain copies of criminal records in person at the office during business hours. Copies of records cost a small fee. Lea County arrest records can be viewed for free at the LCDC Detainee Roster. The LCDC is located at:

Lea County Detention Center
1401 S Commercial
Lovington, NM 88260
Phone: (575) 396-1141
Fax: (575) 396-8506
Email: LCDCRecords@leacounty.net

Individuals can also obtain Lea County criminal records by mail at the NM Department of Public Safety (DPS) Law Enforcement Records Bureau (LERB). The LERB will only release the desired record after receiving a complete notarized Authorization for Release of Information form and a fee of $15 payable by money order or cashier's check. Requesters who need a "Police Certificate of Good Standing" will need to pay $33. The processing time is between 7 and 15 working days from the date of receipt. The mailing address is:

NM Department of Public Safety
Law Enforcement Records Bureau
4491 Cerrillos Rd.
Post Office Box 1628
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1628

Get Lea County Civil Court Records

The Lea County District Court hears all civil matters like condemnation, property damage, adoption, probate, personal injury, foreclosure, debt, appeals from lower courts (municipal court, magistrate court), water adjudications, and mental illness. All civil records can be viewed online through the New Mexico State Judiciary Case Lookup. Users can search by name or case number. Alternatively, interested persons can visit the courthouse during business hours to obtain copies of civil court records. Each copy costs $.35 per page, while certified copies cost $1.50 per seal.

Lea County Marriage Records

The Lea County Clerk provides access to marriage records online and in person. Online requests can be made using the Clerk Lookup tool. Enter a marriage date, the groom's name, or the bride's name in the appropriate search field. In-person requests should be made from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Copies of Lea County marriage records cost $.50 per page.

Lea County Divorce Records

Copies of divorce records are available online, by email at lovdfax-grp@nmcourts.gov, or in person at the Lea County District Court. Members of the public can utilize the New Mexico State Judiciary Case Lookup to find divorce records for free. The search parameters are name or case number. In-person requests can be made Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. (closed during the lunch hour). The court charges $.35 per page for copies and $1.50 per seal for certified copies of divorce records.

Lea County Birth and Death Records

Lea County vital records are restricted but tend to become public after a while. For example, Lea County birth certificates become public 100 years after birth, while death certificates are confidential until 50 years after death. Confidential birth and death records are only available to the registrant, the decedent's immediate family members, or those with a legal interest in the record. The immediate family could be a sibling, parent, current spouse, grandchild, maternal or paternal grandparent, or child.

Birth and death records can be obtained online, by phone, by mail, or in person at the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. The Bureau partners with a third-party vendor to issue birth and death records online and over the phone at (877) 284-0963 to requesters. Orders take 3 to 5 business days to process. Depending on the delivery methods, the vendor charges between $44.5 and $26 for Lea County birth records and $39.50 to $21 for death records. Payments can be made via major credit cards like Discover, American Express, MasterCard, or Visa.

Order birth or death records via mail by completing a Birth or Death Record Search Application form or submitting a written letter. The mail package must include a photocopy of a government-issued photo ID and the necessary fees. Certified copies of death records cost $5 per certified copy, while birth records cost 10 per certified copy. Payments should be made by certified check or money order. The written letter should contain the following information:

• The birth registrant or descendant's name
• The birth or death date
• The city and county of birth or death
• The mother's full maiden name and father's full name (for those requesting birth records)
• The decedent's Social Security Number, if known.
• The name of the mortuary in charge of final arrangements.
• The requestor's relationship to the person on the birth or death certificate.
• The purpose of the request
• The requestor's name, signature, and mailing address

In-person applicants can bring a completed application form to the Public Health Office. They must present a valid government-issued picture ID and the appropriate fees. Death records can only be obtained from the Santa Fe office, but birth records are available at the Lea County Public Health Office. The addresses are below:

Santa Fe
Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics
2554 Camino Entrada
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone: (505) 827-0121
Toll Free: (866) 534-0051

Lea County Public Health Office
1923 N. Dal Paso, Suite B
Hobbs, NM 88240
Phone: (575) 397-2463
Fax: (575) 244-9571

Lea County Probate Court Records

Individuals can visit the Lea County Probate Court to find probate court records. The office is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Contact the court by phone at (575) 396-8648, by fax at (575) 396-3293, or by email at lhardin@leacounty.net to inquire about probate court records search. Probate court records can also be viewed for free via the Probate Clerk Lookup tool. Enter a name, file number, or date of death in the search field to locate the appropriate record.

Lea County Property Records

Lea County has a central repository where individuals can find property records like deeds, oil and gas leases, mortgages, and property taxes maintained by the following:

• Assessor: Select the Assessor option at the top bar and conduct a search by owner name, owner number, mailing zip code, property code, physical address, subdivision, metes, assessor map lookup, or plats.
• Clerk: Select the Clerk option at the top bar and conduct a search by reception number, grantor, grantee, book and page, and scanned index.
• Treasurer: Select the Treasurer option at the top bar and search by owner number, owner name, billing number, Zip code, property code, or physical address.

The above-mentioned record custodians also issue property records in person because they are part of Lea County public records. All requests should be made during business hours, and a $.50 per page fee applies to property records.

Lea County Court Records Online

Several third-party vendors like newmexicocourtrecords.us also provide online access to court records. These databases can be utilized using name-based searches and return basic court information for free. However, a small fee is required for complete reports and downloads. Although third-party vendors try to update and correct some information available on their websites, users might still experience some limitations.