New Mexico Civil Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

New Mexico Civil Court Records

New Mexico has one federal District Court and state courts like the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Trial Courts. These Trial Courts in the state include the Municipal Court, Magistrate Court, Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, and Probate Court.

The Civil Court division of these Trial Courts hears most disputes between people or businesses in New Mexico. Most civil cases involve injuries to people or property, slander, not paying back a debt, breaking a contract, or a disagreement between a landlord and a tenant.

Other cases involve administrative matters like name changes, driver's license reinstatement, estate administration, and guardianship of minors or incapacitated adults.

New Mexico civil cases frequently seek damages above $250,000, and the state has about 250,000 civil suits filed yearly.

With the New Mexico Judicial System, people can appeal a lower court's decision to a higher court if they disagree with it. Mostly, the Court of Appeals hears the appeals in the state. But in some cases, requests can go straight to the Supreme Court.

Can you look up New Mexico Civil Court Records? New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act allows you to look at public records kept by all levels of government. However, it also limits the public's access to some documents, such as records from juvenile court.

What Are New Mexico Bankruptcy Records?

New Mexico Bankruptcy Records are papers showing personal and financial information about debtors who file for bankruptcy in any state's bankruptcy courts.

A typical New Mexico bankruptcy record will and may contain the following information:

  • Claimed bankruptcy chapter
  • The creditor and debtor's names
  • The document's case number
  • The case's judge
  • The filing, hearing, and adjudication dates
  • Petitions
  • Case status
  • Trustee information
  • The information of the debtor's attorney
  • The debtor's last four social security and bank account numbers
  • A report on the property
  • Other potentially limited sensitive information

The U.S Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico is in charge of hearing bankruptcy cases, and the most common bankruptcy chapters claimed in the state are as follows:

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

New Mexico Chapter 7 bankruptcy involves selling the debtor's non-exempt assets. The case trustee gets the debtor's non-exempt assets and sells them. The money obtained from selling these assets will pay off as many debts as possible.

People, married couples, businesses, and partnerships can file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in New Mexico. If a debtor has a dismissed bankruptcy case within six months, they cannot petition for Chapter 7.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

With a reorganization plan, a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New Mexico lets a debtor change how they pay back their debts. Using this  bankruptcy, a company projected to become profitable in the future may escape liquidation, and the debtor can keep the assets they own

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

New Mexico Chapter 13 bankruptcy assists individuals in meeting their financial responsibilities by rescheduling payments, usually between three and five years. A debtor can stop the repossession of assets or the loss of a home through this bankruptcy chapter.

The secured debts must not exceed $1,184,200 and $394,725 for unsecured debts to qualify for this bankruptcy.

How To Find New Mexico Bankruptcy Records?

The Voice Case Information System and the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system are two ways to access New Mexico Bankruptcy Records.

Through the PACER system, you will know if the matter is still open or closed in the search results.

To use PACER, you must fill out an e-form to create a subscriber account.

If you want hard copies, you can get them by filling out a Copy Request form. You can send this request to the Bankruptcy Court Clerk's Office by mail, email, or fax.

If interested, you can also fill out the Audio Recording Copy Request form for a copy of an audio recording.

What Are New Mexico Property Lien Records?

A property lien in New Mexico Civil Court Records is a charge placed on a debtor's property as a form of security. The debtor is sure to pay back the loan because of this lien. The creditor may seize and sell the debtor's property if they can't pay.

A creditor can file liens on cars, boats, houses, and other assets. However, there are property exemptions in New Mexico, which means that creditors can't take or sell these properties. When a property lien is on the title, this prevents property sales or transfers.

There are many kinds of New Mexico Property Lien Records in the state, and the most common ones are the following:

Tax Lien

Property tax liens include federal and state tax liens. The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department impose liens against people who are behind or don't pay their taxes when they are due.

If a person doesn't pay their property taxes, the state can take their property, which could lead to foreclosure. The Taxation and Revenue Department's Property Tax Division may sell tax delinquents' properties at a public auction after three years of accumulated payments.

In New Mexico, you only have ten years to pay a tax lien.

Mechanic's Lien

In New Mexico, a contractor or material supplier may file a mechanic's lien if they are not paid for property construction, repair, or renovation. This lien gives them property security.

If the claim exceeds $5000 and the rendered service is not on a four-house residential property, the contractor must submit a 60-day preliminary notice.

If not, the material supplier or contractor must file a mechanic lien within 90 days of project completion or service.

Mortgage Lien

Unlike any other type of property lien, a mortgage is a voluntary lien on a house, which means the house functions as security for the loan. If a homeowner doesn't pay their mortgage, the person who owns it can take the property.

You can learn more about the state's mortgage funding through the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority Act.

Apart from tax, mortgage, and mechanic's liens, child support, judgment, and UCC liens are other less common New Mexico Property Lien Records.

How To Check New Mexico Property Lien Records?

There are different ways to check a property lien in New Mexico. Some counties, like Bernalillo County, Eddy County, Santa Fe County, Sandoval County, and a few others, let people use the property search feature on their websites to look for New Mexico Property Lien Records.

Another option is to do free lien searches at the County Clerk's Office in New Mexico. When doing the county search, you should give enough information about the records you want so that the person in charge of the documents can find them quickly. You can also send an email to the county office.

Alternatively, the Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State allows you to use the Online Search feature to find information in their database. You can't do a lien search on this website, but it lists businesses that do these searches.

What Are New Mexico Civil Driving Violation Records?

New Mexico Civil Driving Violation Records document a person's driving and traffic history. This document usually details a person's traffic tickets,  infractions, and personal information about the driver, like their date of birth and gender.

Article 3 of Title 66 of the New Mexico Statutes states that these infractions are the least severe type of traffic offense in the state.

New Mexico Civil Driving Violation Records include but are not limited to the following:

  • Not having a license plate on the car
  • Running a stop sign
  • Driving too fast

These violations do not involve severe punishment like state misdemeanors and felonies. It usually has a fine, but sometimes, it may incur probation.

How To Look Up New Mexico Civil Driving Violation Records?

Visit the website of the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to look up Mexico Civil Driving Violation Records.

You must provide your driver's license and the last four digits of the record holder's social security number. Putting this information into the website will give you a list of traffic violations that match your input.

If you don't have these things, you can still check New Mexico traffic violations, but it may take longer. You can start by talking to the court clerk in the county where the infraction occurred.

Like other New Mexico civil records, there may be a charge to look at these documents. A certified driver record costs $9.99, while a non-certified version is $6.63 for a copy.

What Are New Mexico Legal Judgment Records?

In New Mexico Legal Judgment Records, a court's final decision about a case is called a "judgment". It ends the dispute and lists the rights and duties of the people involved in the case.

At the very least, a New Mexico Judgment Record will include the following:

  • The names of the parties
  • The type of judgment
  • The name of the presiding judge and court
  • The judgment date
  • The remedy granted by the court
  • A summary of the case
  • An explanation of why the court made its decision

New Mexico laws govern judgment administration, execution, and appeal. New Mexico Statutes Chapter 39 covers most of these rules. Also, the state's judiciary sets judgment norms. The judiciary's Judgments and Writs book contains these regulations and applicable statutes.

New Mexico judgments last 14 years and are not renewable. The decision becomes unenforceable after 14 years, and creditors lose the authority to collect any unpaid obligation.

How To Look Up New Mexico Legal Judgment Records?

If you want to look up New Mexico Legal Judgment Records, visit the Magistrate Court, District Court, or Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court that made the judgment.

Go to the Court Clerk's Office or the record viewing room at the courthouse to ask for these records. You can use the New Mexico judicial branch's map and directory to locate your appropriate court and their street addresses and phone numbers.

You can also fill out an Online Request Form on the Public Records Request page of the judiciary's website and send it in. To get the judgment, you must fill out the form with personal and case information, like a case number.

Lastly, you can use the court's Case Lookup and Secured Odyssey Public Access (SOPA) for remote access. The Case Lookup is free, but SOPA requires a user ID and password.

What Are New Mexico Small Claims Records?

Under New Mexico Civil Court Records, a state small claims record consists of material obtained throughout a small claims case.

The New Mexico Small Claims Courts with limited jurisdiction consider disputes between parties with a maximum $10,000 financial disparity. The Small Claims Courts are not self-sufficient; they are divisions of the 54 Magistrate Courts located in various state regions.

The New Mexico Small Claims Records document the following matters in the state:

  • Recovery of debts
  • Claims of professional negligence and malpractice
  • Defamation claims
  • False arrest allegations
  • Personal injury claims
  • Conflicts with contractors
  • Product Liability
  • Breach of warranty
  • Unauthorized eviction allegations
  • Breach of contract
  • Property damage insurance claims
  • Landlord security deposit and personal property claims
  • Nuisance

Typically, credit reporting companies gather these records and add them to the reports of the losing party. However, under the New Mexico Fair Credit Reporting Act, this credit reporting must only contain accurate information and is confidential without the permission of the losing party.

If you want to sue someone in New Mexico, file a case with the Small Claims Court in the county where the person being sued lives. For the process to work, you must get the suitable forms from the Court Clerk's Office, accomplish and return them to the office.

How To Look Up New Mexico Small Claims Records?

You can look up New Mexico Small Claims Records at the Clerks' Offices in the Magistrate Courts. The Clerk of Court keeps small claims cases always up to date. So, go to the Magistrate Courts or ask for a case file in the mail. Use the judicial branch's map and directory to identify the relevant court's street location and phone number.

If that is not possible, like in the New Mexico Legal Judgment Records, you can use the New Mexico Court Case Lookup to find online documents for small claims cases.

What Are New Mexico Divorce Court Records?

All New Mexico Divorce Court Records are legal records that show how a marriage ended in the state. These records are much harder to find and get than other types of public records because they can reveal private information about minors, finances, and crimes like domestic violence.

To get a divorce in New Mexico, either party must have resided for at least six months in the state. To initiate a divorce, you must submit a petition and other documents to the district court in your or your spouse's county of residence.

After filing, the court will document these New Mexico Divorce Court Records into three categories:

Divorce Certificates

A divorce certificate gives basic information about a marriage that has ended in a state. This paper includes the court case number, the parties' names who got the divorce, and the date and location where the final divorce occurred. This document doesn't tell you much about the divorce judgment.

The Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics doesn't issue divorce certificates. However, you can get divorce certificates from the New Mexico Department of Health upon request.

Divorce Decree

A New Mexico divorce decree has the court's ruling and will have all the information about the conclusion of the marriage. What makes this document different from a divorce certificate is that It includes settlement terms for the following:

  • Child support obligations
  • Visitation privileges
  • Guardianship of young children
  • Division of mutual property and assets
  • Spousal support

The District Court in the county that finalized the divorce can give you a copy of the divorce decree. At the end of the divorce process, both parties will get a copy of their divorce decree.

In New Mexico, you must send a written request to the District Court Clerk if you want a certified copy of a divorce decree.

But only the divorced people, their immediate family, and their legal representatives can get certified copies of a divorce decree.

Divorce Records

A New Mexico divorce record is a comprehensive case file about the dissolution of a marriage in New Mexico. It consists of case files, final judgments, and all orders, motions, and reports submitted throughout the divorce proceeding.

Like other civil records above, you can use the New Mexico Court Case Lookup from the judicial website to find these records. In this tool, you can even download divorce records in the state. On the New Mexico Judicial website, you can also fill out an IPRA request form to request records from before 1997.

What Are New Mexico Probate Court Records?

A probate court has limited jurisdiction that considers cases related to a deceased individual's estate. In New Mexico, if the entire worth of the estate reaches $50,000, the court must probate the will.

The New Mexico Probate Judge ensures that the pleadings are comprehensive and correct, following New Mexico law and the Uniform Probate Code, which oversees probate in the state.

Not every estate needs to go through probate. Often, it depends on how the deceased identified their assets or whether someone requires the legal authority to operate on behalf of the estate.

Here are some cases you can find under New Mexico Probate Court Records:

  • Changing title to real estate or bank accounts
  • Stocks and bonds
  • Obtaining medical or other confidential documents
  • Filing tax returns

In New Mexico, probate files include a variety of documents which include but are not limited to:

  • Wills
  • Guardianships
  • Adoption accounts
  • Inventories
  • Administrations
  • Distributions

How To Look Up New Mexico Probate Court Records?

Each county's probate court has authority over probate cases. So, to get some of the documents under New Mexico Probate Court Records, visit the county court that filed the probate.

In addition, some of the counties in the state, like Santa Fe County and Bernalillo County, have Probate Case Look-Up you can use to find probate court records in New Mexico.

You can also request some guardianship and adoption records from the District Courts. Since 1953, this court has had concurrent jurisdiction over all probate matters with the county's probate court.

How To Look Up Civil Court Cases in New Mexico?

To look up New Mexico Civil Court Records, you first need to find the court that filed and heard the case.

The next thing to do is to ask for the record in writing. You can request in person, by mail, or online by filling out an IPRA request form. You may need a valid government-issued picture ID, especially for mail-in requests.

You can also use the New Mexico Case Lookup to find civil court cases in the state. You can search here using the case participants' names or the case number. You can use this online platform to seek District or Magistrate Court documents from the court's judicial district.

Another online resource you can use is SOPA. It allows online access to New Mexico Judiciary Secure Court Cases e-filed from the District Courts, Supreme Court, Municipal Courts, Court of Appeals, and Magistrate Courts.