Santa Fe County Court Records Search
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Santa Fe County is the seat of New Mexico’s state capital and falls within the First Judicial District, which also serves Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties. The First Judicial District Court, headquartered in downtown Santa Fe, handles felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, civil litigation, domestic relations matters, and appeals from lower courts. The Santa Fe County Magistrate Court adjudicates misdemeanors, traffic violations, landlord-tenant disputes, and small claims, while the Santa Fe County Probate Court oversees informal probate proceedings, estate filings, and certain guardianship matters. The County Clerk’s office separately maintains land records, marriage licenses, and vital-records copies. Understanding which office holds the record you need is the first step in any court records search.
New Mexico court records can be located through several channels: the clerk’s office at each courthouse, public-access computer terminals available at court facilities, and a variety of state-operated online tools. The New Mexico Judiciary’s Case Lookup portal provides free searches by party name, case number, or citation across all state courts. The re:SearchNM tool offers another avenue for statewide court-record queries. For broader orientation to courts and procedures throughout the state, NewMexicoCourts.us may help users identify the appropriate court and access publicly available case information.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Santa Fe County?
There are four practical ways to search for a court case in Santa Fe County: an online lookup, an email request, an in-person visit, or a mail request.
Online Search — Step by Step
- Navigate to the Case Lookup portal operated by the New Mexico Judiciary.
- Select the First Judicial District Court or Santa Fe County Magistrate Court from the court menu, depending on the type of case.
- Enter either a party’s last and first name, a case number, or — for DWI-related matters — the DWI-specific search option.
- Review the results, which display the case number, parties, judge assignment, charges or claims, hearing dates, and actions register entries.
- To obtain copies of documents appearing in the docket, submit a request to the clerk (see fee schedule below).
An additional search option is the Secure Odyssey Public Access portal, which may include records that do not appear in the standard Case Lookup tool.
Email Request
Send a request to sfedrequests@nmcourts.gov with as much identifying detail as possible — full party name, date of birth, case number, and the specific document needed. The clerk will respond with the applicable fee and payment instructions.
In-Person or Mail Request
Visit or write to the Court Clerk’s Office at the address below. Bring or include the party name or case number, a description of the records sought, and payment for copy fees.
Court Locations
| Court | Address | Phone | Fax |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Judicial District Court | 225 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | (505) 455-8250 | (505) 455-8280 |
| Santa Fe County Magistrate Court | 2056 Galisteo St., Santa Fe, NM 87505 | (505) 984-9914 | (505) 986-5866 |
| Santa Fe County Probate Court | 100 Catron St., Santa Fe, NM 87501 | (505) 992-1636 | — |
| Santa Fe Municipal Court | 2511 Camino Entrada, Santa Fe, NM 87504 | (505) 955-5070 | — |
| Edgewood Municipal Court | 18 Municipal Way, Edgewood, NM 87015 | (505) 286-4518 | — |
The District Court Clerk’s mailing address is P.O. Box 2268, Santa Fe, NM 87504. The Santa Fe County Clerk’s office, which handles land records and marriage licenses, is located at 240 Grant Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501, Phone: (505) 986-6280, and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Standard Copy Fees
- Plain copies: $0.35 per page
- Certified copies: $1.50 per page
Fees are payable at the clerk window or as directed when submitting an email request. Confirm accepted payment methods before visiting.
Are Court Records Public in Santa Fe County?
Most court records in Santa Fe County are presumed open to the public under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA), codified at NMSA 1978, §§ 14-2-1 through 14-2-12. IPRA establishes that every person has a right to inspect public records held by a public body, including the courts and county offices, unless a specific statutory exemption applies.
Within the court system, access is also governed by the New Mexico Rules of Civil Procedure, the Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Supreme Court rules addressing confidentiality in particular case types. The First Judicial District Court follows these statewide rules when determining which records may be released.
Records generally available to the public include:
- Case dockets, actions registers, and calendars
- Civil complaints, answers, and motions
- Criminal charging documents and judgments
- Sentencing orders and conditions of probation
- Party names, case numbers, and judge assignments
Records that are restricted or sealed by statute include:
- Adoption case files
- Juvenile delinquency and child-in-need-of-care records
- Mental health commitment proceedings
- Conservatorship records
- Firearm-disability removal petitions
- Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) filings
- Non-probated wills deposited with the court
- Records sealed by specific court order
When a record contains both public and confidential information, the court may redact protected details — such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth of minors, and financial account numbers — before releasing the remainder. A person who believes a record has been improperly withheld may file a written complaint or, in some circumstances, seek a writ of mandamus under IPRA’s enforcement provisions.
Santa Fe County Criminal Court Records
Criminal cases arising in Santa Fe County are prosecuted in either the First Judicial District Court (felonies and serious misdemeanors) or the Santa Fe County Magistrate Court (misdemeanors, DWI offenses, and preliminary hearings in felony cases). Both courts’ dockets are searchable through the Case Lookup portal.
What criminal records contain. A criminal case file typically includes the criminal complaint or indictment, arrest warrant, bail or bond information, arraignment records, plea documents, pre-trial motions, trial transcripts (if ordered), jury instructions, verdict, sentencing order, and any post-conviction filings.
Searching for criminal case information online. Enter the defendant’s last and first name in the Case Lookup portal and select the appropriate court. The results will display the case number, charges, filing date, case status, and upcoming hearing dates. The DWI search option narrows results to driving-while-intoxicated cases specifically.
Requesting arrest and booking records. Arrest records are maintained separately from court records by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. To request a background check or arrest history, contact the Sheriff’s Office at:
Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office
Address: 35 Camino Justicia, Santa Fe, NM 87508
Phone: (505) 986-2400
Email: shfbackground@santafecountynm.gov
Current booking and inmate information is available through the Santa Fe County Corrections Department’s online inmate search, which lists individuals presently in custody along with booking charges and bond amounts.
Fees and copies. Copies of criminal court documents obtained through the District Court Clerk’s Office cost $0.35 per page for plain copies and $1.50 per page for certified copies. Requests can be made in person at 225 Montezuma Avenue, by email to sfedrequests@nmcourts.gov, or by mail to P.O. Box 2268, Santa Fe, NM 87504.
Sealed and expunged records. Certain criminal records may be sealed or expunged pursuant to court order or under New Mexico’s expungement statutes. Sealed records will not appear in public searches and can only be accessed by court order.
Santa Fe County Civil Court Records
Civil matters in Santa Fe County are divided between the First Judicial District Court, which hears cases involving claims above the magistrate court’s jurisdictional limit, and the Santa Fe County Magistrate Court, which handles small claims (up to $10,000), landlord-tenant disputes, and debt-collection actions below its monetary threshold.
Types of civil records available. Civil case files generally contain the complaint, summons, answer, counterclaims, discovery motions, pre-trial orders, trial records, judgment, and any post-judgment enforcement filings such as writs of execution or garnishment orders.
How to search civil records. The Case Lookup portal allows users to search by party name or case number across both the District Court and Magistrate Court. Results include the case type, filing date, parties, assigned judge, and docket entries. Documents listed in the docket may be obtained by submitting a copy request to the clerk.
Filing fees and copy costs. Civil filing fees in the First Judicial District Court are set by the New Mexico Supreme Court’s fee schedule. Copy fees for existing case records remain $0.35 per page (plain) and $1.50 per page (certified). For court forms and self-help resources related to civil filings, the New Mexico Courts Self-Help Guide maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts offers downloadable packets and instructions for common actions.
Property-related records. While not court records, property disputes often require title searches and lien verification. The Santa Fe County Assessor’s Office provides an online parcel map search tool for property ownership and valuation data. The County Clerk’s recording division maintains deeds, mortgages, and liens, accessible through the ClerkTrackWeb self-service portal using the public login credentials (Username: PUBLIC, Password: PUBLIC). Research-session fees for the self-service portal are $40 for the first 15 minutes and $40 per additional hour. Standard document copies are $1 per page, with certified copies at $5.
Santa Fe County Family Court Records
The domestic relations division of the First Judicial District Court handles dissolution of marriage (divorce), legal separation, child custody and timesharing, child support, adoptions, guardianships of minors, and domestic violence protection orders. Family cases are filed and managed through the Court Clerk’s Office at 225 Montezuma Avenue.
Divorce and custody records. Dissolution of marriage filings, including the petition, response, parenting plan, child support worksheets, property division orders, and final decree, are part of the court record. These documents can be searched on the Case Lookup portal by entering either party’s name. Copies are available from the clerk at the standard rate of $0.35 per page (plain) or $1.50 per page (certified).
Domestic violence protection orders. Petitions for orders of protection are filed in the District Court. Granted protection orders are public records; however, certain address and contact information for the protected party may be redacted for safety purposes.
Adoption records. Adoption case files are confidential under New Mexico law and are not available through public search tools. Access requires a court order.
Marriage licenses. Marriage licenses in Santa Fe County are issued by the County Clerk at 240 Grant Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501, Phone: (505) 986-6280 Copies of filed marriage licenses can be obtained through the ClerkTrackWeb portal (Username: PUBLIC, Password: PUBLIC) at a cost of $1 per plain copy or $5 per certified copy.
Birth and death certificates. These vital records are not held by the courts but are maintained by the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. Applications can be submitted by mail to:
New Mexico Vital Records and Health Statistics
2554 Camino Entrada, P.O. Box 26110
Santa Fe, NM 87502
Fees are $10 for a birth certificate and $5 for a death certificate. Expedited shipping options are available at an additional cost — $44.50 for birth certificates and $39.50 for death certificates via UPS Next Day Air, or $26 and $21 respectively for regular expedited mail.
Santa Fe County Probate Court Records
The Santa Fe County Probate Court is a constitutionally established court with jurisdiction over informal probate of wills, appointment of personal representatives in uncontested estates, and certain guardianship matters. Cases involving contested wills, formal probate, or complex conservatorships are transferred to the First Judicial District Court.
Probate Court location and contact:
Santa Fe County Probate Court
Address: 100 Catron St., Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: (505) 992-1636
Searching probate records online. The Santa Fe County Probate Court maintains a case-lookup tool through ClerkTrackWeb. Users may access it with the login credentials Username: PROBATE, Password: PROBATE. This tool allows searches by decedent name or case number and displays basic docket information, including filings, hearing dates, and appointed representatives.
What probate records include. A typical estate file contains the petition for informal probate, the last will and testament (if one exists), letters testamentary or letters of administration, inventory of assets, creditor claims, final accounting, and the order closing the estate. Guardianship files include the petition, investigator’s report, order of appointment, and annual reports.
Copy fees for probate records:
- Plain copies: $1.00 per page
- Certified copies: $3.00 per page
Restricted probate records. Non-probated wills that have merely been deposited with the court for safekeeping are not public records and cannot be inspected without a court order. Conservatorship records and guardian appointment files also carry confidentiality restrictions under New Mexico law. Probate records involving minors may be further limited.
In-person requests. Visitors to the Probate Court at 100 Catron Street may review open estate files and request copies during regular business hours. Written requests by mail should include the decedent’s full name, approximate date of death, and the case number if known, along with a check or money order for the applicable fees. Contact the Probate Court by phone at (505) 992-1636 to confirm current procedures and accepted payment methods before submitting a request.