| District Court Clerk | Third Judicial District Court — Office of the Clerk |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Third Judicial District Court, 201 W. Picacho Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88005 |
| Phone | District Court (575) 528-8311 |
| Hours | District Court: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $0.35 per page |
| Certified copy fee | $1.50 per document |
Doña Ana County, anchored by Las Cruces, is served by the Third Judicial District Court for felonies, civil suits, family law, and contested probate, and by three separate magistrate court locations for misdemeanors, traffic, and small civil claims: Las Cruces, Anthony, and Hatch. Each magistrate location keeps its own docket, so a case can be at any one of them depending on where it was filed.
Both the district court and the magistrate courts report into the statewide New Mexico Courts Case Lookup, so one name search covers all of them. The Doña Ana County Clerk is a separate office that does not keep court records; it handles property recording, elections, and marriage licenses.
Copies of district-court records can be requested electronically through the statewide IPRA request form, which the Third Judicial District's own clerk page links to directly, making a mailed request unnecessary for many document requests.
Search Doña Ana County court records online
District Court Clerk
Third Judicial District Court — Office of the Clerk
- Cost
- Free case search on Case Lookup; copy fees set by the court
- Coverage
- District-court felony, civil, family, and contested-probate cases for Doña Ana County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The clerk's office directs record requests to the statewide IPRA web form rather than a paper form.
Other courts
Doña Ana Magistrate Court — Las Cruces
- Cost
- Free case search on Case Lookup; copy fees set by the court
- Coverage
- Misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, traffic citations, civil claims up to $10,000, and felony first appearances for the Las Cruces area
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Doña Ana County also has separate magistrate court dockets for Anthony and Hatch; check the case location before visiting in person.
Other courts
New Mexico Courts Case Lookup
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Statewide index search covering the Third Judicial District Court and all three Doña Ana magistrate court locations
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Search once by name; the result will show which specific court (Las Cruces, Anthony, or Hatch magistrate, or district court) has the case.
What is available online
Case Lookup shows current docket entries for the district court and all three magistrate court locations in Doña Ana County, but not document images. Document requests for district-court files go through the statewide IPRA web form; magistrate court files are requested directly from the location that has them.
Which clerk has your record
In New Mexico, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the New Mexico page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| District Courts (13 judicial districts) | Felony criminal cases; Civil suits of any amount; Divorce, custody, and other domestic-relations cases | District Court Clerk of the judicial district |
| Magistrate Courts and Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court | Misdemeanors; DWI/DUI; Traffic citations | Magistrate Court Clerk (Metropolitan Court Clerk in Bernalillo County) |
| Probate Courts | Informal, uncontested probate of wills; Small estates | County Probate Judge |
| Municipal Courts | City ordinance violations; Petty misdemeanors; Traffic tickets issued inside city limits | Municipal Court Clerk of the city |
Request records in person or by mail
Doña Ana County clerk offices
Third Judicial District Court, 201 W. Picacho Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88005
Phone: District Court (575) 528-8311
Hours: District Court: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
District Court records. Submit a request through the statewide IPRA web form at ipra.nmcourts.gov, or contact the Records Custodian at the Third Judicial District Court, 201 W. Picacho Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88005. Include the case number, the documents you need, and whether you need certified copies.
Magistrate Court records. Contact the specific magistrate court location that heard the case — Las Cruces, Anthony, or Hatch — since each keeps its own file separately from the district court and from each other.
In person. The district court's self-help center and legal-advice clinics can help you identify which court has your case before you request copies.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $0.35 per page |
| Certified copy | $1.50 per document |
Confirmed on the Second Judicial District (Bernalillo County) Clerk's Office fee schedule under the authority of NMSA 1978 §§ 34-6-40 and 34-6-43. Each judicial district and each magistrate/metropolitan court adopts its own fee schedule, so amounts can differ outside Bernalillo County; confirm with the specific clerk before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
New Mexico court records are open to the public under the common-law right of access and the Inspection of Public Records Act, but Rule 1-079 NMRA (and its counterparts for magistrate, metropolitan, and municipal courts) governs sealing and lets a court close all or part of a record's docket, case type, or documents by order. A record's basic case number and case type generally may not be sealed without a specific court order, even when the file itself is confidential.
The New Mexico guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Which Doña Ana County magistrate court has my case?
It depends on where it was filed — Las Cruces, Anthony, or Hatch each have a separate magistrate court docket. The New Mexico Courts Case Lookup will show which location has your case before you contact it.
Where do I find a Doña Ana County felony or divorce case?
The Third Judicial District Court in Las Cruces. Felonies, civil suits, family-law matters, and contested probate are all filed with the district court clerk.
Does the Doña Ana County Clerk keep court case files?
No. The county clerk's office handles real-property recording, elections, and marriage licenses. Court case files stay with the district court clerk or the magistrate court that heard the case.
How do I request copies of a Doña Ana County district court file?
Use the statewide IPRA web form at ipra.nmcourts.gov, which the district court's own clerk page links to, or contact the Records Custodian directly with the case number and the documents you need.
Sources
- Third Judicial District Court — Office of the Clerk — https://thirddistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/office-of-the-clerk/
- Third Judicial District Court — Location, Hours & Contacts — https://thirddistrict.nmcourts.gov/location-hours-contacts/
- Doña Ana Magistrate Court — Las Cruces — https://thirddistrict.nmcourts.gov/court/dona-ana-magistrate-court-las-cruces/
- New Mexico Courts Case Lookup — https://caselookup.nmcourts.gov/caselookup/app
- New Mexico Courts — Courts in New Mexico — https://nmcourts.gov/courts-in-new-mexico/
- New Mexico Courts — Public Access and re:Search®NM — https://selfrepresentation.nmcourts.gov/self-representation/public-access-and-researchnm/
- New Mexico Courts — IPRA Records Request — https://ipra.nmcourts.gov/
- NM Department of Public Safety — Fingerprinting and Background Checks — https://www.dps.nm.gov/law-enforcement-records-bureau/fingerprinting-and-background-checks/
- NMOneSource.com — https://www.nmonesource.com/nmos/en/nav.do
- Rule 1-079 NMRA — Public Inspection and Sealing of Court Records (District Court Civil) — https://supremecourt.nmcourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/Rule-1-079-NMRA.pdf
- NMSA 1978, Chapter 29, Article 3A — Criminal Record Expungement Act — https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/2019/chapter-29/article-3a/section-29-3a-1/
- NMSA 1978 § 34-6-40 — District Courts; Finance; Fees — https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/2024/chapter-34/article-6/section-34-6-40/
- United States District Court for the District of New Mexico — https://www.nmd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all New Mexico counties.