| District Court Clerk | Lea County District Court (Fifth Judicial District) |
|---|---|
| County Clerk (probate) | Lea County Clerk — Probate and Recorded Documents |
| Clerk address | Lea County District Court, 100 N Main, Lovington, NM 88260 (mail: 100 N Love St, Ste 1-A, Lovington, NM 88260) |
| Phone | (575) 396-8571 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–noon and 1–5 p.m. (closed for lunch) |
| 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 |
Lea County, in the oil-producing southeast corner of New Mexico on the Texas line, belongs to the Fifth Judicial District together with Chaves and Eddy counties. Its district court sits in the county seat of Lovington, not in Hobbs, even though Hobbs is by far the larger city. Felony cases, civil suits, divorce and custody, and contested probate for the whole county are filed at the Lea County District Court at the historic courthouse on North Main in Lovington.
Misdemeanors, DWI, traffic citations, small civil claims, and felony first appearances go to the Lea County Magistrate Court, which has two locations: one in Lovington and one in Hobbs. Which one holds a file depends on where the case was filed, so check the court name on a Case Lookup result before visiting. Hobbs also runs its own municipal court for city ordinance violations and its Traffic Violations Bureau, which handles tickets written by Hobbs police under the Uniform Traffic Ordinance.
As everywhere in New Mexico, the Lea County Clerk does not keep court case files. That office records deeds and liens, issues marriage licenses, and serves as clerk to the county Probate Judge for informal estates; it offers its own online index for those records, separate from the court system.
Search Lea County court records online
District Court Clerk
Lea County District Court (Fifth Judicial District)
- Cost
- Free case search on Case Lookup; copy fees set by the court
- Coverage
- District-court felony, civil, domestic-relations, and contested-probate cases for Lea County, filed in Lovington
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The Fifth Judicial District also covers Chaves County (Roswell) and Eddy County (Carlsbad); each county's district court keeps its own files.
County Clerk (probate)
Lea County Clerk — Probate and Recorded Documents
- Cost
- Copy fees set by the county clerk
- Coverage
- Informal probate proceedings before the Lea County Probate Judge, plus recorded real-property documents and marriage licenses; the clerk runs a separate online index for these records
- Records
- Probate
No court case files. Located at 100 N Main Ave, Lovington, NM 88260, (575) 396-8648.
Other courts
Lea County Magistrate Court — Lovington and Hobbs
- Cost
- Free case search on Case Lookup; copy fees set by statute
- Coverage
- Misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, traffic citations, civil claims up to $10,000, and felony first appearances for Lea County, heard in Lovington or Hobbs depending on where the case was filed
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Two locations with separate files. Statutory copy fee is $0.50 per photocopied page or $1.00 per electronically produced page (NMSA 1978 § 35-6-1).
Other courts
Hobbs Municipal Court
- Coverage
- City ordinance violations and Uniform Traffic Ordinance citations written by Hobbs police, including the court's Traffic Violations Bureau
- Records
- Traffic
A city court outside the state case-management system; not on Case Lookup. Records requests are made on the court's IPRA form in person at 301 N Turner St, Hobbs, NM 88240, (575) 397-9272; Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.–noon.
Other courts
New Mexico Courts Case Lookup
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Statewide index search covering the Lea County District Court and both Lea County magistrate court locations
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Results also include Chaves and Eddy County cases from the same judicial district; check the county and city on each case.
What is available online
Case Lookup lists docket entries for the Lea County District Court and both magistrate locations but does not display filed documents. Parties and attorneys of record can register for re:Search®NM to see documents in their own cases. Hobbs Municipal Court tickets are not in either system. The Lea County Clerk's separate online index covers informal probate, marriage, and recorded property documents only.
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
Lea County clerk offices
Lea County District Court, 100 N Main, Lovington, NM 88260 (mail: 100 N Love St, Ste 1-A, Lovington, NM 88260)
Phone: (575) 396-8571
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–noon and 1–5 p.m. (closed for lunch)
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
District Court records. Request copies from the Lea County District Court clerk in Lovington, in person at 100 N Main or by mail to 100 N Love St, Ste 1-A, Lovington, NM 88260. Include the case number or the party names and approximate year, the documents you need, and whether you need certification. Confirm the current district copy fee by phone before sending payment.
Magistrate Court records. Contact the Lovington or Hobbs magistrate location that heard the case; each keeps its own files. Magistrate copy fees are set by statute at $0.50 per photocopied page or $1.00 per computer-generated page.
Hobbs city tickets. Hobbs Municipal Court accepts Inspection of Public Records Act requests on its own form, delivered in person to 301 N Turner St.
Informal probate. Contact the Lea County Clerk at 100 N Main Ave, Lovington, (575) 396-8648, or use the clerk's online index. Contested estates are in district court.
Online. Use the New Mexico Courts Case Lookup to identify the court and case number first, then ipra.nmcourts.gov for anything the public portals do not cover.
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
Is the Lea County district court in Hobbs or Lovington?
Lovington, the county seat. Hobbs has a magistrate court location and its own municipal court, but felony, civil, family, and contested-probate cases for the whole county are filed at the district court in Lovington.
Which court has my Hobbs traffic ticket?
If a Hobbs police officer wrote it under the city's Uniform Traffic Ordinance, the Hobbs Municipal Court and its Traffic Violations Bureau. If a sheriff's deputy or state police officer wrote it, the Lea County Magistrate Court, most likely the Hobbs location.
Does the Lea County Clerk keep court records?
Only informal probate files, because the clerk serves the county Probate Judge. Other court cases are at the district court in Lovington or one of the two magistrate court locations.
Can I see Lea County court documents online?
Case Lookup shows the docket, not the documents. Parties and their attorneys can register for re:Search®NM to view filings in their own cases; everyone else requests copies from the clerk of the court that heard the case.
Sources
- Lea County District Court — Fifth Judicial District — https://fifthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/jury-duty/lea-county-district-court/
- Lea County Magistrate Court Docket — Hobbs — Fifth Judicial District — https://fifthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/court-dockets/lea-county-magistrate-court-docket-hobbs-nm/
- Lea County Clerk — https://www.leacounty.gov/177/Lea-County-Clerk
- Hobbs Municipal Court — https://www.hobbsnm.gov/court.html
- NMSA 1978 § 35-6-1 — Magistrate costs; schedule — https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/chapter-35/article-6/section-35-6-1/
- 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.