| District Court Clerk | McKinley County — Gallup District Court (Eleventh Judicial District) |
|---|---|
| County Clerk (probate) | McKinley County Clerk |
| Clerk address | McKinley County District Court, 207 W Hill Ave, Gallup, NM 87301 |
| Phone | (505) 863-6816 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 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 |
McKinley County, in northwestern New Mexico along Interstate 40, shares the Eleventh Judicial District with San Juan County to its north. The district's McKinley County courthouse is in Gallup, where the McKinley County District Court hears felonies, civil suits, divorce and custody cases, and contested probate. San Juan County cases are kept separately in Aztec and Farmington, so a Gallup case will not be found at those courthouses.
Misdemeanors, DWI, traffic citations, small civil claims, and felony first appearances are heard by the Gallup Magistrate Court, a separate court with its own clerk. Tickets written by Gallup police inside city limits go to Gallup Municipal Court, a city court that recently opened its own public-access portal for eligible records but is not part of the state case-management system.
A large share of McKinley County lies within the Navajo Nation and the Pueblo of Zuni. Cases arising on tribal land involving tribal members are frequently in Navajo Nation or Zuni tribal courts, which are separate sovereign systems not covered by any New Mexico portal. The McKinley County Clerk, in the same building as the district court, does not hold court files; it records documents, issues marriage licenses, and runs elections.
Search McKinley County court records online
District Court Clerk
McKinley County — Gallup District Court (Eleventh 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 McKinley County, filed in Gallup
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The Eleventh Judicial District also covers San Juan County from courthouses in Aztec and Farmington; each county keeps its own files.
County Clerk (probate)
McKinley County Clerk
- Cost
- Copy fees set by the county clerk
- Coverage
- Recorded land documents, marriage and business licenses, and informal probate paperwork filed with the county; no court case files
- Records
- Probate
Located at 207 W Hill Ave, Gallup, NM 87301, (505) 863-6866; Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. The same address as the district court, but a different office.
Other courts
McKinley County — Gallup Magistrate Court
- 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 McKinley County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Phone (505) 722-6636, as listed on the City of Gallup's civil-suit FAQ. Statutory copy fee is $0.50 per photocopied page or $1.00 per electronically produced page (NMSA 1978 § 35-6-1).
Other courts
Gallup Municipal Court
- Coverage
- Traffic citations, animal-control and code-enforcement matters, and petty misdemeanors within Gallup city limits; the court has announced an online Public Access Portal for eligible records
- Records
- Traffic
A city court, not on Case Lookup. Located at 451 Boardman Dr, Gallup, NM 87301, (505) 863-4469; Monday–Thursday 7 a.m.–4 p.m.
Other courts
New Mexico Courts Case Lookup
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Statewide index search covering the McKinley County District Court and the Gallup Magistrate Court
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
San Juan County cases from the same judicial district appear in the same results; check the county and city on each case.
What is available online
Case Lookup shows docket entries for McKinley County district and magistrate cases without document images. Attorneys of record and registered self-represented parties can view filings in their own cases through re:Search®NM. Gallup Municipal Court has its own separate public-access portal for eligible city cases. Navajo Nation and Zuni tribal court cases are not in any state system.
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
McKinley County clerk offices
McKinley County District Court, 207 W Hill Ave, Gallup, NM 87301
Phone: (505) 863-6816
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
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 McKinley County District Court clerk at 207 W Hill Ave, Gallup, NM 87301, in person or by mail. Include the case number or party names and approximate year, the documents you need, and whether you need certification. Confirm the Eleventh Judicial District's current copy fee by phone before mailing payment.
Magistrate Court records. Contact the Gallup Magistrate Court directly for misdemeanor, DWI, and traffic files. Statutory copy fees are $0.50 per photocopied page or $1.00 per computer-generated page.
City tickets. Check Gallup Municipal Court's Public Access Portal first, then contact the court at 451 Boardman Dr for anything not available online.
Tribal court. For a case in Navajo Nation or Zuni court, contact that court directly; New Mexico clerks cannot retrieve tribal records.
Online. Start with the New Mexico Courts Case Lookup to identify the court and case number, then use 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
Are McKinley County court records kept in Farmington?
No. The Eleventh Judicial District covers both McKinley and San Juan counties, but McKinley County district court files are at the Gallup courthouse on West Hill Avenue, not at the San Juan County courthouses in Aztec or Farmington.
Which court has my Gallup traffic ticket?
If a Gallup police officer wrote it, Gallup Municipal Court, which has its own public-access portal. If a sheriff's deputy or state police officer wrote it, the Gallup Magistrate Court, which is on the statewide Case Lookup.
Are Navajo Nation court cases on New Mexico Case Lookup?
No. The Navajo Nation and the Pueblo of Zuni operate their own courts. Cases heard there are not in the New Mexico court system and must be requested from the tribal court directly.
Does the McKinley County Clerk keep court records?
No. Although the clerk's office is in the same building as the district court, it handles recorded documents, marriage licenses, and elections. Court files are with the district court or magistrate court clerk.
Sources
- McKinley County — Gallup District Court — Eleventh Judicial District — https://eleventhdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/district-courts/mckinley-county-gallup-district-court/
- McKinley County — Gallup Magistrate Court — Eleventh Judicial District — https://eleventhdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/magistrate-courts/mckinley-county-gallup-magistrate-court/
- McKinley County Clerk — https://www.co.mckinley.nm.us/190/County-Clerk
- Gallup Municipal Court — https://www.gallupnm.gov/198/Municipal-Court
- City of Gallup FAQ — Where do I file a civil suit? — https://www.gallupnm.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=87
- 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.