| District Court Clerk | First Judicial District Court — Court Clerk's Office |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | First Judicial District Court, 225 Montezuma Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501 |
| Phone | Listed on the clerk website |
| Hours | District Court Clerk's Office: 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 |
Santa Fe County is one of three counties covered by the First Judicial District Court, alongside Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties, so a search by county name matters when you look up a case. Felonies, civil suits, family law, and contested probate for Santa Fe County are filed with the district court clerk in downtown Santa Fe. Misdemeanors, DWI, traffic tickets, and small civil claims go to the separate Santa Fe County Magistrate Court, a few blocks away.
Both courts are searchable through the statewide New Mexico Courts Case Lookup. The Santa Fe County Clerk is a different office altogether — it records deeds, runs elections, and issues marriage licenses, not court records.
The First Judicial District Court's clerk's office is the processing point for essentially every filing in the district, and its public-records page explains how to request copies of documents that are not on Case Lookup or re:Search®NM.
Search Santa Fe County court records online
District Court Clerk
First Judicial District Court — Court Clerk's Office
- Cost
- Free case search on Case Lookup; copy fees set by the court
- Coverage
- District-court felony, civil, family, and contested-probate cases for Santa Fe County (the First Judicial District also covers Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties)
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
Confirm the county on any docket result, since the First Judicial District files cases from three counties.
Other courts
Santa Fe County Magistrate Court
- 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 in Santa Fe County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Located separately from the district courthouse; check the address before an in-person visit.
Other courts
New Mexico Courts Case Lookup
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Statewide index search covering the First Judicial District Court and the Santa Fe County Magistrate Court
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Filter or check the case detail for the county and court name, since the First Judicial District also files cases for Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties.
What is available online
Case Lookup shows current docket information for both the district court and the Santa Fe County Magistrate Court, but not document images. re:Search®NM can show filed documents to registered attorneys of record and self-represented parties in their own cases. The First Judicial District's public-records page describes how to request anything else.
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
Santa Fe County clerk offices
First Judicial District Court, 225 Montezuma Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Hours: District Court Clerk's Office: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
District Court records. Contact the Court Clerk's Office at 225 Montezuma Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501, or submit a request through the statewide IPRA web form at ipra.nmcourts.gov. Include the case number, the documents needed, and whether certified copies are required.
Magistrate Court records. Contact the Santa Fe County Magistrate Court directly for misdemeanor, DWI, and traffic files; it is a separate court from the district court with its own case files.
Confirm the county. Because the First Judicial District also covers Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties, double-check that a Case Lookup result is actually a Santa Fe County case before requesting 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 court has my Santa Fe County traffic ticket or DWI?
The Santa Fe County Magistrate Court, a separate court from the district court with its own building and case files. Felonies and civil suits go to the district court instead.
Does the First Judicial District only cover Santa Fe County?
No. It also covers Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties, so confirm the county on any case you find before assuming it is a Santa Fe County matter.
Where do I request a copy of a Santa Fe County court document?
Contact the First Judicial District Court Clerk's Office for district-court files, or use the statewide IPRA request form at ipra.nmcourts.gov for records not available through Case Lookup.
Does the Santa Fe County Clerk have court records?
No. The county clerk's office records real property, runs elections, and issues marriage licenses. Court cases stay with the district court clerk or the magistrate court.
Sources
- First Judicial District Court — Court Clerk's Office — https://firstdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/court-clerks-office/
- First Judicial District Court — Public Records — https://firstdistrict.nmcourts.gov/public-records/
- Santa Fe County Magistrate Court Docket — https://firstdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/court-dockets/santa-fe-county-magistrate-court-santa-fe-nm/
- 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.