| District Court Clerk | Valencia County District Court (Thirteenth Judicial District) |
|---|---|
| County Clerk (probate) | Valencia County Clerk — Probate Records |
| Clerk address | Valencia County District Court, 1835 Highway 314 SW, Los Lunas, NM 87031 |
| Phone | (505) 865-2400 |
| Hours | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8 a.m.–noon and 1–5 p.m.; Wednesday 8:30 a.m.–noon and 1–5 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 |
Valencia County sits just south of Albuquerque along the Rio Grande and is part of the Thirteenth Judicial District, which it shares with Sandoval and Cibola counties. Each of the three counties has its own district courthouse, so Valencia County felonies, civil suits, divorces, custody cases, and contested probate matters are filed at the Valencia County District Court in Los Lunas rather than in Bernalillo or Sandoval County. Misdemeanors, DWI, traffic citations, small civil claims, and felony first appearances go to the separate Valencia County Magistrate Court, also in Los Lunas.
Both courts report into the statewide New Mexico Courts Case Lookup, so one name search covers district and magistrate cases for the county. The Valencia County Clerk, at the county administration building on Luna Avenue, does not hold court files; that office records deeds and liens, runs elections, issues marriage licenses, and keeps the paperwork for the county's elected Probate Judge, who hears only informal, uncontested estates.
Tickets written by village or city police inside Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms, or Peralta are handled by those municipalities' own courts, which are outside the state case-management system. Confirm which court issued a citation before contacting the magistrate court about it.
Search Valencia County court records online
District Court Clerk
Valencia County District Court (Thirteenth 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 Valencia County, filed at the Los Lunas courthouse
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The Thirteenth Judicial District also serves Sandoval County (Bernalillo) and Cibola County (Grants) from separate courthouses; each county keeps its own files.
County Clerk (probate)
Valencia County Clerk — Probate Records
- Cost
- Copy fees set by the county clerk
- Coverage
- Informal, uncontested probate files opened before the Valencia County Probate Judge, plus real-property, marriage, and election records; no court case files
- Records
- Probate
The Probate Judge sits at the same Luna Avenue building on a limited schedule (Wednesdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. as of April 2025). Contested estates are transferred to district court.
Other courts
Valencia County Magistrate Court (Los Lunas)
- 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 Valencia County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
A separate court and clerk from the district court, though both are in Los Lunas. Statutory copy fee is $0.50 per photocopied page or $1.00 per electronically produced page (NMSA 1978 § 35-6-1).
Other courts
Los Lunas Municipal Court
- Coverage
- Village ordinance violations, petty misdemeanors, and traffic citations issued by Los Lunas police inside village limits
- Records
- Traffic
A village court, not part of the state case-management system; Case Lookup will not show these tickets. Located at Village Hall, 660 Main St NW, (505) 839-3844, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Other courts
New Mexico Courts Case Lookup
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Statewide index search that includes both the Valencia County District Court and the Valencia County Magistrate Court
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Check the court name on the case detail; the Thirteenth Judicial District's Sandoval and Cibola County cases appear in the same results.
What is available online
Case Lookup shows docket entries for Valencia County district and magistrate cases but no document images. Attorneys of record and registered self-represented parties can view filed documents in their own cases through re:Search®NM. Municipal-court tickets from Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms, and Peralta are not in either system. Informal probate files are kept on paper by the County Clerk, not by the courts.
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
Valencia County clerk offices
Valencia County District Court, 1835 Highway 314 SW, Los Lunas, NM 87031
Phone: (505) 865-2400
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8 a.m.–noon and 1–5 p.m.; Wednesday 8:30 a.m.–noon and 1–5 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 Valencia County District Court clerk at 1835 Highway 314 SW, Los Lunas, NM 87031, in person or by mail. Include the case number if you have it, the party names and approximate filing year if not, the specific documents you need, and whether you need a certified copy. District copy fees are adopted by the Thirteenth Judicial District; confirm the current amount by phone before mailing payment.
Magistrate Court records. Contact the Valencia County Magistrate Court in Los Lunas directly for misdemeanor, DWI, and traffic files. Magistrate copy fees are fixed by statute at $0.50 per photocopied page or $1.00 per page for computer-generated copies.
Probate. For an informal probate opened before the county Probate Judge, contact the Valencia County Clerk at 444 Luna Avenue, Los Lunas (P.O. Box 969, Los Lunas, NM 87031), (505) 866-2073. Contested estates are in district court instead.
Online. Search the New Mexico Courts Case Lookup by name or case number first to identify the court and case number, then use ipra.nmcourts.gov for records 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 Valencia County court records kept in Albuquerque?
No. Although the county borders Bernalillo County, Valencia County is part of the Thirteenth Judicial District, and its district court files are in Los Lunas. The Second Judicial District in Albuquerque does not hold them.
Which court has my Valencia County traffic ticket?
If a sheriff's deputy or state police officer wrote it, the Valencia County Magistrate Court in Los Lunas. If a Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms, or Peralta officer wrote it, the municipal court for that village or city, which is not on Case Lookup.
Does the Valencia County Clerk keep court records?
Only informal probate files, because the clerk serves as clerk to the county Probate Judge. Felony, civil, family, and contested-probate files are at the district court; misdemeanor and traffic files are at the magistrate court.
Can I search Valencia County district and magistrate cases together?
Yes. The New Mexico Courts Case Lookup indexes both courts, and results show which court holds each case. It does not show filed documents; request those from the clerk.
Sources
- Valencia County District Court — Thirteenth Judicial District — https://thirteenthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/court/valencia-county-district-court/
- Valencia County Magistrate Court (Los Lunas) — Thirteenth Judicial District — https://thirteenthdistrict.nmcourts.gov/court/valencia-county-magistrate-court/
- Valencia County Clerk — https://www.co.valencia.nm.us/235/Clerk
- Valencia County Probate Judge — https://www.co.valencia.nm.us/249/Probate-Judge
- Los Lunas Municipal Court — https://www.loslunasnm.gov/105/Municipal-Court
- 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.