DONA ANA COUNTY PUBLIC RECORDS

What are Dona Ana County Public Records?

The New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act defines Dona Ana County public records as documents related to public business, prepared or held as paper, audiotapes, maps, letters, photographs, books, and other materials. These records are available for inspection and copying, although there are some exemptions. Managing agencies may regulate access to portions or the entire content of public records containing the following information:

• Patent and copyright materials possessed by individuals;
• Materials that are lawfully owned by people and not governmental bodies;
• Government workers’ private contact information;
• Transcripts or audio and video recordings of interviews created at the Children's Court;
• Final drafts used by government bodies in processing action or policy;
• Details on disciplinary actions that are in progress meted against a current or past government worker;
• Data on proprietary digital applications used by government agencies;
• Medical records;
• Matters of opinions;
• Letters of references;
• Law enforcement records;
• Public hospital records;
• Tactical records;
• Plans and records that conform to the New Mexico Confidential Materials Act.

Dona Ana County Crime Statistics

According to the latest uniform crime report by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, Dona Ana county law enforcement agencies reported a record total of 271 total crimes as of October 2020. This data represents a 41% decrease from the previous year. Property crime accounted for 54.2% of the total number, with 87 reported incidents of larceny-theft, 49 reported burglaries, and 11 reports of motor vehicle thefts. On the other hand, violent crimes accounted for a smaller percentage, with only one reported homicide, six rape counts, one robbery, and 116 recorded incidents of aggravated assault. The county's index crime rate was 132.41 per 100,000 population, representing an approximately 38% decline from the previous year.

Are Dona Ana County Criminal Records Public?

Dona Ana County criminal records are open to the public through the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. Under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, third-parties can access another person's Dona Ana criminal record. In New Mexico, every citizen has the right to a free background check once per year. However, juvenile criminal records are confidential and unavailable to third-parties. Requesters can acquire Dona Ana County criminal records from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. The record’s subject is required to fill an Authorization for Release of Information form, notarize it and submit the form to:

The New Mexico Department of Public Safety
4491, Cerrillos Rd
Santa Fe, NM 87507
(505) 827-9251

Requesters may make payment by cheque or money order made payable to the Department. The cost of processing a Dona Ana criminal record is $15.

How to Obtain Dona Ana County Police Reports and Arrest Records?

The New Mexico Department of Public Safety does background checks for Dona Ana County arrest records. Under the New Mexico Arrest Records Act, an individual may request to inspect an arrest record information in person, through legal counsel, or an authorized agent.

Although the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office is primarily responsible for maintaining law and order in the county, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety has jurisdiction over responding to requests for Dona Ana arrest records and police reports. Alternatively, interested parties may contact the Police Department in their municipality to inspect and copy arrest records and police reports. There are four Police Departments in Dona Ana, namely; Anthony Police Department, Hatch Police Department, Mesilla Marshal's Police Department, and the NMSU Police Department in Las Cruces. To obtain a certified arrest history report from the New Mexico DPS, the interested party will need to submit a completed and notarized Authorization for Release of Information form and send the application along with a non-refundable payment of $15.00 to:

Department Of Public Safety
P.O. Box 1628
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1628

How to Find Sex Offender Information in Dona Ana County

The Doña Ana County Sheriff's office provides public access to sex offender information through the County Sheriff’s website. Researchers can click on the ‘Services’ menu item on the right-hand side and then select“Sex Offenders” from the drop-down menu. The resulting search page provides a template to search by name, radius in a specific area, city, internet names, aliases, email, or phone number of the offender.

State statutes charge all Dona Ana County convicted offenders to visit the sheriff’s department for registration within ten days of conviction or moving to the region. The sheriff’s office executes routine address verifications with help from other Dona Ana law enforcement agencies. Interested persons can access a list of non-compliant search offenders showing a profile photo, name, address, city, and zip code. Residents can also stay updated about any note-worthy sex offender related information by subscribing to the Sheriffs Email Alert System. Alternatively, records seekers can search the statewide sex offender registry maintained by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.

How to Find Dona Ana County Inmate Records

The Dona Ana County Detention Center keeps records of inmates housed in its facility. The jail roster is open to the public and contains a full list of detained inmates and arranged in decreasing order of booking date. Available information on the registry includes the inmate's full name, sex, booking number, and booking date. Interested parties can view the inmate listing online or search by inputting a keyword on the provided search box.

How Do I Visit an inmate in Dona Ana County Jail?

People can visit detained inmates at the Dona Ana County Detention Center. Intending visitors should check-in at the East Visitation Desk or the Reception Desk for medical visits. Each inmate can receive up to three visitors for thirty minutes, once per week. Individuals aged 18 and above must present a valid photo I.D issued by the State of New Mexico or the U.S. Federal Government. Underaged visitors must come along with a birth certificate presented by a parent or legal guardian.

The visiting time is Monday through Friday, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Visitors are to arrive at the facility 30 minutes before the stipulated time. Each housing unit has its visiting schedule, so visitors will need to confirm the inmate's pod when scheduling a visit.

Delta Pod Visitation Days

• D-1: Wednesday and Friday
• D-3: Monday and Thursday
• D-4: Tuesday

G Pod Visitation Days

• G-1: Tuesday
• G-2 & 3: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
• G-4: Tuesday

The facility's address is:

1850 Copper Loop
Las Cruces, NM 88005
Phone: (575) 647-7600
Fax: (575) 647-7625

Court Records

The Dona Ana County court system consists of district courts, magistrate courts, probate courts, and municipal courts. Listed below are the locations and contact information of all the courthouses in Doña Ana County, New Mexico:

Doña Ana County 3rd Judicial District Court
Dona Ana County Courthouse
201 West Picacho Avenue
Las Cruces, NM 88005
Phone: (575) 523-8200

Doña Ana County Magistrate Court - Anthony Circuit
935 Anthony Drive
P.O. Box 1259
Anthony, NM 88021
Phone: (575) 233-3147
Fax: (575) 882-0113

Doña Ana County Magistrate Court - Divisions I-VI
110 Calle de Alegra
Las Cruces, NM 88005
Phone: (575) 524-2814
Fax: (575) 525-2951

Doña Ana County Magistrate Court - Hatch Circuit
5 Chile Capital Lane
P.O. Box 896
Hatch, NM 87937
Phone: (575) 267-5202
Fax: (575) 267-5088

Doña Ana County Probate Court
845 North Motel Boulevard
Las Cruces, NM 88007
Phone: (575) 525-6132
Fax: (575) 525-6159

Anthony Municipal Court
824 HIghway 478
P.O. Box 2525
Anthony, NM 88021
Phone: (575) 882-5722
Fax: (575) 882-2275

Hatch Municipal Court
135 Chile Capitol Lane
Hatch, NM 87937
Phone: (575) 267-5216

Las Cruces Municipal Court
135 East Griggs Avenue
P.O. Box 20000
Las Cruces, NM 88004
Phone: (575) 541-2224
Fax: (575) 541-2184

Mesilla Municipal Court
2231 Avenida de Mesilla
P.O. Box 1517
Mesilla, NM 88046
Phone: (575) 524-1091
Fax: (575) 647-9140

Sunland Park Municipal Court
1000 McNutt Road
Suite F, Sunland Park
NM 88063
Phone: (575) 589-0709
Fax: (575) 874-3866

Are Dona Ana County Court Records Public?

Most Dona Ana County court records are open to the public, although there are some exceptions. For example, a court may seal a document or parts of it on the grounds of confidentiality or other justifiable reasons. In compliance with New Mexico IPRA laws, Dona Ana court records are maintained and disseminated by the court clerk that filed the case.

Dona Ana County court records contain recordings of court proceedings within the county’s court system. People can view weekly and daily criminal and civil docket reports by contacting the specific court in question or visiting their websites. To find case files, applicants can utilize the website’s search features for New Mexico courts’ case lookups. Records seekers can also visit the Courthouse Clerk’s Office to request copies or view public records. Alternatively, anyone can request Dona Ana County court records by email. Typically, the fee for electronic copies of court records is $1 per page, while paper copies cost fifty cents per page. Certified copies cost an additional fifty cents per page, and applicants will be charged $5 per disk for audio records of court hearings.

How to Obtain Dona Ana County Civil Court Case Records

Doña Ana County civil court case records may be accessed using the New Mexico Courts Lookup Tool or by completing an IPRA online request form online. Online requests will require details about the case and a return email address to receive the desired information.

Interested parties may also retrieve records in person at the court clerk's office in the Courthouse that maintains the record.

How to Obtain Dona Ana County Criminal Court Records

Under New Mexico's IPRA law, everyone has the right to examine and own copies of criminal court records. Interested parties can search the New Mexico Courts Lookup Tool by name or case number. They can also complete an IPRA online request form online by providing the required information and a return email address, after which they can download and print copies of the record.

In-person requests are also available at the court clerk's office in the Courthouse that held the proceedings.

What are Dona Ana County Vital Records?

Dona Ana County vital records are documents that detail significant events that occurred in the county. These records include birth certificates, divorce decrees, marriage licenses, and death records. In New Mexico, most vital records are legally available to eligible individuals only, unless otherwise stated. Permitted persons include:

• The parent or legal guardian of the record’s subject
• The biological or adopted siblings of the record’s subject
• The biological or adopted children of the record’s subject
• The biological or adopted grandchildren of the record’s subject
• The spouse of the record’s subject
• The maternal grandparents of the record’s subject
• The paternal grandparents of the record’s subject (if the father’s name is on the record)

Dona Ana Vital records are under New Mexico's Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics’ purview. Copies of these records could be accessed by eligible persons from the Bureau or the Doña Ana County Health Center or Doña Ana County Clerk's Office for marriage license or divorce records if the event occurred in the county.

Where and How to Obtain Dona Ana County Divorce Records

Dona Ana County divorce records are typically in the custody of the county's District Court Clerk. Statewide, the New Mexico Court case Registry maintains all divorce records, and interested parties can access these documents using the New Mexico Courts Lookup Tool.

The requester may also complete an IPRA online request form, which will require information regarding the divorcees and the date of the divorce, or obtain copies of the divorce record in person from the Dona Ana District Court Clerk's Office.

Office Address:

Doña Ana County 3rd Judicial District Court
Dona Ana County Courthouse
201 West Picacho Avenue
Las Cruces, NM 88005
Phone: (575) 523-8200

Where and How to Get Public Dona Ana County Marriage Records

Doña Ana marriage records are under the Doña Ana County Clerk purview and are available for public access on the county's centralized record storage system. Interested persons may search the record system by the spouses' names, license number, or the date when the license was issued. One can also obtain copies of Dona Ana marriage certificates in person at the county clerk's office:

Doña Ana County Clerk
845 N. Motel Boulevard
Las Cruces, NM 88007
Phone: (575) 647-7421
Fax: (575) 525-6159

Where and How to Get Confidential Marriage Records in Dona Ana County

The Dona Ana County Clerk's Office keeps records of marriage licenses. Under State law, all of the Clerk's recorded documents are open for inspection and subject to disclosure.

Where and How to Find Dona Ana County Birth Records

Dona Ana County birth certificates are obtainable from the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. The State Department charges $10 per copy. Dona Ana birth records are only open to the registrant, legal representatives, and some family members, which include:

• The record’s subject (if above eighteen years old);
• The parent or legal guardian of the record’s subject;
• The biological or adopted siblings of the record’s subject;
• The biological or adopted children of the record’s subject;
• The biological or adopted grandchildren of the record’s subject;
• The spouse of the record’s subject;
• The maternal grandparents of the record’s subject;
• The paternal grandparents of the record’s subject (if the father’s name is on the record).

Eligible applicants should fill out a Birth Record Search Application and provide a valid I.D. to request copies. The following information is usually required to request copies of Dona Ana birth records:

• The name of the subject of the record;
• The date of birth of the subject of the record;
• The city of birth of the subject of the record, including the county, if known;
• The maiden name of the mother of the subject of the record, if known;
• The name of the father of the subject of the record, if known;
• Applicant’s relationship to the of the subject of the record;
• The reason for the application;
• The signature and name of the applicant;
• The applicant’s mailing address

Mail-in requests should go to:

New Mexico Vital Records
P.O. Box 25767
Albuquerque, NM 87125

Requesters who wish to submit in person can do so at:

Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics
1105 St. Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone: (505) 827-0121

At the county level, the Doña Ana County Health Center can also provide copies of a birth certificate for $10 each. The Health Center only processes walk-in requests. The record seeker should call (575) 528-5001 before visiting to verify if a Vital Records Clerk is at the office located at:

Doña Ana County Health Center
1170 N. Solano
Suite A
Las Cruces, NM 88001
Phone: (575) 528-5046

Where and How to Find Dona Ana County Death Records

Dona Ana County death records are available at the Doña Ana County Health Center. Requesters can make in-person requests at the:

Doña Ana County Health Center
1170 N. Solano
Suite A
Las Cruces, NM 88001
Phone: (575) 528-5046

Requesters will need to provide a valid government-issued I.D. before they can receive copies of the record. Dona Ana County death certificates become open to the public fifty (50) years after they are first issued. Until then, the records are only available to the legal representatives or the following relatives or of the deceased person:

• Decedent’s parent
• Decedent’s siblings
• Decedent’s biological or adopted children
• Decedent’s biological or adopted grandchildren
• Decedent’s spouse
• Decedent’s maternal grandparents
• Decedent’s paternal grandparents (if the father’s name is on the record)

Requesters who are not direct family members of the deceased should present verifiable evidence of legal interest in the death certificate. The following details are required to request Dona Ana County death records;

• The name of the subject of the record;
• The date of birth of the subject of the record;
• The city of birth of the subject of the record, including the county, if known;
• The maiden name of the mother of the subject of the record, if known;
• The name of the father of the subject of the record, if known;
• Applicant’s relationship to the of the subject of the record;
• The reason for the application;
• The signature and name of the applicant;
• The applicant’s mailing address.

Death records are also available at the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics for $5 per copy. Eligible individuals will need to submit a completed Death Record Search Application and a valid I.D. to:

1105 St. Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone: (505) 827-0121