How to Search Bernalillo County Court Records
The main public tool is New Mexico Judiciary Case Lookup. The free portal covers the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, every District Court, every Magistrate Court, the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, and every Municipal Court. The page disclaimer says data is available within hours of entry into a court's database. For Bernalillo County records, set Court Type to D and Court Location to 202 - Albuquerque for District Court, or T and 4 - Albuquerque for Metro Court. Use Last First Middle for names; the form uppercases input.
Have the party's name, date of birth, or case number ready. The case-number format at the Second Judicial District is D202ZZYYYYXXXXX - the official eFile page lists the example D202CV201103421. Use of the portal is for individual record viewing only; bulk downloading is barred under NMSA 14-3-15.1, the same statute Case Lookup cites in its disclaimer.
The Case Lookup search form is the first stop for almost any Bernalillo County court records search.
- Open the Case Lookup portal and click I Accept on the use disclaimer.
- Choose Name Search, Case Number Search, or DWI Search.
- Pick Court Type D for District Court or T for Metropolitan Court, then choose location 202 or 4.
- Enter Last First Middle or paste a known case number.
- Optionally narrow by case category, filing-date range, or hearing-date range.
- Pick a result count (10, 20, 30, 40, or 50) and submit.
- Open a docket entry, read the register of actions, and note any next hearing.
- Order a certified copy through the right division's case records request page.
Bernalillo County Court Records Search Fields
The Case Lookup Name Search supports many optional filters. Most users only fill in the name and the court type. Driver's license, date of birth, and case-number filters help when the name returns too many hits. The Court Type and Court Location filters keep results inside Bernalillo County rather than statewide.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Text | Optional | Last First Middle; uppercased on input; max 35 chars |
| Driver License | Text | Optional | Max 20 chars |
| DL State | Dropdown | Optional | All U.S. states; blank by default |
| Date of Birth | Date | Optional | MM/DD/YYYY mask |
| Year Only DOB | Year | Optional | Four-digit year |
| Court Type | Dropdown | Optional | D District, M Magistrate, T Metropolitan, U Municipal |
| Court Location | Dependent dropdown | Optional | 202 Albuquerque for District; 4 Albuquerque for Metro |
| Case Category | Text | Optional | Two characters; e.g. CV, CR, DM, DQ |
| Filing or Hearing Date | Radio + date | Optional | Month, day, year for From and To |
| Results | Dropdown | Optional | 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 |
The Secure Court Case Access portal (SOPA) needs a registered User ID and password and is not a free public search. SOPA users go through a separate File Request Form for case records requests.
Types of Bernalillo County Court Records
Bernalillo County has felony, civil, family, juvenile, probate, and traffic records. Felonies, divorces, custody matters, juvenile delinquency, contested probate, and civil cases over $10,000 are heard at the Second Judicial District. Misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, domestic violence, traffic citations, and small civil claims up to $10,000 are heard at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. Wills and uncontested estates are with the Bernalillo County Probate Court. The county also has multiple municipal courts for city ordinance violations.
The District Civil Division specifically lists case types: torts, contracts, foreclosures, name changes, expungements, driver's license restoration, probate-appeal matters, civil restraining orders, personal injury, property damage, and malpractice. The Criminal Division handles felonies, Metro Court criminal appeals, extraditions, and search warrant requests. Domestic Relations covers divorce, custody, visitation, paternity, and kinship guardianship. Children's Court covers delinquency, abuse and neglect, adoption, and mental health.
- Felony criminal records - District Criminal Division.
- Civil records - District Civil Division (over $10,000) and Metro Court (up to $10,000).
- Family records - Domestic Relations Division.
- Juvenile records - Children's Court, confidential.
- Probate records - Probate Court for informal; District Civil for contested.
- Traffic and DWI records - Metro Court for county; Municipal Court for city ordinance.
What Bernalillo County Court Records Show
Public case records show enough to follow a case from filing to disposition. The exact mix of fields depends on whether the case is at the District Court, Metro Court, or Probate Court, and whether any part of the file is sealed. Children's Court files do not appear in ordinary public results. Order-of-protection cases under the Family Violence Protection Act have not appeared on Case Lookup since July 1, 2008.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Court ID, case type, year, and sequence (e.g. D202CR202501884) |
| Court Type / Location | D202 for Second Judicial District; T4 for Metro Court |
| Parties | Plaintiff/petitioner and defendant/respondent names |
| Filing Date | Date the case opened |
| Judge / Division | Assigned judge name and division (civil, criminal, family, children's) |
| Case Category | Two-character code: CV civil, CR criminal, DM domestic, etc. |
| Disposition | Final outcome: dismissed, plea, verdict, judgment, settled |
| Register of Actions | Docket text with date for every filing, hearing, and order |
| Hearing Date | Next scheduled hearing if the case is active |
| Bond / Bail | Cash, surety, third-party, ROR, or preventive detention status |
Documents themselves often need a request to view. The criminal FAQ at the Second Judicial District says a case file can be viewed at the Criminal Clerk's Office on request, and detail about documents in a case can be checked through Case Lookup.
Public Access Framework for Bernalillo County Court Records
Three rules drive Bernalillo County court records access. The first is the Inspection of Public Records Act (NMSA 1978, § 14-2-1 et seq.), which gives every person a right to inspect public records unless a listed exception applies. The second is Rule 1-079 NMRA, which defines "court record," covers public access, and sets out sealing standards. The third is the Supreme Court's online access policy for court records, which controls the public Case Lookup view and the credentialed SOPA view.
An IPRA request must include the requester's name, address, and phone, plus a reasonable description of the records. No requester has to state a reason. Court IPRA requests for administrative records go through the New Mexico Courts IPRA form. Case records go to the court where the case was filed - for Bernalillo District Court cases, that means the Second Judicial District Court Clerk's Office.
Note: The Administrative Office of the Courts is not the records custodian for District or Metro Court case files. Requests go to the issuing court directly.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Bernalillo County
Several record categories are restricted by statute or court rule. Children's Court files are confidential under NMSA 32A-2-32, which says records pertaining to a child shall not be disclosed directly or indirectly to the public. Adoption files are sealed by court rule. Mental health and medical records connected to court matters are restricted by IPRA's medical-record exception. Sealed search warrants and ongoing grand jury matters are not public. Family Violence Protection Act protective orders left the public Case Lookup view on July 1, 2008.
Expungement under the Criminal Record Expungement Act (NMSA 29-3A-1 through 29-3A-9), effective January 1, 2020, lets a person petition the court that handled the case to remove arrest and public records from ordinary public view. The Second Judicial District Civil Division at 400 Lomas Blvd NW handles expungement filings; the Civil Clerk's Office number is 505-841-7451. Sex offenses and other serious violent offenses are excluded or limited. People with sealed Bernalillo County records often must petition the same court that sealed the file to view it.
In-Person Bernalillo County Court Record Requests
Public service at the Second Judicial District is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the records and filings windows open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Plain copies cost $0.35 per page. Certified copies cost $1.50 per document plus the copy charge. Exemplified copies cost $4.50 per document plus the copy charge. Audio recordings or other records on CD cost $4.00. The court takes cash, money order, certified check, or attorney firm check; clerk fees are not refunded. The case records request page lists email and PDF request channels by division.
Second Judicial District Court Clerk
400 Lomas Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Civil 505-841-7451
Criminal 505-841-7444
Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Metro Court Records Custodian
401 Lomas Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-841-8151
Records Viewing Room, 1st Floor
The case records request page is the right starting point for civil, criminal, family, and audio record requests.