How Bernalillo County Warrants Are Tracked
A warrant in Bernalillo County does not sit in one master list. The court that issued the warrant keeps the case file and the docket entry. The Metropolitan Detention Center then logs the warrant against a person's booking once an officer brings that person in. The Sheriff's Office, the Albuquerque Police Department, and other agencies serve warrants in the field but do not host a public active-warrant database. So the public view of a warrant comes from the case docket, not from a county warrant list.
The main case docket window is the free New Mexico Judiciary Case Lookup. It covers the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, every District Court, every Magistrate Court, the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, and every Municipal Court. A bench warrant entry, a failure-to-appear note, or a preventive detention filing will show up in the register of actions for the case once the court enters it. Records are usually visible within hours of entry into a court's database.
For booked defendants, the second window is the MDC custody list. Each booking detail page lists arrests, charges, warrants, and bail details for the person in custody. The warrants table on that page is short. It carries the case number, the type code, and a brief description.
There is no confirmed public active warrant list for Bernalillo County at this time. Sites that claim to host one are not the issuing court. The safest path is to start at Case Lookup, then call the issuing court if a hit needs to be verified.
Types of Bernalillo County Warrants
Warrants come from different courts and serve different ends. A Bernalillo County warrant search may pull back any of the categories below. The case number prefix often signals which court issued the warrant. T4 codes come from Metro Court. D202 codes come from the Second Judicial District. A D202PD prefix flags a preventive detention case.
- Arrest warrant. Issued when a court finds probable cause for arrest.
- Bench warrant. Issued by a judge for missed court, failure to comply, failure to pay, or contempt.
- Search warrant. Handled in District Court criminal context; not public before execution and return.
- Failure-to-appear warrant. Common in traffic and misdemeanor settings.
- Preventive detention order. Not a warrant in the usual sense, but shows up in MDC custody data with a D202PD case number.
- Civil or body attachment warrant. Arises from noncriminal court orders, child support, or contempt.
Each type carries its own resolution path. A bench warrant from Metro Court may be cleared at the courthouse Customer Service lobby. A felony arrest warrant from the District Court usually leads to booking at MDC and a first appearance before a judge. Search warrants are not public until they are executed and returned to the issuing court.
Bernalillo County Warrant Search Fields
The MDC custody detail page is the closest thing to a public warrant viewer for Bernalillo County. It only shows warrants tied to a booking, not pending warrants for people who are still at large. The table that appears under each booking uses three plain fields. The same three fields drive most warrant questions at the front counter.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Number | Text or table column | n/a | Examples: T4FR202502130, D202PD202500669, D202CR202501884. |
| Type | Text or table column | n/a | Short code such as 001, or left blank. |
| Description | Text or table column | n/a | Charge or warrant description, such as Preventative Detention, False Imprisonment, or Murder in the first degree. |
To search the case docket side, open Case Lookup. Set Court Type to T for Metro Court or D for District Court. Set Court Location to 4 for Metro and 202 for the Second Judicial District. Enter a name in Last First Middle order or paste a known case number. The register of actions for the case will list any warrant the court has issued.
The booking detail view is the public surface for a Bernalillo County warrant once a person is in MDC custody.
MDC Booking Warrant Fields
The MDC custody detail page bundles arrest, charge, warrant, and bail data for one person. A warrant in Bernalillo County may sit in any of those tables, depending on how the booking was logged. The Warrants table is the short one. The Bail Details table is often where the warrant outcome shows up, including release type and release date.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Booking # | Format YY-NNNNN, such as 25-03456 |
| Booking Date | MM/DD/YYYY |
| Name | Last, First and middle when available |
| YOB / Age | Year of birth and calculated age; full DOB is not shown |
| Active Holds | Yes or No |
| Arrests (table) | Case Number, Agency, Date/Time, Location |
| Charges (table) | Case Number, Type, Count, Statute, Description |
| Warrants (table) | Case Number, Type, Description |
| Bail Details (table) | Case Number, Type, Amount, Paid Date, Release Type, Release Date, Judge |
| Housing | Unit name, such as E Unit; blank when not housed |
Release types observed in past records include ROR-Rlse on Recognizance, Release to DOC, Case(s) Consolidated, Other - See Comments, Third Party, and blank release fields where a hold is still active. The custody page is for reference only. Bernalillo County notes that commercial use is barred and that users are responsible for verifying the data.
That second sample helps confirm the field set is the same across bookings, even when warrant types and bail outcomes change.
Metro Court Warrant Resolution
The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court issues most of the bench and failure-to-appear warrants in the county. Its official FAQ says that if a warrant for arrest has been issued, the person is subject to being taken into custody at any time by a law enforcement officer. The FAQ also says the warrant may be addressed in the Customer Service lobby of the courthouse.
Metro Court charges a $100 administrative warrant fee. The judge who issued the warrant may also require a bond. If the person cannot meet those requirements, the person may be taken into custody, taken to see the judge, or transported to the Metropolitan Detention Center. Metro Court states the person will see a judge within 48 hours of incarceration.
Walking into the Customer Service lobby in person is the fastest path for many minor warrants. The clerks there can confirm the warrant, take the warrant fee, and route the person to a judge if a bond is also set. Calls about a warrant or a fine should go to 505-841-8151. The court will not take fine or warrant payment by text message.
Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
401 Lomas Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-841-8151
Customer Service Division, 1st Floor
Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
District Court Criminal Division
400 Lomas Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
505-841-7444
Felony cases, search warrants, extraditions
Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
District Court Warrants and Preventive Detention
The Second Judicial District Court handles felony warrants, search warrant requests, extraditions, and preventive detention filings for Bernalillo County. The Criminal Division at 400 Lomas Blvd NW takes those calls at 505-841-7444 or 505-841-7542. Most felony arrests in Bernalillo County start with a first appearance at Metro Court and then move to District Court after indictment or bind-over.
Preventive detention is its own track. A D202PD case number on Case Lookup or in an MDC warrant table flags a preventive detention motion. The state can ask the District Court to hold a defendant without bond when the case meets the rule. The judge then sets a hearing. Until that hearing, the person stays in MDC custody with the hold listed in the Bail Details table.
Search warrants are not public before execution. Once a warrant is served and returned, the return becomes part of the case file. To view a return, contact the District Court Criminal Division and ask for the case number tied to the search warrant. Sealed warrant materials require a court order to view.
Warrant Scam Warnings
Two recent Metro Court news releases warn the public about fake court text messages. The court does not contact people by text or by phone to ask for fine or warrant payment. Official court notices about fines and warrants are sent by mail. Anyone who gets a text claiming a Bernalillo County warrant or unpaid traffic fine should ignore the link, not pay, and call 505-841-8151 to check status.
Important. The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court does not send text messages or place phone calls to demand fine or warrant payment. Two official news releases from Feb. 13, 2026 and March 5, 2026 confirm that scam texts about unpaid traffic fines and toll violations have been circulating statewide. Read the alerts at metro.nmcourts.gov fraud text alert and the March 5 toll text alert.
If a text claims to come from a New Mexico court, check the case at Case Lookup or call the court at the number listed on the official site. Do not click a payment link from a text. Real warrant questions are handled at the courthouse front counter or by mail with a case number.
Steps to Clear a Bernalillo County Warrant
The right path depends on the court that issued the warrant. The list below tracks the official Metro Court guidance and pulls in the District Court contact for felony or preventive detention cases. A Bernalillo County warrant search should always start with Case Lookup so the case number and issuing court are known before a call or a courthouse visit.
- Do not rely on text messages or phone demands for money. Metro Court says fine and payment notices are mailed; scam texts are circulating.
- Search New Mexico Case Lookup for public case status and any warrant entries in the register of actions.
- Note the case number prefix. T4 codes route to Metro Court. D202 codes route to the Second Judicial District. D202PD flags preventive detention.
- Contact the issuing court. Call Metro Court at 505-841-8151 for Metro, traffic, and misdemeanor warrants. Call the District Court Criminal Division at 505-841-7444 or 505-841-7542 for felony and district matters.
- If already booked, check the MDC custody detail page for bail, hold, and release information.
- Consult counsel or the Law Offices of the Public Defender Albuquerque if indigent and charged with a jailable offense.
- Address the warrant in person. Metro Court takes warrant business in the Customer Service lobby; District Court matters go to the Criminal Division clerk.
Plan for the $100 administrative warrant fee at Metro Court, plus any bond the judge sets. Bring a valid ID and the case number. If the person ends up in custody, the next step is a hearing before a judge within 48 hours.