Bernalillo County Criminal Records Search

Choose the right Bernalillo County record route

Bernalillo County criminal records can involve different custodians. Metropolitan Court handles many misdemeanor and lower-level criminal matters, while felony matters that proceed beyond initial proceedings may require the Second Judicial District Court route.

A court case search is different from a police report request or a New Mexico criminal history check.

Search court cases and identify the record

The free New Mexico Case Lookup route is available without registration at https://caselookup.nmcourts.gov/caselookup/. It does not provide underlying documents. Juvenile criminal cases are excluded, and records before 1997 may require a separate request. Bernalillo Metropolitan Court's own records availability reaches back to 1984; this does not represent statewide online coverage.

Use identifiers such as party names, case numbers, date ranges, and document details when requesting records.

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  Confirm whether you need a court case, a police report, or a criminal history record before requesting information.
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  Use the filing court route when requesting the underlying record or copies.

Request documents and certified copies

Metropolitan Court records requests can use [email protected] or the IPRA portal. Inspection is free through the first-floor Records Viewing Room. Written requests include the requester's name, address, phone number, and enough record detail. Metro copy charges are scoped to Metro records: $0.50 per photocopy page, $1.00 per computer-generated or electronic copy page, plus $0.50 per page certification charge.

Second Judicial District Criminal Division requests for felony matters and Metro criminal appeals use the Criminal Online Form or [email protected] and 505-841-7444. Published District fees are $0.35 per page plus $1.50 per certified document.

Understand court records, arrests, and history checks

The filing court is the custodian of the court record. The Administrative Office of the Courts is not the custodian of individual records. Police reports must be requested from the appropriate law enforcement agency.

New Mexico DPS is the official criminal-history repository. Bernalillo County courts do not provide public criminal-history checks. Police reports must be requested from the appropriate law enforcement agency, such as Albuquerque Police Department or Bernalillo County Sheriff. A later District filing may require following the later filing court and using the later court case reference, even when an earlier Metropolitan Court case exists. Follow the filing court when a later document is missing. Online Case Lookup is not the official court record, and restricted or confidential material may be unavailable. Do not treat public lookup as complete access to court records or as a criminal-history clearance. A blank court search result is not a complete criminal-history clearance.