New Mexico ranks 40th out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#17of 51
Speed#44of 51
Ease of ordering#44 (tie)of 51
Birth certificates #31 of 51
Cost
$10 first copy, $10 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3–5 business days; mail: about 6–12 weeks; in person: walk-in in Santa Fe and Albuquerque; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
About 7–13 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from 1920; delayed registrations from 1880
Marriage records #36 (tie) of 51
Cost
Varies by county
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the County Clerk where the license was issued
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Divorce records #27 (tie) of 51
Cost
Varies by county
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the District Court in the county where the divorce was filed
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Death certificates #29 of 51
Cost
$5 first copy, $5 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3–5 business days; mail: about 6–12 weeks; in person: walk-in in Santa Fe only; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
About 7–13 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from 1920
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order New Mexico birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get a New Mexico birth certificate?
A certified New Mexico birth certificate costs $10 per copy from the Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics by mail or in person. Online and phone orders go through VitalChek and cost $26 with regular mail or $44.50 with UPS Next Day Air, all charges included. You can also apply in person in Santa Fe, at the Albuquerque Midtown Public Health Office and at some other public health offices.
New Mexico birth records: ordering details
Who can order
New Mexico birth records are restricted for 100 years. You can order your own record, or one for an immediate family member: mother, father, sibling, child, grandchild, current spouse, or maternal or paternal grandparent. The father and paternal grandparent qualify only if the father is listed on the record. Anyone else must provide tangible proof of legal interest.
Fee
$10 per certified copy. This is a non-refundable search fee: if no record is found, the fee isn’t returned. The fee is waived for people experiencing homelessness who submit a Self-Attestation Form. Extras: VitalChek online or by phone: $26 per birth certificate with U.S. Mail delivery, or $44.50 with UPS Next Day Air.
How to order
Online or by phone:VitalChek, the state’s authorized service, or 877-284-0963. The state office itself doesn’t take credit cards or online orders. By mail: the Birth Record Search Application (or a letter with the same details), a copy of your photo ID, and a certified check or money order payable to “New Mexico Vital Records” for the exact amount, to New Mexico Vital Records, P.O. Box 26110, Santa Fe, NM 87502. Don’t send cash. In person: Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics, 2554 Camino Entrada, Santa Fe, Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. (505-827-0121); or the Midtown Public Health Office, 2400 Wellesley Dr NE, Albuquerque, Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (505-841-4185). The Socorro and McKinley County (Gallup) public health offices also take birth certificate requests; call to check hours.
ID needed
A copy of your current government-issued photo ID with a mail application, or the ID itself in person. See the state’s list of acceptable documents.
Processing time
Mail: the state gives an average processing time of 6–12 weeks, depending on volume. VitalChek orders: 3–5 business days of processing, plus delivery.
Older and local records
The state office has births from 1920 on, and delayed birth records from 1880. Birth records become public 100 years after the birth. The state issues certificates only for births that happened in New Mexico.
Tip: Ordering by mail costs $10. VitalChek costs $26 or more, but processing takes 3–5 business days instead of several weeks.
A certified New Mexico death certificate costs $5 per copy from the Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics in Santa Fe by mail or in person. Online and phone orders go through VitalChek and cost $21 with regular mail or $39.50 with UPS Next Day Air. Public health offices don’t issue death certificates.
New Mexico death records: ordering details
Who can order
Death records are restricted for 50 years. Immediate family can order: mother, father, sibling, child, current spouse, or maternal or paternal grandparent (the paternal grandparent only if the father is listed). Anyone else must provide tangible proof of legal interest.
Fee
$5 per certified copy. This is a non-refundable search fee if no record is found. Extras: VitalChek online or by phone: $21 per death certificate with U.S. Mail delivery, or $39.50 with UPS Next Day Air.
How to order
Online or by phone:VitalChek or 877-284-0963. By mail: the Death Record Search Application (or a letter with the same details), a photocopy of your government-issued photo ID, and a certified check or money order payable to “New Mexico Vital Records”, to New Mexico Vital Records, P.O. Box 26110, Santa Fe, NM 87502. In person: only at the Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics, 2554 Camino Entrada, Santa Fe, Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. (505-827-0121).
ID needed
A current government-issued photo ID: a photocopy by mail, or the ID itself in person.
Processing time
Mail: the state gives an average processing time of 6–12 weeks. VitalChek orders: 3–5 business days of processing, plus delivery.
Older and local records
The state office has deaths from 1920 on. Death records become public 50 years after the death. The state issues certificates only for deaths that happened in New Mexico.
Tip: Apply in person in Santa Fe, not at a local public health office. Those offices handle birth certificates only.
New Mexico marriage records are kept by counties, not the state. For a certified copy, contact the County Clerk in the county where the marriage license was issued. The state Bureau of Vital Records doesn’t issue marriage certificates.
New Mexico marriage records: ordering details
Who can order
Set by the County Clerk. Contact the clerk’s office.
Fee
Varies by county. Contact the County Clerk for the current fee.
How to order
Contact the County Clerk’s office in the county where the license was issued. Most offices take requests in person or by mail.
ID needed
Contact the County Clerk.
Processing time
Varies by county.
Tip: Find the county where the license was bought. That may not be the county where the wedding took place.
New Mexico divorce records are kept by the courts. For a copy of a divorce decree, contact the District Court where the divorce was filed. The state Bureau of Vital Records doesn’t issue divorce records.
New Mexico divorce records: ordering details
Who can order
Set by the District Court. Contact the court clerk.
Fee
Set by the court. Contact the District Court clerk for copy and certification fees.
How to order
Contact the clerk of the District Court in the county where the divorce was granted.
ID needed
Contact the District Court clerk.
Processing time
Varies by court.
Tip: Have the names of both parties, the year of the divorce and the case number, if you know it, ready when you contact the court.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other New Mexico records people search for
Official New Mexico sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About New Mexico public records
Certificate Information
New Mexico's Department of Health runs the Vital Records and Health Services department which handles most of the states records and statistics
for births and deaths. Birth and death records are available from 1919 to present. Prior to 1919 there was no central source for health related
records by state or county government so records are difficult to find.
Birth records become public records 100 years after the date of birth while death records become public records 50 years after the date of death.
Each certified copy costs $10 dollars for birth records and $5 dollars for death certificates, payable to "New Mexico Vital Records".
Expedited service it not available by mail and the state department does not take credit cards.
New Mexico Vital Records
Post Office Box 26110
Santa Fe, NM 87502
The state vital records department does not handle any marriage or divorce records. All records must be obtained from the County
Clerk in the county where the license or decree was issued.
Adoption Records
New Mexico adoption records become sealed after the completion of all adoption proceedings. The state does have a program called
the Confidential Intermediary Search Program where sealed records can be opened by a state appointed intermediary.
Central Adoption Unit
P.O. Drawer 5160
Santa Fe, NM 87502-5160
(505) 841-7949
Property Records
Property and parcel records are handled by various departments within the county government in which the parcel resides. Depending
on the county either the county assessor, treasurer, or clerk may maintain the online search tools to look up tax records, property
history, land use or ownership.
