Search De Baca County Court Records
Most public electronic De Baca County court records begin with New Mexico Case Lookup. The system covers Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District Court, Magistrate Court, and some Municipal Court data. For De Baca County, the useful filters are the Fort Sumner District Court location, the Fort Sumner Magistrate Court location, and the search mode that matches the information in hand. Case Lookup is a docket and case-data tool. It is not a full document-image system, so pleadings, certified copies, and older files often require the court clerk.
The New Mexico Courts public access page separates Case Lookup from re:SearchNM. Case Lookup is open to the public without registration. re:SearchNM is a registered-user portal, and self-represented litigants must self-register and submit the required application for access to cases where they are marked pro se. If the public search does not show the document needed, the New Mexico Courts IPRA request form is the formal web route for court-held records.
- Accept the Case Lookup disclaimer and choose Name Search, Case Number Search, or DWI Search.
- Enter a party name in last-first-middle order when possible, or use the case number if it is on a notice, citation, or prior filing.
- Limit the court type to District Court for felony, divorce, civil, estate contest, juvenile, or lower-court appeal paths.
- Use Magistrate Court for misdemeanors, DWI, traffic, felony preliminary hearings, landlord-tenant, and limited civil matters.
- If no De Baca County court record appears, remove optional filters, try a year of birth, then contact the court for pre-1997 or restricted records.
The New Mexico Case Lookup screen is one of the main visual references for De Baca County court record searching.
That statewide entry point matters because De Baca County does not run a separate county case-search portal in the official sources reviewed.
De Baca County Search Fields
Search fields should be used to narrow De Baca County court records without hiding the right result. A name-only search can return false matches, especially in statewide data. A case-number search is more direct when the number is known. A DWI search can help with traffic or criminal matters, but Municipal Court data in Case Lookup is limited to criminal domestic violence and DWI historic convictions from September 1, 1991 forward.
| Field | Type | Use for De Baca County |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Text | Use last, first, and middle name when known. |
| Case Number | Search mode | Best for notices, citations, prior filings, and clerk copies. |
| DWI Search | Search mode | Useful for DWI matters in Magistrate or limited Municipal Court data. |
| Court Type | Dropdown | D for District Court, M for Magistrate Court, U for Municipal Court. |
| Court Location | Dropdown | Use 1027 - Fort Sumner for District Court and 13 - Fort Sumner for Magistrate Court. |
| Filing or Hearing Date | Date range | Useful for recent charges, dockets, and missed court-date checks. |
The re:SearchNM court record portal is separate from the public search and may require registration or approved access.
New Mexico Courts links the public to case lookup, forms, IPRA, and court-finder tools from the statewide court site.
De Baca County Court System
De Baca County is part of the Tenth Judicial District with Harding and Quay Counties. The District Court is the general trial court for Fort Sumner cases that require felony, civil, domestic relations, estate contest, juvenile, mental health, lower-court appeal, or broad trial-court jurisdiction. Magistrate Court handles many local misdemeanor, DWI, traffic, felony preliminary hearing, landlord-tenant, and limited civil matters. Fort Sumner Municipal Court is separate from Magistrate Court and handles municipal ordinance, code enforcement, animal control, petty misdemeanor, DWI, and traffic cases.
Probate Court exists for informal and uncontested estate matters. Contested estates move to District Court. Appeals from De Baca District Court usually go to the New Mexico Court of Appeals unless the Supreme Court has direct mandatory jurisdiction. Lower-court appeals may route to District Court. That layered structure is why a De Baca County court record search should start with the case type, not just the person name.
| Court | Local role | Record access path |
|---|---|---|
| District Court | Felony, civil, divorce, estate contests, juvenile, appeals | Case Lookup, District Court Clerk, IPRA |
| Magistrate Court | Misdemeanor, DWI, traffic, preliminary hearings, small civil | Case Lookup, Magistrate Court clerk, IPRA |
| Municipal Court | Fort Sumner ordinance, petty misdemeanor, traffic, DWI | Municipal Court contact and limited Case Lookup data |
| Probate Court | Informal and uncontested estates | County clerk or probate contact; District Court if contested |
Case flow: Municipal or Magistrate Court › District Court when an appeal or transfer applies › Court of Appeals › Supreme Court for matters within its direct or review jurisdiction.
The Tenth Judicial District site is the official district-level source for De Baca, Harding, and Quay Counties.
That district site is especially useful because several De Baca County court contacts and docket pages sit under the district, not under a county government portal.
De Baca County Courthouses
The main De Baca County court offices are clustered in Fort Sumner but use different addresses and record channels. The District Court clerk is the main point for District Court case files. Magistrate Court has a separate office and email. Fort Sumner Municipal Court is a village court, not a state Magistrate Court counter. For records, hearing times, payments, and remote access, the exact court named on the citation, summons, docket, or judgment controls.
De Baca District Court
248 E. Ave. C
Fort Sumner, NM 88119
575-355-2896
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
De Baca Magistrate Court
282 E. Ave. B
Fort Sumner, NM 88119
575-355-7371
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Fort Sumner Municipal Court
173 E. Avenue C
Fort Sumner, NM 88119
575-355-2402
Municipal code, petty misdemeanor, DWI, traffic, animal control, and local ordinance cases.
The Tenth Judicial District location page publishes the De Baca District Court and Magistrate Court contact blocks.
The published local addresses help prevent a common Fort Sumner mistake: going to the District Court counter for a Magistrate or Municipal Court citation.
De Baca County Court Records
De Baca County court records include civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, DWI, warrant-related docket events, and lower-court appeal records. Civil files may include complaints, service returns, answers, motions, judgments, and satisfaction entries. Criminal files may include a criminal complaint, probable cause material, bond order, plea, judgment and sentence, conditions of release, and docket entries. Family records include divorce petitions, parenting plans, child support worksheets, settlement agreements, final decrees, motions, and orders.
Not every record type sits in the same office. Marriage licenses are county clerk records, not court case records. Divorce decrees are District Court records. Probate may begin in county Probate Court if informal and uncontested, but contested estate matters are District Court cases. Traffic citations can be in Magistrate Court or Fort Sumner Municipal Court, and serious DWI or criminal traffic cases may connect to criminal case records.
- Civil court records track claims, answers, motions, judgments, landlord-tenant matters, and appeals.
- Criminal court records track charges, pleas, hearings, dispositions, sentences, bond, and related warrant events.
- Family and divorce records are District Court records, with sensitive filings subject to limits or redaction.
- Probate records may involve county Probate Court for informal estates or District Court for contested matters.
- Traffic court records differ from MVD driver history and depend on the court named on the citation.
What De Baca County Records Show
A public De Baca County court record usually gives enough information to identify the case, the court, the parties, and the major docket events. It may not show full document images. Case Lookup can list filings and events, but official copies come from the clerk or through the right records request channel. When a docket entry is unclear, the court that heard the case is the office that can check the file.
| Field | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Case number | Identifies the court record and may include court type or location coding. |
| Court location | Shows whether the De Baca record belongs to District, Magistrate, Municipal, or Probate Court. |
| Parties | Lists plaintiff and defendant, petitioner and respondent, or State and defendant. |
| Filing or hearing date | Helps locate recent dockets, older files, and hearing history. |
| Docket entries | Summarizes filings, hearings, orders, judgments, sentences, and payment obligations. |
| Disposition | Shows the outcome, such as judgment, dismissal, plea, conviction, or sentence. |
- Docket
- The official list of filings and events in a case.
- Disposition
- The outcome of a case or charge.
- Judgment
- The court's final decision or enforceable order.
- Bench warrant
- A warrant issued by a judge, often for missing court or not complying with an order.
De Baca County Public Access
New Mexico public-records access starts with the Inspection of Public Records Act, but court records also follow court rules, sealing orders, and case-type limits. NMSA 1978 Section 14-2-1 states the general right to inspect public records unless an exception applies. NMSA 1978 Section 14-2-8(C), quoted on the court IPRA form, requires enough detail to identify the records and does not require the requester to state a reason.
Rule 1-079 NMRA governs public access and sealing for court records. The Criminal Record Expungement Act can affect adult criminal and related public records after a qualifying petition. Juvenile confidentiality and sealing are handled under NMSA 32A-2-32 and NMSA 32A-2-26. These rules explain why a record may exist locally but not appear in public search results.
Key access point: Select Tenth District and the specific De Baca District Court or Magistrate Court option when using the New Mexico Courts IPRA form.
The New Mexico Courts IPRA form is the online route for many court-record requests that are not complete in Case Lookup.
For De Baca County records, the form's court-location choice matters because the Administrative Office of the Courts is not the custodian of local case files.
Restricted De Baca County Records
Some De Baca County court records are not public through Case Lookup. Juvenile criminal cases have not displayed on Case Lookup since July 1, 2007. Family Violence Protection Act order-of-protection cases have not displayed since July 1, 2008. Sealed court records require the access route allowed by the sealing order or court rule. Expunged adult criminal records may be limited after a valid order, but the exact scope depends on the court order and the agencies named in it.
Protected personal identifiers are also redacted or withheld. The New Mexico Attorney General IPRA guide defines protected personal identifier information to include full Social Security numbers, most of a taxpayer ID, financial account, or driver license number, and all but the year of birth. If a De Baca County court record is restricted, the clerk may confirm the correct filing court and process, but may not release sealed or confidential material without authority.
Note: A missing online result can mean no case, wrong filters, older data, or a restricted record, so verify with the filing court.
De Baca County Court Dockets
De Baca County dockets have two main official short-window pages: the District Court docket and the Magistrate Court docket. Each page covers the current day plus six days. That makes them useful for near-term hearings but weak for older hearing history. For prior events, filings, or a broader date range, use Case Lookup hearing-date filters or contact the court clerk.
The District Court and Magistrate Court also publish remote access details. The District Court page lists a Google Meet link. The Magistrate Court page lists a Google Meet link plus a phone-access number and PIN. Remote links do not replace a summons or notice. A person ordered to appear should check the court notice and call the court if the docket listing, room, remote option, or time is unclear.
The De Baca District Court docket page shows the short current hearing window.
Its limited date range is a local reason to use Case Lookup or clerk contact for older hearing details.
De Baca County Criminal Records
Criminal court records in De Baca County can begin in Magistrate Court, Municipal Court, or District Court. Magistrate Court handles misdemeanors, DWI, traffic, and felony preliminary hearings. District Court handles felony cases after bind-over or indictment, criminal appeals, and some other criminal jurisdiction. Fort Sumner Municipal Court handles local petty misdemeanor, DWI, traffic, and ordinance matters. The Tenth Judicial District Attorney prosecutes state criminal charges for De Baca, Quay, and Harding Counties.
Arrest records and court charges are related but not the same file. A jail or booking record deals with custody. A court charge record deals with what the prosecutor filed in court. A full criminal court record then tracks arraignment, bond, motions, plea, trial, disposition, and sentence. No official De Baca active warrant list was located, so warrant checks must use the underlying court case, the court phone line, Municipal Court when applicable, and counsel where arrest risk exists.
De Baca County Inmate Records
The official research did not locate a De Baca County online jail roster, jail visitation packet, commissary page, sheriff app, or active inmate search. New Mexico Corrections Department Offender Search is available for state prison, probation, and parole records, but NMCD says it does not cover county or city detention facilities. That distinction is critical for De Baca County because a recent arrest or pretrial hold may not appear in NMCD.
If a person was recently arrested on a De Baca County case, court records may show charges, bond, hearing dates, and the court involved, while custody details must be verified with the appropriate law-enforcement or detention contact. The De Baca County inmate records page keeps that jail-versus-state custody split separate from court case lookup.
The NMCD Offender Search is still useful for state custody and supervision checks.
For local custody questions, the court finder and court contacts help identify the case path, but they do not replace a jail roster.
Marriage Divorce Probate Records
Marriage-license copies are not District Court records in New Mexico. The New Mexico Department of Health and court IPRA guidance both route marriage-license copies to the county clerk that issued the license. For De Baca County, the county clerk contact is Jeffrey Barfield Hromas, P.O. Box 347, Fort Sumner, NM 88119, phone 575-355-2601, fax 575-355-2441, and email jeffhromas@plateautel.net. No official De Baca marriage fee or application field list was located.
Divorce decrees are District Court records. New Mexico Courts says one spouse must have lived in New Mexico for the last six months and have a place to live before filing for divorce, and the divorce is final only when the judge signs the Final Decree of Dissolution of Marriage. Probate Court handles informal and uncontested estates, while contested estate matters belong in District Court. The De Baca County Probate Court page covers that split in more detail.
- Testator
- A person who made a will.
- Personal representative
- The person appointed to administer an estate.
- Intestate
- An estate where the person died without a valid will.
De Baca County Traffic Records
Traffic records in De Baca County may sit in Magistrate Court, Fort Sumner Municipal Court, or in more serious cases District Court. The ticket controls the first step. If the penalty assessment box is checked, the driver must pay through the method listed on the ticket or an approved official channel. If court appearance or traffic arraignment is checked, the driver must appear in the listed court by the date shown.
A court traffic case record is not the same as an MVD driver history. The court record may show citation number, charge, court date, plea, disposition, fine, bench warrant, or failure-to-appear event. The MVD driver history record shows licensing history, convictions reported to MVD, license status, and suspensions. MVD warns that failing to appear after a required traffic appearance can lead to a bench warrant and license suspension at renewal.
| Record | Custodian | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Court traffic case | Magistrate, Municipal, or District Court | Case Lookup, ticket court, clerk request |
| Driver history | New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division | MVD Online Driver History Record System |
| Traffic payment | Ticket court or MVD service channel | Back of ticket, MyMVD payment services |
De Baca County Records Fees
The research did not locate a De Baca County court-copy fee schedule, certified-copy schedule, marriage-license copy fee, probate filing fee, or local records search fee in official De Baca sources. The New Mexico Courts IPRA page says fees may apply for copies, so the practical route is to ask the clerk before ordering copies. MVD driver history fees were published separately and apply to state driver records, not court file copies.
| Item | Official amount found? | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Plain court copies | No | District or Magistrate Court clerk |
| Certified court copies | No | District or Magistrate Court clerk |
| Marriage-license copies | No | De Baca County Clerk |
| Probate filing or copies | No | County Clerk or Probate Court contact |
| MVD non-certified driver record | $6.63 | MVD Online Driver History Record System |
| MVD certified driver record | $9.99 | MVD Online Driver History Record System |
De Baca County Record Limits
Case Lookup says District and Magistrate case information is updated daily and current to within 24 hours of the time data is entered into a court database. That does not mean every case is online. Cases filed before the statewide court automation project was completed in June 1997 may exist in a separate database, depending on the court. Older De Baca County files, county Probate Court files, local jail logs, and sheriff records may require direct local contact.
If displayed case information does not accurately reflect case details, the Case Lookup disclaimer directs users to notify the court where the case was heard. For De Baca County, that may be District Court, Magistrate Court, or Municipal Court. The correction path depends on the case source. MVD license-history corrections are separate from court-record corrections.
Note: Certified copies, hearing changes, warrant status, and restricted records should be verified with the originating court before use.
De Baca County Court History
De Baca County was created in 1917 and is named for Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca, the second elected Governor of New Mexico. Fort Sumner is the county seat. New Mexico Counties describes De Baca County as one of the state's least populous counties, with a rural area of about 2,334 square miles. That local scale affects court-record access because direct court contact often matters more than it would in a large county with many public databases.
The National Park Service National Register nomination identifies the De Baca County Courthouse as a prominent architect-designed public building and a significant Spanish Colonial Revival courthouse. The building history is useful context, but court users still need the specific filing court. District Court, Magistrate Court, Municipal Court, Probate Court, and the County Clerk do not all keep the same records.
The New Mexico Counties De Baca profile gives county history and Fort Sumner context.
That county context explains why the De Baca County record path often points to a small set of Fort Sumner offices rather than a deep county portal.
De Baca County Court FAQ
Can De Baca County court records be searched online?
Yes, many public court records can be searched through New Mexico Case Lookup. It is the official public case-data entry point for District, Magistrate, appellate, and limited Municipal Court data. It does not provide every document image and does not display some restricted case types.
Which court handles De Baca County felony records?
Felony cases generally move through District Court after bind-over or indictment, while Magistrate Court may handle felony preliminary hearings. A name search should be narrowed by court type and Fort Sumner location where possible.
Where are De Baca County divorce decrees kept?
Divorce decrees are District Court records. For De Baca County, start with Case Lookup for public docket data, then contact De Baca District Court for decree copies or use the IPRA request form.
Is there a De Baca County jail roster?
No official De Baca County online jail roster was located in the official sources reviewed. NMCD Offender Search covers state prison, probation, and parole, not county or city jail custody.
How far ahead do De Baca County dockets show hearings?
The District Court and Magistrate Court docket pages show the current day plus six days. Older hearing history should be checked through Case Lookup or the clerk.