Recording & Filing

DOCUMENT FILING REQUIREMENTS & FEE SCHEDULES

Documents submitted for recording are processed during regular business hours 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday

• Property must be identified with Grantor (seller) and Grantee (buyer). On Deeds, grantor(s) must sign document.
• A complete legal description is required for transfer of property. Contact the County Assessor's Office at (505) 662-8030 If you do not know the legal description. Street addresses will not be accepted.
• Notary information must be complete. Signature, date, seal and expiration date is required. (NMSA 14-8-4)
• 1" x 4" space is required for the recording label. If space is not available, an additional page will be required.

• Uniform Commercial Code Filings (Formerly called Chattel Filings)
  Effective July 1, 2001, Chapter 139 revised Article 9 to standardize the UCC laws and filing procedures throughout the state. Extracted minerals (such as oil and gas, timber) and fixture filings will continue to be filed in the local county clerks offices. Farm products (livestock and crops) and equipment will be filed in the Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. For more information on those types of UCC Filings, please call (505) 827-3600 or click here to visit their website.

  Military Discharge Filings (DD214's)

  The County Clerk shall, upon presentation to them, record free of charge the discharge papers of any soldier, sailor, marine, aviator, army nurse or yeomanette who was accepted for service and served in the armed forces of the United States for thirty days or more. (NMSA 14-8-17)

  Copies of military discharge papers filed with the County Clerk are available free of charge only to the following individuals: the veteran, veteran's next of kin, veteran's properly appointed personal representative or executor, a person holding the veteran's general power of attorney, or a person designated in writing by the veteran to receive the records. (NMSA 14-2-1A)

  Plat and Boundary Filings

  
  The County Clerk's Office records and files Real Estate Subdivision Plats and serves as the custodian of these records.

  Plats are filed and indexed by legal description and are available for inspection and/or purchase at our office. The recording and filing fee for a Plat is $25.00. The plat must be on Mylar and legible. The original is scanned and returned to the submitter. Boundary's may not exceed a size of 18" x 24" and be at least 8 1/2" x 11". (NMSA 61.23.28.2)

  Copies of a Plat or Boundary Survey up to 24" x 36" in size may be purchased for $9.00 per page. Copies of a Plat or Boundary Survey up to 11" x 17" in size may be purchased for $1.00 per page. Other maps are sold at various rates depending on the size. Please see our Plat Copy Fee Schedule(PDF, 42KB) for more details.

  For property surveys or homebuilding blueprints, contact the previous land surveyor and/or the original homebuilder. The Los Alamos County Community & Economic Development Department and/or the Los Alamos County Engineering & Project Management Department may have information on some of the original government homes. A previous owner or the realtor is also another possible source for this information.

  Los Alamos County Community & Economic Development can be reached at (505) 662-8120. Los Alamos County Engineering & Project Management Department can be reached at (505) 662-8111.

  The following fees must be included (NMSA 14-8-15), we accept: cash, check or money order payable to the Los Alamos County, along with:

• $25.00 per document, with 1-10 index entries
• $25.00 for each additional block of 10 index entries

If recording in person-bring the original document, certified copy of the original, OR duplicate with affidavit, to the County Clerk's Office, located at 1000 Central Avenue, Suite 240, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544, during business hours. If your document meets all of the requirements and you pay the appropriate fees, your document will be recorded in the order it was received. We advocate that you try and avoid recording during our busiest times (3:30-4:30 p.m. every day). Once the document is scanned and the image is verified, our office will return the original back to you.

If submitting documents by mail-please include a check or money order for the appropriate amount, please see our recording fee schedule. Make checks payable to: Los Alamos County, and mail the document along with payment to the Los Alamos County Clerk's Office, 1000 Central Avenue, Suite 240, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544. Once we have received your document(s) and payment, we will determine if it will be accepted or rejected. If it is rejected, your document and payment will be mailed back to you unrecorded with an explanation of why it was rejected. Accepted documents will follow the procedure as stated above.

Recording Fees:

Recording fees are statutorily established. Los Alamos County may reject documents for incorrect fees. If you have additional questions regarding fees, please call our office at (505) 662-8010.Please see our fee schedule for a detailed explanation of the various fees to file and record documents in our office.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Effective July 1, 2019, our office will charge recording fees in accordance with the NEW Recording Fee Schedule(PDF, 99KB). Please take some time to review the new schedule, and call our office should you have any questions.

Plat & Boundary Survey Copy Fees:

Copies of a Plat or Boundary Survey up to 24" x 36" in size may be purchased for $9.00 per page. Copies of a Plat or Boundary Survey up to 11" x 17" in size may be purchased for $1.00 per page.
Other Plats are sold at various rates depending on the size. Please see our Plat Copy Fees(PDF, 42KB) for more details.

DOCUMENT COPY & RECORD INFORMATION

How to View Index information for a Recorded Document:

To view record index information online, please visit our Online Records Website.

How to Request a Copy of a Recorded Document:

Copies of recorded documents may be obtained in person, by mail, by e-mail or phone. The fee for a regular copy is $1.00 per page. The fee for a certified copy is $1.00 for the certification and seal, and $1.00 per page of the document.

PLEASE NOTE: Record requests are normally fulfilled within 24 hours, however, complex requests may require additional time.

One or more of following information is needed to locate the record on file:

• Name of the Grantor/Grantee
• Document Number
• Book & Page
• Date of Recording
• Type of Document

Property Description Information

The Los Alamos County Assessor's Office maintains property files by legal or street addresses. For more information regarding property descriptions, please contact their office at (505) 662-8030, or visit their office at 1000 Central Avenue, Suite 210, Los Alamos, NM 87544.

In-Person Requests:

Los Alamos County Clerk
1000 Central Ave,Suite 240
Los Alamos, NM 87544

Mail Requests:

Download, complete and send a Document Request Form.

Enclose a check or money order made payable to "Los Alamos County" for the appropriate amount. Be sure to write a reference point like the document #, or Book & Page number on your check or money order. Mail to: Los Alamos County Clerk,1000 Central Ave, Suite 240, Los Alamos, NM 87544

E-mail Requests:

Send e-mail to clerks@lacnm.us, be sure to write a reference point like the document #, or Book & Page number. A staff member will contact you to obtain credit card information, you will then need to send an e-mail authorizing the office to charge your card. Once this has been done staff can then e-mail the documents to you.

Phone Requests:

Call (505) 662-8010

DOCUMENT FILING TIPS

Preventing Rejected Documents

Help prevent your documents submitted for recording from being rejected. Please follow these guidelines to prevent the delays associated with the return of rejected documents.

Before submitting your recordings, please make sure:

Fees are Correct
Recording fees are statutorily established. Los Alamos County may reject documents for incorrect fees. Please see our fee schedule for accurate calculation.

Quality of Document is Good and Text is Readable
Please remember that bad originals produce poor public records. Documents that are illegible will be rejected. Documents that are somewhat illegible may be accepted and will be marked with a note.

Deeds Contain a Valid Grantee Address
Deeds should include a notation of the legal (mailing) address of the grantee. This address is used to determine where tax statements should be mailed after a property is sold. Submitter should verify the accuracy and completeness of such address before recording a deed.

Sufficient Space for Recording Label
Please provide sufficient space to place a 1" x 4" label containing the recording information. If there is not sufficient space on the first page of the document, an additional page will be required. Plats also have specific legal requirements for size and paper.

Checks are Payable to the "Los Alamos County" or "LAC"
If checks are made out to the wrong party, the check along with all documents attached to it will be rejected and returned to the submitter.

Checks are Signed
Unsigned or stale dated checks, along with all documents attached thereto, will be rejected and returned to the submitter.

Notary Seals are Darkened
Embossed seals on documents will not show up on the image if they are not darkened or "inked." Submitter's should ensure all embossed seals are visible before submitting for recording.

Not sure if your document meets our guidelines, please call our office at (505) 662-8010.

HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION INFORMATION

Attention Homeowner Associations:

Pursuant to the Homeowner Association Act, every homeowner association in New Mexico is now required to file a "Notice of Homeowner Association" with the County Clerk of the county in which the association is located.

The deadline to file such notice is June 30, 2014, for an association organized prior to July 1, 2013. Associations organized after July 1, 2013, shall record such notice no later than thirty (30)days after the date on which the association's declaration is recorded. Click here(PDF, 51KB) for more information...

HELPFUL LINKS & FAQ'S - DOCUMENT REQUEST FORM

Online Records Website

Use this website to search the index of documents that have been recorded in the County Clerk's Office. This includes deeds, mortgages, judgments, liens, ordinances, etc.

Recording FAQ

Still pave questions about Recording & Filing, read the Frequently Asked Questions(PDF, 136KB) for more information.

Common Real Estate & Title Terminology

The following is a list of common terminology(PDF, 163KB) used in the Real Estate and Title industry.

Document Request Form

Use this form to make a request for a recorded document.

Vital Record Information

The Vital Records and Health Statistics Department issues and maintains all vital records for the State of New Mexico. The Santa Fe office is located at 1105 South Saint Francis Street (between Cordova Road and Alta Vista), Santa Fe, NM 87502. For more information on obtaining copies or questions regarding these records, please call 1-866-534-0051, or click here to visit their website. New Mexico Vital Records are restricted access records and are only issued to immediate family members or individuals who demonstrate tangible legal interest.

Foreclosure Information

Individuals can come to the County Clerk's Office and use the Public Search Station to research for documents that are filed during a foreclosure. You need to know the owner's name and/or the legal description of the property. On request, our office will instruct persons on how to perform real estate searches. Our office will not assume liability for searches conducted by others. There are also several websites dedicated to tracking these types of situations, and will provide information for a nominal fee.

For information on property being sold or auctioned for back taxes, please contact the State of New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department - Property Tax Division - Delinquent Property Tax Bureau at (505) 827-0883 or click here to visit their website.

One of the primary services of the Los Alamos County Clerk's Office is to keep the real estate records of Los Alamos County in a current and accurate state, to run an efficient office, and give our customers the best and most courteous service possible.

PUBLIC NOTICE: Please keep in mind, recorded documents are kept as permanent records, and become part of the public record and are subject to inspection and disclosure.

• SEARCHES: Our office is not licensed or bonded to conduct detailed real estate searches. Please contact a local Abstract or Title Company. However, on request, our office will instruct persons on how to perform real estate title searches in our office. The Los Alamos County Clerk's Office will not assume liability for searches conducted by others. There is no charge to search records on file in this office.
• LEGAL ADVICE: Our office cannot give legal advice on whether or not the documents being recorded are correct, complete or legally sufficient. Please contact an attorney for legal verification.
• FORMS: Our office does not provide forms, you may purchase them at any office supply store, or download forms from various websites via the internet.
• DOCUMENT LEGIBILITY: Please remember that the documents that are being recorded are permanent records, and must be legible and reproducible after it has been scanned and filmed. We thank you for your cooperation in permanently recording and archiving your documents.
• OTHER ASSISTANCE: Our office will assist in any other possible way. Our office is here to record and file documents as public records and maintain these records for future use

Web-page Disclaimer - A Word of Warning
Despite our good faith efforts to be accurate, this page and our data may contain inadvertent errors. Please email us immediately if you notice an error. Also, please remember that website information is not a substitute for researching the law or for the advice of a competent attorney.