Search Quay County Court Records
Most Quay County court records searches begin with New Mexico Case Lookup, the statewide no-registration portal for public court case information. It covers New Mexico Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District Court, Magistrate Court, and limited Municipal Court data. For Quay County, the useful court-location values are District Court 1010 - TUCUMCARI, Magistrate Court 40 - TUCUMCARI, Municipal Court 133 - TUCUMCARI, and a municipal San Jon option that appears in the portal even though no separate official San Jon court page was found.
The Quay County homepage gives the local government frame for court users, including county departments and public notices. The image below comes from that official county source and shows the county entry point for offices that share the courthouse block with court-related records custodians.
That county site is not the court case database. It helps identify local offices, while Case Lookup and the filing courts remain the main paths for Quay County Court case information.
- Open Case Lookup and accept the public-use disclaimer.
- Choose Name Search, Case Number Search, or DWI Search.
- Use Quay court filters such as District Court 1010 - TUCUMCARI or Magistrate Court 40 - TUCUMCARI when the case level is known.
- Review the case information, hearing dates, and docket entries that are public.
- For document images, certified copies, missing older cases, or sealed-record questions, contact the filing court or use the judiciary IPRA request form.
Quay County Court Search Fields
Case Lookup can be searched by name, full case number, or DWI name search. The name tab allows a broad search, but Quay County court records are easier to narrow when the court type, court location, and filing or hearing date range are known. Public Case Lookup does not provide document images, and the disclaimer bars bulk downloading or multiple-record transactions.
| Field | Type | Use for Quay County |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Text | Last First Middle format, converted to uppercase by the portal. |
| Driver license and state | Text and dropdown | Useful to narrow traffic or DWI matters when known. |
| Date of birth or year | Date or year | Helps separate people with similar names. |
| Court type | Dropdown | District, Magistrate, Metropolitan, or Municipal. |
| Court location | Dropdown | Quay values include Tucumcari District, Magistrate, Tucumcari Municipal, and San Jon Municipal. |
| Date range | Month, day, year | Can limit by filing date or hearing date. |
The New Mexico Courts public-access explainer at Public Access and re:SearchNM states that Case Lookup is for case information, while documents require registered access, court inspection, or a records request. The image below shows that official explanation source.
This distinction matters in Quay County because a case may be visible online while pleadings, orders, exhibits, or certified copies still require the court that holds the file.
Quay County Court System
Quay County is part of the Tenth Judicial District with De Baca and Harding Counties. District Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court. It hears felony criminal cases, civil matters above the lower-court limit, domestic relations, juvenile and mental health matters, lower-court appeals, and contested probate. Magistrate Court in Tucumcari handles misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, traffic, landlord-tenant, limited civil matters, and felony preliminary hearings. Tucumcari Municipal Court handles city ordinance, petty misdemeanor, traffic, animal control, code enforcement, and municipal DWI/DUI matters.
The Tenth Judicial District homepage is the official court source for the district serving Quay County. The image below comes from that court site, which ties Quay, De Baca, and Harding Counties into one small district court structure.
District Court is the broadest court in the county, but many traffic, misdemeanor, and city cases begin in lower courts before any appeal or transfer reaches District Court.
| Court | Location | Main case types |
|---|---|---|
| Quay District Court | 300 S. Third St., 2nd Floor, Room 200, Tucumcari | Felony, civil, family, juvenile, mental health, appeals, contested probate. |
| Quay County Magistrate Court | 122 W. Center St., Tucumcari | Misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, traffic, landlord-tenant, civil up to $10,000, preliminary hearings. |
| Tucumcari Municipal Court | 205 or 215 E. Center St., Tucumcari | City traffic, petty misdemeanors, city DWI/DUI, code and ordinance matters. |
| Quay County Probate Court | 300 S. Third Street, Tucumcari | Informal and uncontested estates, personal representative appointments, probate records. |
Quay County Courthouse Contacts
The Quay County Courthouse at 300 S. Third Street in Tucumcari is the central local court building. The District Court office is listed on the second floor, Room 200, with mail to P.O. Box 1067. The County Clerk, Sheriff, District Attorney county office, Probate Judge, and other county offices use the same courthouse block or related P.O. boxes, so the office name matters as much as the street address.
The official Tenth Judicial District location and contacts page lists Quay District Court and Quay County Magistrate Court details. The image below is tied to that source.
Use the court contact page for court counters and the county pages for county offices, because the District Court Clerk and County Clerk do not hold the same records.
Quay District Court
300 S. Third St., 2nd Floor, Room 200
Tucumcari, NM 88401
575-461-2764
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Quay County Magistrate Court
122 W. Center St.
Tucumcari, NM 88401
575-461-1700
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Quay County Clerk
300 S. Third Street
Tucumcari, NM 88401
575-461-0510
Monday-Thursday, 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Quay County Court Record Types
Quay County court records include felony criminal files in District Court, misdemeanor and traffic cases in Magistrate Court, municipal cases in Tucumcari Municipal Court, civil lawsuits, family and divorce files, probate matters, and hearing schedules. Marriage records are different. They are County Clerk records, not court case records. Jail custody data is also separate from court case data, even when a criminal case is tied to an arrest.
Common records include:
- Criminal court records: charges, pleas, motions, hearings, dispositions, sentences, probation terms, fines, and appeal notices.
- Civil records: complaints, answers, motions, judgments, garnishments, liens, satisfaction documents, and appeal filings.
- Family records: divorce, custody, time-sharing, support, kinship guardianship, name change, and related District Court files.
- Traffic records: citations, DWI/DUI cases, court dates, pleas, payment status, and failure-to-appear issues.
- Probate records: informal probate, personal representative appointment, inventory, accounting, creditor notices, and closing statements.
What Quay County Court Records Show
Public court data may show case numbers, court names, court locations, party names, filing dates, hearing dates, case categories, docket entries, financial obligations, and dispositions. Public Case Lookup does not show Social Security numbers, address information, or document images. It also excludes juvenile criminal cases from public display as of July 1, 2007 and Family Violence Protection Act order-of-protection cases as of July 1, 2008.
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Case number | New Mexico court identifier with court type, location, category, and sequence elements. |
| Court location | The court branch tied to the file, such as Tucumcari District or Magistrate. |
| Docket entry | A dated case event, filing, hearing, order, judgment, or payment activity. |
| Disposition | The current or final outcome of a charge, claim, or case. |
| Sentence or judgment | The court's final order after conviction, plea, trial, or civil decision. |
The official New Mexico Courts IPRA portal is the fallback for court records that are not available through public lookup. The image below is from that online request source.
For Quay County, the IPRA form includes Tenth District choices for District Court - Quay County (Tucumcari) and Magistrate Court - Quay County (Tucumcari), which helps route the request to the filing court.
Quay County Court Public Access
New Mexico public access starts with the rule that public records are open unless a legal exception applies. For court users in Quay County, that means online case information may be visible, while sealed documents, redacted identifiers, juvenile matters, some protection-order records, and document images require a different access path. The Administrative Office of the Courts also states that it is not the custodian of case files maintained by local courts.
Key access authorities:
NMSA 1978, Section 14-2-1 treats public records as open unless an exception applies.
NMSA 1978, Section 14-2-1.1 supports redaction of protected personal identifier information.
NMSA 1978, Section 14-3-15.1 is tied to Case Lookup's limits on bulk database use.
Quay County Records Custodians
Quay County has a split records structure. Court case records are held by the court where the case was filed. County-recorded documents, marriage records, occupation licenses, Board of County Commission minutes, and informal probate-related county records are handled by the Quay County Clerk. Veronica Manley is the County Clerk, with Ellen White listed as Chief Deputy Clerk and Robert McClelland IV as Deputy Clerk.
County Clerk records are reached through the official Quay County Clerk page. There was no official Quay County online clerk records search found in the research, so clerk-held county records require direct office contact, mail, or in-person handling.
Quay County Court Dockets
Quay District Court and Quay County Magistrate Court publish docket pages through the Tenth Judicial District. The docket pages show hearings for the current day plus six days, and they include a warning that hearing details may contain omissions. They are schedules, not full case files. If a hearing is missing, the court page tells users to contact the court.
The statewide lookup at New Mexico Case Lookup can also search by hearing date range. The image below comes from the Case Lookup source assigned to the home page.
Docket users should treat Case Lookup and the daily docket pages as schedule aids. Certified copies and file inspection still route to the court clerk.
Quay County Criminal Records
Felony criminal files belong in District Court after filing or transfer. Misdemeanor, DWI/DUI, and many traffic matters may be in Magistrate Court, while city charges may be in Tucumcari Municipal Court. The District Attorney for the Tenth Judicial District is Heidi Adams. Official sources list a county courthouse address and a separate state association street address, so walk-in location should be confirmed before travel.
Warrant research found no official public Quay County warrant-search database. Warrant questions route to the court tied to the case, the Quay County Sheriff's Office, Tucumcari Police, or Quay County Detention after an arrest. New Mexico's automated warrant process sends electronic warrants from courts to DPS and NCIC after a judge signs them, but that is a law-enforcement exchange, not a public name-search portal.
Jail research found no official online Quay County jail roster. Current county custody questions should be directed to Quay County Detention at 223 West High Street, while state prison, probation, or parole status is searched through New Mexico Corrections Department Offender Search.
Quay County Marriage Probate Records
Marriage licenses are issued by the Quay County Clerk. Both applicants must appear, must generally be at least 18, must provide current legal photo ID or birth certificate, and must provide proof of Social Security number. The county marriage page still shows an older fee, but a later Quay County Clerk notice and New Mexico SB 290 set the current marriage license fee at $55 effective June 20, 2025.
The official Tucumcari Municipal Court page is one local source for city court contact information and municipal case handling. The image below is included because municipal traffic, petty misdemeanor, and city DWI/DUI records are part of the broader Quay County records path.
Divorce records are District Court records, not County Clerk marriage records. Probate is handled by Quay County Probate Court for informal and uncontested estates, while contested estate matters move to District Court.
Quay County Traffic Records
Traffic cases in Quay County may be handled by Magistrate Court or Tucumcari Municipal Court depending on where the citation was issued and what the citation alleges. New Mexico MVD guidance separates penalty-assessment tickets from tickets that require court appearance or traffic arraignment. Failure to appear can lead to a bench warrant and license suspension when renewing.
Tucumcari Municipal Court has a Tyler citation/payment portal, while Magistrate and District Court payments may use New Mexico Fines and Fees when eligible. Court traffic records are not the same as MVD driver records. The Motor Vehicle Division keeps driver history records, and New Mexico Courts state that the judiciary does not maintain motor vehicle driving records.
Quay County Court Fees
The Tenth Judicial District fee schedule gives several practical Quay County court costs. Personal checks are not accepted. Cash, money order, cashier's check, and debit or credit cards are listed as accepted methods. Exact cash is required because change is not provided. Money orders should be made payable to the 10th Judicial District Court.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Civil case filing | $132.00 |
| Domestic case filing | $137.00 |
| Magistrate civil appeal | $117.00 |
| Municipal appeal | $20.00 |
| Photocopies | $0.35 per page |
| Certification and seal | $1.50 per pleading |
| Probate filing | $30.00 |
| Marriage license | $55.00 current fee |
Quay County Court History
Quay County was founded on February 28, 1903, and is named for Pennsylvania Senator Matthew Quay, who supported New Mexico statehood. The county seat is Tucumcari, and official county material says the county name is pronounced "kway." The courthouse was built in 1939 with Public Works Administration funds and is described by New Mexico MainStreet as Art Deco and WPA Moderne.
The Off the Road courthouse profile describes the Quay County Courthouse's bas reliefs, farming, cowboy, railroad, and justice themes, plus a Ben Carlton Mead Coronado mural. The image below comes from that courthouse-history source.
The courthouse history helps explain why several offices tied to court records, county records, sheriff records, and probate records remain centered around the same Tucumcari block.
Regional tourism sources also place Tucumcari in the Route 66 context. The New Mexico Tourism Tucumcari page is the source for the image below.
Route 66 and interstate travel help explain why traffic, DWI, and municipal court information can matter to people who do not live in Quay County.
Quay County Court Records FAQ
Where do Quay County court records searches start?
Most searches start in New Mexico Case Lookup. Use Quay court filters when possible, then contact the filing court for documents, certified copies, older records, or restricted access questions.
Does Quay County have a local court records portal?
No county-only public court case portal was found. The official public court search is statewide Case Lookup, with re:SearchNM for registered document access and IPRA for request routing.
Are Quay County warrant records online?
No official public warrant-search database was found for Quay County. Call the court tied to the case, the Sheriff's Office, Tucumcari Police, or the detention office depending on the issue.
Who keeps marriage and divorce records?
The County Clerk handles marriage licenses and marriage records. Divorce records are District Court case records and should be searched through court channels.
Is the NMCD offender search the Quay County jail roster?
No. NMCD covers state prison, probation, and parole. It does not have jurisdiction over county or city detention facilities, so Quay County Detention must be called for current county custody.