Inspection of Public Records ACT (IPRA) Requests - RecordBook Link

Notice of Right to Inspect Public Records

By law, under the Inspection of Public Records Act, every person has the right to inspect public records of Doña Ana County. The act also makes compliance with requests to inspect public records an integral part of the routine duties of the officers and employees of Doña Ana County.

The New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, NMSA 1978, Chapter 14, Article 2, provides that a person desiring to inspect public records may submit a request to the records custodian orally or in writing. However, the procedures and penalties prescribed by the act apply only to written requests. A written request must contain the name, address and telephone number of the person making the request. The request must describe the records sought in sufficient detail to enable the records custodian to identify and locate the requested records. The records custodian must permit the inspection immediately or as soon as practicable, but no later than fifteen (15) calendar days after the records custodian receives the inspection request. If inspection is not permitted within three (3) business days, the person making the request will receive a written response explaining when the records will be available for inspection or when the public body will respond to the request. If any of the records sought are not available for public inspection, the person making the request is entitled to a written response from the records custodian explaining the reasons inspection has been denied. The written denial shall be delivered or mailed within fifteen (15) calendar days after the records custodian received the request for inspection.

If a person requesting inspection would like a copy of public record, a reasonable fee may be charged. The fee for copies is $1.00 per single sided page for standard copies up to a paper size of 11x 17 inches. The County will charge a reasonable rate for copies that are larger than 11 x 17, or which require special machinery or supplies, and for records other than documents, that are stored on other media, e.g. photographs, tape recordings, computer tapes or discs. Additional charges may apply for records or information contained in a computer database. The records custodian may request that applicable fees for copying public records be paid in advance, before the copies are made. A receipt indicating that the fees have been paid for making copies of public records will be provided upon request to the person requesting the copies.

Each request will be processed in the order in which it is received.

Doña Ana County has an Inspection of Public Records Act Request online portal called RecordBook. This online portal allows a requestor to send and receive communications to and from Doña Ana County in real time. In most cases, requestors will receive responsive records through this portal at no charge. Doña Ana County will treat your submittal through our portal as a written request. Visit RecordBook to submit your request online.

In the event you do not wish to submit your IPRA Request through our online portal, you can mail, or hand-deliver your request directly to:

Doña Ana County
IPRA Custodian
845 N. Motel Blvd., Box #17
Las Cruces, NM 88007

If you have questions or concerns, please call 575-647-7225.