Colfax County Clerk Office
Colfax County lists Sara Torres as County Clerk and Rayetta (LeDoux) Trujillo as County Deputy Clerk. The office is at 333 Savage Ave., Raton, NM 87740, with phone 575-445-5551, fax 575-445-4031, and mailing address P.O. Box 159. The main clerk page lists hours Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., open during lunch, closed Fridays. A county notice says the Clerk's Office relocated to 333 Savage Ave. starting April 3, 2024.
The Clerk's mission statement says the office is custodian of public records, protects and preserves records, complies with state statutes and the New Mexico Constitution, conducts fair and accurate elections, and treats citizens professionally. The office also serves as recorder for the Board of County Commissioners, chief election officer, clerk of the Probate Court for informal proceedings only, and handler of notary functions, oaths, acknowledgments, declarations, instruments, and protests.
The official Colfax County Clerk page identifies the clerk, deputy clerk, office address, hours, and duties.
Colfax County Clerk
Clerk: Sara Torres
Deputy Clerk: Rayetta (LeDoux) Trujillo
333 Savage Ave.
Raton, NM 87740
575-445-5551
Monday-Thursday, 7:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; closed Fridays
Colfax County Clerk Records
The County Clerk maintains records that are different from court case files. County Clerk records include marriage licenses, deeds, mortgages, real estate contracts, liens and releases, tax liens and releases, subdivision plats, probate files, Board of County Commissioners minutes, resolutions, ordinances, other real-estate-related documents, and newspapers published within the county. The Clerk page cites NMSA 14-8-9.1 and states that, except as provided in that section, all documents filed and recorded in the office of the county clerk are public records.
The Bureau of Elections is a subsidiary office of the Clerk's Office, and election administration is one of the office's stated duties. That does not make election records the same as court records, but it helps explain why the County Clerk page functions as a broad public-record hub for Colfax County government records beyond real estate and marriage licenses.
For court case records, use the court where the case was filed. District Court, Magistrate Court, Municipal Court, Case Lookup, Odyssey Public Access, re:SearchNM, and court IPRA routes are the proper channels for civil, criminal, family, DWI, traffic, and court docket files. The County Clerk search is the right place for recorded public records and Clerk-maintained files, not for full court case documents.
- Use County Clerk channels for marriage licenses and certified marriage copies.
- Use CountyFusion/Kofile for recorded public documents when the record is online.
- Use the Probate Judge and Clerk records for informal probate files and copies.
- Use District or Magistrate Court channels for court case files.
- Call 575-445-5551 if the online Clerk search does not locate the document.
Search Colfax County Clerk Records
The County Clerk public-record search instructions use CountyFusion/Kofile. The county tells users to select "login as public" at the top right, select "search public records" at the top left, choose a search type under "search types," enter the search terms, and select search. Available search routes include book and page, instrument number, and name. For names, the county gives the format last, first, middle.
The official Colfax County public record search page explains how to use the recorded-document portal.
The linked CountyFusion Kofile public portal is the vendor-hosted search interface used for Colfax County recorded documents.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Login as public | Button/tab | Yes | Top-right tab in county instructions. |
| Search public records | Tab | Yes | Top-left tab. |
| Search types | Option set | Yes | Book and page, instrument number, or name. |
| Name | Text | Optional | Use last, first, middle format. |
| Instrument number | Result link | Not applicable | Select highlighted instrument number to view information and image if available. |
| Reference Name | Text | Required for print queue | Used when adding multiple images to the print queue. |
Request a Certified Clerk Copy
Certified copies are used when a plain printout is not enough, such as a certified marriage license copy or certified probate copy. The Clerk's Office can provide records within its custody, while court case certifications must be requested from the court that holds the case file. Before ordering, identify the record type, names, approximate date, and whether a plain or certified copy is needed.
- Confirm the record is a County Clerk record, such as a marriage license, recorded document, or probate file.
- Search online by book and page, instrument number, or name when the record may be in CountyFusion.
- Call or visit the Clerk's Office if the record is not online or if certification is needed.
- Provide names, record type, date range, and mailing or pickup instructions.
- Pay the applicable copy, certification, image, or service fee through the channel the office confirms.
Colfax Clerk Request Fields
The Clerk's page does not publish a separate dedicated web request form for every record type. Written public-record requests still need enough detail for the office to identify the records. The Clerk page says the office will respond immediately or as soon as possible under the circumstances and no later than 15 days after receiving a written request.
| Field or Item | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Written IPRA request to Clerk | Required for statutory timing | Use written request when relying on public-record response deadlines. |
| Requester name | Likely required | Identify the requester clearly. |
| Requester address | Likely required | Needed for response and delivery. |
| Requester telephone | Likely required | Allows office follow-up on unclear requests. |
| Records sought | Required | Describe records with reasonable particularity. |
| Submission channel | Varies | In person, mail, or phone follow-up; no dedicated local Clerk web form located. |
Colfax County Clerk Fees
The County Clerk recording page gives the main local fee schedule for recording, copies, probate copies, plats, faxes, UCC filings, voter data, and marriage-certified copies. It also states the Clerk's Office does not issue birth or death certificates and cannot copy death certificates or military discharge papers under any circumstances. Military discharge recording and certified copies are listed as free, but the no-copy rule must be respected as stated on the same source.
The official Colfax County recording and copy fee page lists the local Clerk fee schedule.
| Item | Fee or Note |
|---|---|
| Recording each document | $25, plus $25 for each added block of ten or fewer indexed entries over ten |
| Copies | $1 per page |
| Certified marriage license copy | $5 certified |
| Probate copy | $0.50 per page |
| Probate certified | $0.50 |
| Probate new cases | $30 |
| UCC documents | $25 every 10 entries |
Colfax Clerk Public Records Requests
New Mexico IPRA gives the broader public-record framework, while the Colfax County Clerk page gives the local timing statement for written Clerk requests. The Clerk page says responses are made immediately or as soon as possible under the circumstances and no later than 15 days after receiving a written request. Public-record requests should be precise because the County Clerk maintains many kinds of records but not every court case file.
The New Mexico Department of Justice IPRA page describes the Inspection of Public Records Act as a core Sunshine Law.
County Clerk vs Court Clerk
The County Clerk is not the District Court clerk for felony, civil, family, juvenile, traffic, or divorce case files. For those records, use Case Lookup, Odyssey Public Access, re:SearchNM, the relevant court clerk counter, or the New Mexico Courts IPRA form. For marriage licenses, recorded documents, probate files maintained by the Clerk, liens, deeds, mortgages, plats, and commissioner records, use the Colfax County Clerk.
This distinction prevents the most common records error in Colfax County. A person seeking a deed or certified marriage copy should not start with District Court. A person seeking a divorce decree, felony case file, or traffic case document should not start with CountyFusion. When in doubt, identify whether the record is a recorded county document or a filed court case.
For older or uncertain records, call before visiting. Colfax County records work may involve the judicial building on South Second Street, the Clerk's Office on Savage Avenue, or the Probate Judge at the county building on North Third Street. Starting with the right custodian saves a trip.