Bernalillo Marriage and Divorce Split
Marriage records in Bernalillo County are handled by the Bernalillo County Clerk marriage license office. The Clerk maintains marriage licenses, recorded marriage records, and certified copies after a marriage record has been filed. The Clerk's public site also points users to online search tools for marriage and land records, plus online purchase of recorded document copies. That office is not the divorce clerk.
Divorce decrees filed in Bernalillo County are maintained by the Clerk's Office of the Second Judicial District Court. The City of Albuquerque's public-records routing page confirms the distinction: marriage licenses route to the County Clerk, while divorce decrees route to the Second District Court. Domestic relations records may include divorce, custody, time sharing, paternity, and kinship guardianship filings. Some divorce case status information may appear in New Mexico Case Lookup, but certified decrees and full copies require District Court Clerk channels.
The practical rule is simple. Use the Bernalillo County Clerk for marriage licenses and recorded marriage records. Use the Second Judicial District Court Domestic Relations Division for divorce case files, decrees, and related family case records.
For the recorded-document search source, the Bernalillo County Clerk public records search page identifies the Clerk route for records recorded with that office, including marriage records.
That routing matters because a search for marriage records in the Clerk system will not produce a District Court divorce decree.
Bernalillo County Marriage Licenses
The Bernalillo County Clerk is the local office for marriage licenses. The official marriage license page lists the Marriage Department phone as (505) 468-1243 and the Clerk email as clerk@bernco.gov. A City of Albuquerque cross-reference also lists the Bernalillo County Clerk for marriage licenses at (505) 468-1290. The research captured the public-records search office hours from the official snippet as 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., but users should verify current hours before visiting because court and county offices can post holiday or closure notices.
Marriage records become copy records after the license is recorded. Once recorded, the Clerk can provide certified copies online or through Clerk channels. The Clerk's home page says users can search marriage and land records and buy copies of any document recorded in the office online. The public-records search page says Records Public Access can search records recorded with the Bernalillo County Clerk, including marriage records.
For the official marriage source, the Bernalillo County Clerk marriage license page identifies the local marriage department and certified-copy route.
The Clerk page is the best starting point when the need is a license application, a recorded marriage lookup, or a certified marriage copy.
Apply for a Marriage License
A marriage license request should be prepared for the County Clerk, not the District Court. The research did not capture a complete New Mexico marriage-license eligibility checklist or a full PDF application, so the safest build uses the confirmed local channels and avoids inventing age, identification, waiting-period, or ceremony rules. Applicants should confirm current requirements with the Marriage Department before visiting or relying on an online summary.
- Open the Bernalillo County Clerk marriage license page and review the current instructions for the Marriage Department.
- Contact the Marriage Department at (505) 468-1243 or clerk@bernco.gov if the application requirement, appointment status, or identification rule is unclear.
- Use the Clerk counter or Clerk online channel identified by the office for the license step that applies to the couple.
- After the completed license is recorded, use the Clerk's certified-copy process if proof of the marriage is needed.
- Keep the marriage record separate from divorce records, which must be requested from the District Court when a divorce case exists.
Marriage Record Search Fields
The research captured a partial form-field inventory because the Tyler self-service portal is dynamic and did not expose all fields through static inspection. That limitation should be preserved. Exact field labels may vary once a user enters the live portal, but the official source still confirms that recorded Clerk records include marriage records and document-copy purchasing functions.
| Form or Portal | Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clerk Records Public Access | Recorded record search | Dynamic search | Unspecified | Includes marriage records; exact live fields were not captured. |
| County Clerk Tyler Self-Service | Recorded document search | Search mode | Unspecified | Search land records, marriage records, and recorded documents. |
| County Clerk Tyler Self-Service | Document copies | Purchase function | Unspecified | Online copies may be purchased; certification must be confirmed with the Clerk. |
| District Court Domestic Relations request | Case or party information | Form, phone, or email | Varies | Use for divorce decrees, not marriage licenses. |
| New Mexico Case Lookup | Court case search | Dynamic search | Varies | Use for public divorce docket or case status when available. |
For the portal source, the Tyler-hosted Bernalillo County Clerk self-service system provides the public access interface for recorded Clerk documents.
The Tyler portal is useful for recorded marriage records, but its own disclaimer means a certified copy should still come from Clerk certification channels when legal proof is required.
Bernalillo Marriage and Divorce Fees
Only researched fees are listed here. The research did not capture the Bernalillo County Clerk marriage license fee or the certified marriage copy fee, so those amounts are not stated. For divorce, the official District Court Clerk fee table captured a domestic relations filing fee and court copy/certification fees. Fee waiver or reduction orders can affect court fees, and the District Court page says filing fees, jury deposits, and other clerk-collected fees are not refundable unless a court order or rule provides otherwise.
| Item | Amount | Office | Research Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic relations case filing | $137.00 | Second Judicial District Court | Applies to domestic relations filings such as divorce. |
| Court copies | $0.35 per page | Second Judicial District Court | District Court Clerk copy fee. |
| Certification | $1.50 per document | Second Judicial District Court | For certified court documents. |
| Exemplification | $4.50 per exemplification | Second Judicial District Court | Used when exemplified court documents are needed. |
| Records on USB drives | $6.25 per drive | Second Judicial District Court | Administrative-order fee captured in research. |
| Records by CD or USB | $2.00 per USB or CD | Second Judicial District Court | Court policy fee captured in research. |
Note: Marriage license and certified marriage copy prices were not captured in the research, so the Clerk should be asked for current amounts.
Search Bernalillo Marriage Records
A Bernalillo County marriage record search can use the Clerk's public records search, the Tyler self-service portal, phone, email, or in-person Clerk channels. The online route is useful when the record is already recorded. A certified-copy request should go through the Clerk when the copy must be accepted for benefits, name changes, immigration, pension, school, or court use.
The County Clerk portal is for recorded documents and marriage records. It should not be used as a substitute for a divorce case search. If a user starts with a person's name and finds no marriage record, the next step is to confirm spelling, date range, and whether the marriage was recorded in Bernalillo County. If the request is really for a divorce decree, the District Court Domestic Relations Division is the correct route.
Find Bernalillo Divorce Records
Divorce decrees filed in Bernalillo County are District Court records. The Domestic Relations Division handles divorce, custody, time sharing, paternity, and kinship guardianship matters. The research lists the division phone as (505) 841-7421 and the email as albdecopydm@nmcourts.gov. The City of Albuquerque cross-reference also lists Second District Court divorce decrees at (505) 841-7451. Because family case records can include sensitive child, financial, domestic violence, or sealed material, a public docket search may not provide every document in a divorce file.
For public status checks, New Mexico Case Lookup may show case information where access rules allow. For a certified decree, use the District Court Clerk's Office. If the case number is unknown, party names, approximate filing year, and the type of document requested can help the clerk route the search. Requests for hearing audio use Special Services at (505) 841-5421 or ssrequests@nmcourts.gov, not the County Clerk.
The District Court Clerk source for divorce records is shown on the Second Judicial District Clerk's Office page, which lists Domestic Relations, X-Files records requests, copy fees, and certification fees.
This District Court route is the one to use when the requested record is a divorce decree or domestic relations case file.
Certified Copies and Limits
A certified marriage copy and a certified divorce decree prove different events. A certified marriage record proves that a marriage was recorded with the Bernalillo County Clerk. A certified divorce decree proves a court order ending a marriage was entered in the Second Judicial District Court. The offices, fees, and search tools differ.
For marriage, contact the Marriage Department or use the Clerk channel after the license has been recorded. For divorce, contact the Domestic Relations Division or the District Court Clerk's Office for copies and certification. Sensitive family records may be restricted by court order, confidentiality rules, or case type. If the requested divorce file contains sealed financial records, child details, adoption material, domestic violence filings, or juvenile-related information, the public copy may be limited.