Learn How to Research and Find New Mexico Marriage Certificates, and How They Are Filed with the State Government

If you are looking for a record of a New Mexico marriage, you never have far to go. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is among the most sparsely populated states in the US. Large parts of it are uninhabited, being either arid plains, thickly wooded or ice-capped hill slopes, and the center of its population is located in a single county.
 
If you are researching marriage certificates, New Mexico offers you a unique demographic and cultural profile to explore with its mixture of strong Spanish, Mexican, and Native American elements blending into the American ‘big picture.' Their carefully preserved ethnic identities and the cohesive strength of their native cultures could provide you also with orally-preserved norms and records of marriages and genealogy. The long influence of the Catholic Church could similarly yield organized and scrupulously preserved, if non-official, early New Mexico marriage records in addition to births and deaths.

Over six post-war decades, New Mexico’s population has more than tripled. More recently, it witnessed employment and population growth arising from ventures as varied as call centers, microelectronics, and Indian casinos. All of these contribute to growing urban communities that maintain their own records of birth, marriage and death.

New Mexico’s Vital Records Documentation

Within eight years of attaining statehood, New Mexico had begun its state-level vital records registration. Though launched officially as of 1920, some of its records of vital statistics go back to 1889. Births and deaths are now housed at the Bureau of Vital Records, while New Mexico marriage records have always been the responsibility of each County Clerk.

For records of vital statistics in the state from 1889 to the present, you need to visit or write to: New Mexico Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records & Health Statistics, 1190 St. Francis Drive, P.O. Box 26110, Santa Fe, NM 87504-6110. For prior records, you must write to the relevant County Clerk's office.

Making Your Request Count

Write a brief and topical request letter. Do please remember that you will need to avoid writing confusing details of family lines. Also remember that you must not make more than two requests in that letter.

Provide all that you know about the marriage. If a person went by one or more names, give them all, including nicknames and alternate spellings.

Be accurate about the dates you are mentioning. If you do not know the exact date of the marriage, provide a time span for searching. Keep it narrow because if you provide a wider span, your fees payable will increase accordingly. Type or print all names and addresses to prevent any misreading, and enclose a stamped and self-addressed envelope when you are placing your request.  

Make no advance payment unless you know the precise charges. You may however send a signed, blank check with "Not to exceed $__.00" (the maximum likely amount) printed in red ink under the check’s "$__" line. Better yet, write two letters instead. The first letter should include your needs such as a request for all relevant information and your query on the cost. The second letter should carry your check.

Do be patient and courteous. Short-staffed government offices overloaded with requests are willing to help you, but please understand that this is not the main work that they are responsible for. Be nice to them, and they will surely give you all the help you need.

Basic Details to Include:

•    Your date of request
•    Husband’s full name (the last name in capital letters for double surety) and wife’s full maiden name (last name in capital letters)
•    The marriage date
•    Place of marriage (city or town, county, state)
•    Relationship to you
•    Purpose of request
•    Your name, signature & address
•    Your driver's license number & state may be required in some counties.

Place Your Request for New Mexico Marriage Certificates Online

Did you know that you can now place your request for New Mexico marriage certificates over the Internet? Now you may wonder why you should place the request over the Internet when you can send an application letter.

The answer is convenience and time saving. If you are sending over that application letter, you have to include a lot of information – but that is not the case online. Here, you achieve the same results with just a few clicks. Because of this it is so much more convenient.

Naturally, when you are submitting an online request, you can save a lot of time. The postal system has to carry your request letter to the office and then you have to wait for the reply. When you are searching online, you can send that request immediately and expect it to get processed quickly. You can get these results back quickly as well.

So go ahead and place your request online. Whether you are requesting the marriage record for genealogy research or to check the background of a prospective spouse, you are sure to get the results that you want.