1. Property must be identified with Grantor (seller) and Grantee (buyer).  On Deeds, grantor must sign document.

2. A complete legal description is required for transfer of property.  Street addresses will not be accepted without legal description

3. Provide grantee's mailing address for property tax records.

4. Notary information must be complete.  Signature, date, seal, and expiration date is required.

5. Documents received after 4:00 p.m. are recorded the next regular business day.

Documents filed in the Clerk's office are by grantor and/or grantee.  Copies of these records are available for a nominal fee.  Subdivision maps are filed and indexed and are available for viewing.  Copies are available for a nominal fee.

The County Clerk's staff are not bonded to conduct real estate searches.  However, on request, the Clerk's staff will instruct persons on how to perform real estate title searches and/or refer them to a title company.  The Clerk's office will not assume liability for searches conducted by others.

The County Clerk's office can not advise you on legal questions.

The Lincoln County Assessor's office maintains property files by legal description or street addresses.  For information by property description contact the assessor's office.

Applicants must be 18 years of age to obtain a marriage license without parental consent.  The cost for a marriage license is $ 25.00.  Identification such as a driver's license, Military ID or Birth Certificate must be provided.  Both parties must also be present to apply.

The County Clerk's office does not file Divorce and Foreclosures, these are filed in District Court.  (575) 648-2432

Birth and death certificates are administered by the State of New Mexico.  (505) 841-4185

The Lincoln County Clerk’s Office has received grants to help develop a plan for the preservation, indexing, and access to historical documents dating back to 1869. Through this process we have “uncovered” many rare and valuable documents that are related to the famous Lincoln County War from 1877 to 1879. Other documents from that era include marriages, divorces, probate, court documents, and land deeds. Genealogists have found these documents to be very helpful in their search for family history and ancestors. We do not typically have Death and Birth certificates these documents are at state vital records. We continue to unveil documents that have been in storage for over one hundred years.

Examples of documents in the Lincoln County Historical Records Collection include:

• John Chisum’s sale of holdings to R. D. Hunter in 1875. (Signed by Alexander McSween as Chisum’s attorney.)

• Divorce - A Woman divorcing her husband in 1869. (The oldest document found so far)

• Property Return - Taxable Value of real estate and personal property 1887.

• Charges for transportation of (Billy the Kid) from Mesilla to Lincoln in 1883. (Dated after BTK was dead because Commissioners only met periodically.)

• Charges for Lodging of Prisoners (Billy the Kid) at Patron House in 1880.

NEW  You may now view and research most of the newspapers published in Lincoln County, beginning in 1889 to present with Adobe Acrobat Reader.  The link to this is still under construction.

VOTER REGISTRATION

Voters may now look up their own voter registration information using VoterView.  A VoterView record contains helpful information such as polling place and the district races a registrant may vote in.  To access VoterView, click here:  https://voterview.state.nm.us

In order to vote in any election you must register to vote at least 28 days prior to an election if you are not currently registered.

You may register to vote by calling our office or email and request a New Mexico Certificate of Registration form; or,

The form is available at any County Clerk’s office, the office of the Secretary of State, or many state agencies, such as the motor vehicle offices.

You must change your address every time you move in order to be placed in the correct precinct and proper district. Also, when you change your name or party affiliation you must update your voter registration.

Upcoming Elections

Click here for: Map by Precinct

Click here for: School District Map

Additional maps for NM Legislature map be found at http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/districts.aspx

Click here for: Precinct and Polling Locations The link to this is still under construction.

Absentee Ballot

A voter may request an absentee ballot from the New Mexico Absentee Ballot Application or the Federal Postcard ballot application for military and overseas voters.

The New Mexico Absentee Ballot Application may be obtained by calling or emailing your request to our office, or click on link to download application and mail to the Clerk's Office Absentee Application Form.