New Mexico Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
New Mexico Background Check from Abroad
Yes. The form must be notarised and must carry your original wet signature, so it cannot be emailed.
- Fee
- $15.00
- Processing
- Seven to fifteen working days from receipt
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | New Mexico Department of Public Safety, Law Enforcement Records Bureau |
|---|---|
| Form | Authorization for Release of Information |
| Fee | $15.00 |
| Payment | Money order or cashier’s cheque payable to the Department of Public Safety. |
| Processing | Seven to fifteen working days from receipt |
| Post to | New Mexico Department of Public Safety, PO Box 1628, Santa Fe, NM 87504-1628 |
The New Mexico Department of Public Safety, Law Enforcement Records Bureau page for this request
Specific to New Mexico
- An original signature is required. A scan or photocopy will be rejected, which rules out every electronic shortcut.
- New Mexico also issues a State Police certificate of good standing, which is often the better-recognised document abroad.
Getting fingerprinted where you are
Local police, a private fingerprinting service, a U.S. post if it still offers it, or ink at home. Take more than one card. Use the FD-258 unless New Mexico specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A New Mexico criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by New Mexico, not by the U.S. Department of State. Most states require the response to be notarised or certified before the authenticating authority will touch it, and several sell a notarised version for exactly this purpose. Buy it at the time rather than discovering later that you have to start again.
We handle the apostille
Once your New Mexico check exists we can authenticate it, legalise it for a non-Convention country, and have it translated. Tell us the destination and the deadline.
Questions people actually ask
Can I request my New Mexico record from outside the United States?
Yes. The form must be notarised and must carry your original wet signature, so it cannot be emailed.
What does it cost?
$15.00 Money order or cashier’s cheque payable to the Department of Public Safety.
How long does it take?
Seven to fifteen working days from receipt. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the New Mexico check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that New Mexico reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A New Mexico check is a state document, so it is authenticated by New Mexico rather than by the U.S. Department of State, and it usually has to be notarised or certified first.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
