New Mexico Death Records

An average of 22,254 deaths are recorded annually in New Mexico, indicating an age-adjusted mortality rate of 869.2 deaths among 100,000 residents. The state's death rate is higher than the national average, which stands at 793.7 deaths per 100,000 United States residents. The leading causes of death include heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, and chronic lower respiratory disease.

Before the creation of the state's Vital Records and Health Statistics in 1919, various institutions, including county authorities and churches in New Mexico, collected and registered records of death events in their locality. Some of these records were collected as early as 1889. However, in 1920, New Mexico officially began statewide registration of death records through the Vital Records and Health Statistics.

The death certificate is the major form of death record in New Mexico. It is a legal record that serves as proof of a person's death in the state and typically identifies the cause of death, the place of death, as well as the deceased's personal information. All original death certificates in New Mexico are filed with the state's Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records, and Health Statistics.

Typically, a funeral director collects a decedent's personal information from the next of kin or any qualified person to complete a death certificate. Afterward, they send the medical certification portion of the certificate to a medical professional for completion. Following this, the original death certificate is filed with the state's Bureau of Vital Records and Statistics for registration, per Section 24-14-20 of the New Mexico Statutes.

Anyone who is eligible and needs a death certificate in New Mexico may only request a certified copy of the original death certificate from the Bureau of Vital Records and Statistics. A certified copy of a death certificate is a genuine duplicate of the original certificate and may be used for any legal or administrative purpose. An original death certificate is always in the file of the state's Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.

How Do I Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate in New Mexico?

Only eligible persons may get certified copies of New Mexico death certificates, and they may submit their requests to the state's Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS) in any of the following ways:

• Mail-in Application - When requesting a certified copy of a death certificate by mail in New Mexico, the following steps are required:

  • Print and complete the Death Record Search Application, or write a request letter containing the following information:
  • The deceased's name
  • Location of death (the city of death is required, but if the county is known, it can also be included).
  • Date of death.
  • The name of the mortuary that handled the final arrangements.
  • The applicant's relationship with the deceased.
  • The deceased's Social Security number, if known.
  • The purpose for which a certified copy of the death certificate is being requested.
  • The requester's name, signature, physical address, and mailing address.
  • Prepare a photocopy of a government-issued photo identification.
  • Pay a non-refundable fee of $5 per certified copy of the requested death certificate (this includes the search fee) by money order or certified check made out to the New Mexico Vital Records.

  • Mail the completed application form, or properly written letter, and other requirements to the New Mexico Department of Health at:

    New Mexico Vital Records

    P.O. Box 26110

    Santa Fe, NM 87502

• In-Person Application - To request a certified copy of a New Mexico death certificate in person, complete the Death Record Search Application and submit it in person alongside a current government-issued photo ID with the appropriate fee to the BVRHS at:

  Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics

  2554 Camino Entrada

  Santa Fe, NM 87505

  Phone: (505) 827-0121

  Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

  The average processing time for a certified copy of a New Mexico death certificate is 6 to 12 weeks. However, this is subject to charge, depending on the volume of requests received by the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.

Are New Mexico Death Records Public?

In New Mexico, death records are considered confidential records. Access to records of death events that occur within the state is restricted to only certain individuals for a certain number of years. Per Section 24-14-27 of the New Mexico Statutes, death records only become open public records after 50 years have passed since the date of death.

Who Can Request an Original Death Certificate in New Mexico?

New Mexico death records are permanently maintained by the state's Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics and never issued to the public. However, eligible individuals may request certified copies of those certificates. Under state law, only immediate family members of a deceased and persons with tangible proof of legal interest in a death certificate may request certified copies.

Immediate members of the family generally include the deceased's current spouse, children, parents, siblings, and grandparents (both maternal and paternal). While access to certified copies of a New Mexico death certificate is restricted to qualified individuals only, members of the public may request copies of that certificate once it becomes an open public record 50 years after the date of death.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Death Certificate in New Mexico?

Depending on the circumstances surrounding a death and the request method adopted, it can take anywhere from a few days to about 12 weeks or more to get a certified copy of a New Mexico death certificate. In an ideal situation, it takes between 6 and 12 weeks to obtain a copy of a death certificate from the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics if the original death certificate has already been filed.

However, in certain cases, it may take several weeks or months before an original death certificate is filed with the New Mexico Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. This is usually what happens for a death event that occurs under unusual circumstances, which typically warrants that an autopsy be performed to determine the cause of death. An original death certificate cannot be prepared and filed without first determining the cause of death.

A standard forensic autopsy takes a few days in New Mexico. However, complicated and complex cases, like cases of traumatic deaths with multiple injuries or where further tests and investigations are required, may take several weeks or months to document all observations. In such situations, it takes longer for the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) to determine the cause of death. In turn, this causes a delay in preparing the final death certificate and, consequently, filing it with the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.

Can I View New Mexico Death Records online for free?

Yes, certain publicly available New Mexico death records may be viewed online free of charge. However, some sources for such records may require user registration, which is typically free. For instance, FamilySearch.org has name indexes to death records and microfilm copies from the state from 1788 to 1798 and 1838 to 1955. Similarly, Ancestry.com has records of deaths in New Mexico from 1889 to 1945, which are publicly accessible.

Furthermore, NewMexicopulicrecords.us and some other credible third-party sites offer access to publicly accessible records of deaths in the state. However, access is not free. Users are usually required to pay a small fee to view such records or download copies.

Alternatively, interested individuals may consider looking up substitute records to find information about death events that occur in New Mexico, free of charge. Records such as cemetery records, obituary records, newspapers (death notices), probate records, tax records, and church records are all great sources for looking up information regarding death events with no official records in the state.

When Would You Require A Death Certificate in New Mexico?

Copies of a death certificate are required for several purposes after the demise of a loved one. In New Mexico, these include the following legal and administrative purposes:

• Obtaining pension benefits, veterans' benefits, and other retirement benefits.
• Notifying government agencies like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) about a person's death to obtain benefits related to the deceased's identity.
• Notifying a credit card company about a person's death and canceling the deceased's credit card.
• Informing the deceased's insurance provider and filing insurance claims.
• Closing a deceased's bank accounts and settling their debts.
• Canceling telephone bills and subscriptions to other utility services.
• Transferring the ownership of a decedent's assets to authorized beneficiaries.
• Making arrangements for funerals.
• Notifying a mortgage lender or creditor of a person's death.

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need in New Mexico?

The number of death certificates required by anyone in New Mexico varies, depending on certain factors and specific needs. Generally, when requesting certified copies of a death certificate, it is important to consider the number of agencies requiring copies of the certificate, the scope of the deceased's assets, and the kinds of matters that need to be addressed. This will help to determine the actual number of copies required. In any ideal situation, 8 to 12 certified copies of a death certificate would go a long way in handling various legal and administrative matters after a person's death in New Mexico.