State guide
New Mexico
New Mexico separates personal and financial authority: a guardian makes personal and medical decisions, while a conservator manages finances and property. Adult guardianship and conservatorship cases are handled in district court, and New Mexico has a large statewide court-run self-help system with approved forms and orientation materials.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
- Court that handles adult guardianship
- Adult guardianship and conservatorship petitions are handled in New Mexico district court as protected probate/guardianship-conservatorship matters.
- What it's called
- guardian (person/medical decisions) and conservator (finances/property)
- Filing fee
- $132.00
- Less-restrictive alternatives
- I did not find an enacted official statewide supported decision-making statute page among the New Mexico sources reviewed, but New Mexico court materials repeatedly require consideration of least restrictive alternatives and limited orders.
- Law
- NMSA 1978, Chapter 45, Article 5 (Probate Code; Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship and Other Protective Arrangements Act)
Official resources in New Mexico
First Judicial District: Fees, Costs & Filing
Publishes the district-court filing fee that includes PQ guardianship/conservatorship cases.
Second Judicial District Elder & Disability Initiative
Explains Bernalillo County’s court program supporting adult guardianship and conservatorship cases.
Key facts for New Mexico
- New Mexico defines guardianship for personal and medical decisions and conservatorship for finances, property, and bills.
- Guardians must use Form 4-996 NMRA for initial 90-day, annual, and final reports.
- Conservators must use Form 4-997 NMRA to file an inventory within 90 days of appointment.
- District courts publish PQ guardianship/conservatorship case filing fees of $132.00.
- New Mexico law requires courts to review adult guardianships and conservatorships at least every ten years.
- The 2021 reforms require the guardian ad litem to identify and present less restrictive alternatives to the judge.
County court guardianship pages in New Mexico
| Court | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Judicial District Court Civil Division Bernalillo | Albuquerque | 505-841-7451 | Civil division handles guardianship/conservatorship filings and records requests in Bernalillo County. |
| Second Judicial District Court Elder & Disability Initiative Bernalillo | Albuquerque | (505) 841-5461 | Court program that assists judges with adult guardianship and conservatorship cases and answers general questions. |
| First Judicial District Self Help Center Santa Fe | Santa Fe | 505-455-8250 or 505-455-8166 | Provides forms and procedural information to self-represented litigants. |
| Third Judicial District Self Help Center Doña Ana | Las Cruces | 575-528-8399 | Walk-in self-help center offering forms and procedural guidance for self-represented court users. |
| First Judicial District Court Clerk / Fees, Costs & Filing Santa Fe | Santa Fe | Not published* | Publishes the district court filing fee schedule, including PQ guardianship/conservatorship cases. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Start with the statewide self-help page and then check your district court’s clerk or self-help center for local filing instructions.
- Watch the required orientation videos before appointment and file the certificate with the clerk.
- If only limited help is needed, ask the court to consider a limited order and other less restrictive options.
Not seeing your court or county?
Not every court publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from New Mexico's population center, for comparison only):
- El Paso County Self-Help Center, Colorado · about 308 miles
- Superior Court in Maricopa County - Law Library Resource Center, Arizona · about 334 miles
- Superior Court in Maricopa County - Probate and Mental Health Department, Arizona · about 334 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.First Judicial District: Fees, Costs & Filing
Website →Phone: (855) 268-7804 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the New Mexico page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.