Under the State of New Mexico's Inspection of Public Records Act, any individual may request to inspect (and possibly copy) any public records that are the responsibility of Los Alamos County. The Custodian of Records is the County Manager. The responsibility can be delegated to another County employee, who then becomes the Designated Custodian of Records. This is the policy in effect at the County.
The County has an administrative policy (Index No. 0280) that closely mirrors the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, NMSA 1978.
There is no charge to inspect a public record. However, if you choose to request copies of the record(s), there will be copying charges. Index No. 280 and a copy fee schedule are available from the Designated Custodian of Records.
There are three ways to inspect public records - in all three cases, it is important that you provide as much specific detail about the record you are seeking as possible, so that we can accurately retrieve the documents you are seeking, or those that most closely match your request.
- Call the Designated Custodian and give a verbal request for the document along with your name and address. Phone#: 505-663-1891.
- Visit the office of the Designated Custodian and fill out a Public Records Request form in person. The Designated Custodian of Records is located at the Municipal Building, 1000 Central Av., Suite 190 Room 188. Office window hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m..
- Request the public record on-line or by using e-mail. The Inspection of Public Records 14-2-8 (C), states a written request shall provide the name, address and telephone number of the person seeking access to the records and shall identify the records sought with reasonable particularity. Please submit your email and include your name, address, and the record(s) you are seeking. Please provide a telephone number where we may contact you if we have any questions about your e-mail request.
There are limited exceptions to the IPRA, and there are associated deadlines for compliance with a written request. The State Attorney General offers more information about the Inspection of Public Records Act, including a helpful guide: A Compliance Guide for New Mexico Public Officials and Citizens. Visit the Attorney General's website for more info.