De Baca County, New Mexico Court Filing
Fee Lookup

Court filing fees in De Baca County, New Mexico are collected by the De Baca County Probate Court in Fort Sumner according to New Mexico's statutory fee schedule, plus any local surcharges authorized by county ordinance. New Mexico's court structure — District Court (civil/family) / Probate Court (county-level) / Magistrate Court (small claims/limited civil) — determines which courthouse accepts which case types and what fees apply.

The De Baca County Probate Court operates as a smaller court handling civil matters alongside other case types. Confirming the current fee schedule with the clerk's office is recommended, as fees can change when new state legislation takes effect or when the county updates its local surcharge schedule.

For the full New Mexico court filing fee schedule, see our New Mexico Court Filing Fees.

The Tenth Judicial District Court (De Baca County) is located at 514 Avenue C, Fort Sumner, NM 88119. The court clerk can be reached at (575) 355-2896.

Visit the court's website for current forms, fee schedules, and filing instructions.

Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM.

• Filing fees in De Baca County are based on New Mexico's statutory schedule, which applies statewide, plus any local surcharges assessed by the county. For reference, the statewide base fees by case type are: probate and estate filings — $50–$100 (Probate Court) / $30–$90 (District Court — Probate)
• civil complaints and appearances — $132–$197 (District Court) / $24–$36 (Magistrate Court)
• family law matters (divorce, custody, support) — $132–$197 (District Court — Domestic Relations)
• small claims filings — $24–$36 (Magistrate Court small claims). These figures represent the state-level base
• the total amount due at the De Baca County Probate Court in Fort Sumner may include additional local charges.

As a smaller jurisdiction, De Baca County typically operates with modest local surcharges, though the base state filing fees apply uniformly.

• Beyond the initial filing fee, De Baca County litigants and estate administrators should budget for recurring court costs throughout the proceeding: fees for filing subsequent motions and responses, charges for certified copies of letters testamentary or court orders (typically $5 to $25 per document in New Mexico), jury demand deposits in civil cases, and in probate matters, fees associated with filing the inventory, accountings, and petition for discharge.
• For a complete picture of expected court costs in De Baca County, request the full fee schedule from the De Baca County Probate Court clerk in Fort Sumner before initiating the proceeding.

New Mexico is expanding e-filing across its court system. The De Baca County Probate Court in Fort Sumner may still accept or require paper filings for some case types.

Contact the clerk directly to confirm requirements for your case type and whether a convenience fee (typically $2–$8 per transaction) applies. For full statewide e-filing details, see our New Mexico Court Filing Fees.

• De Baca County residents who cannot afford court filing fees may apply for a fee waiver under N.M.
• Stat.
• Ann. § 34-6-5.
• To apply, file a declaration of financial condition with the De Baca County Probate Court clerk's office in Fort Sumner at the time of your initial filing.
• The declaration lists all household income sources, monthly expenses, assets, and liabilities.
• A judge or court commissioner reviews the application and issues an order granting or denying the waiver, typically within a few days of submission.

• Eligibility for a fee waiver in De Baca County generally requires that household income fall at or below 125% to 200% of the federal poverty level, or that the applicant is receiving qualifying public benefits — commonly Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or public housing assistance.
• The specific income thresholds and qualifying programs are defined in N.M.
• Stat.
• Ann. § 34-6-5 and may have been updated by recent legislation.
• Ask the De Baca County Probate Court clerk in Fort Sumner for the current income guidelines before completing your declaration.

• A granted fee waiver covers filing fees charged by the De Baca County Probate Court — including initial filing fees and subsequent filings in the same case — but does not cover costs owed to third parties.
• In De Baca County probate proceedings, a fee waiver does not eliminate the cost of publishing a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation (a statutory requirement in most states), service of process fees paid to process servers or the sheriff's office, or costs for court-ordered appraisals.
• Budget for these additional costs separately even when a fee waiver is in effect.