Turn your question
into a record request
One of the hardest parts of writing a records request is figuring out what the government calls the record that holds the information you’re looking for.
Below is a list of common questions people have and the names of the records that usually contain those answers.
How to use this list
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Start by determining what you want to know
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Think of the general category that information would fall under — schools, police, courts — then click on that category in the list below to get to the correct section
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There, see if any of the questions are similar to what you want to know, and see what record might contain that information
If, after using this list, you’re still not sure of the exact record name, use this fallback language:
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“I am requesting any records, including but not limited to [best guess of record type], that relate to [topic], for the time period of [dates].”
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This helps ensure your request is still valid — even if you don’t know the exact name of the record.
Government decisions & meetings ​
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“How did they vote?” → Meeting minutes or roll call vote record
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“What did they talk about?” → Meeting minutes or audio/video recording of the meeting
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“What was on the agenda?” → Meeting agenda
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“What decisions were made?” → Approved meeting minutes or resolutions
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“What happened in a closed meeting?” → Meeting minutes or audio/video recording of the meeting
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“What meetings are coming up?” → Public meeting notices or posted agendas
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“What did a committee do?” → Committee meeting minutes or reports to the full body
Police, sheriffs & public safety​​
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“What happened in that incident?” → Incident report or offense report
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“I want the video” → Body-worn camera footage or dash camera footage
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“What did officers say?” → Narrative reports or supplemental reports
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“When did police respond?” → CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) logs
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“Calls in my neighborhood” → Calls for service logs
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“Arrest details” → Arrest report, booking sheet, or arrest affidavit
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“911 call details” → 911 call recordings and dispatch logs
Courts & legal
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“What happened in a case?” → Case file or register of actions (docket sheet)
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“What was filed?” → Court filings or pleadings
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“What did the judge decide?” → Court order or judgment
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“Criminal charges filed” → Criminal complaint or information
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“Search warrant details” → Search warrant and return
Contracts, spending & vendors (state, county, city)​​
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“Who does the government do business with?” → Contracts, professional services agreements, or MOUs (Memoranda of Understanding)
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“How much did they spend?” → Invoices, purchase orders (POs), or expenditure reports
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“Who got paid?” → Accounts payable records or payment registers
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“Bids for a project” → RFPs (Requests for Proposals), IFBs (Invitations for Bids), and bid responses
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“Who won the bid?” → Award letters or bid tabulations
Employees, salaries & government personnel​
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“Who works there?” → Employee roster or directory
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“What do employees make?” → Salary records or payroll records
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“Job descriptions” → Job classifications or position descriptions
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“Who was hired?” → Employment contracts, offer letters, or personnel action forms (PAFs)
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“Complaints about an employee” → Personnel records (most information will be withheld under law)
Emails, texts & internal communication​​
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“I want their emails” → Emails between [name/title] and [name/title] regarding [topic]
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“Text messages” → Text messages on government-issued devices or official communication records
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“Internal discussions” → Emails, memos, or internal correspondence
Property, land use & development​
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“Who owns this property?” → Assessor records or property records
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“Property value” → Property assessment records
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“What’s being built?” → Building permits
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“Plans for a development” → Site plans, plat maps, or development plans
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“Zoning decisions” → Zoning applications, planning commission minutes, or staff reports
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“Code violations” → Code enforcement records
Legislature & state government​
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“What happened to a bill?” → Bill history or bill status reports
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“What amendments were made?” → Bill amendments or committee substitutes
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“Committee discussions” → Committee agendas, committee reports, or audio recordings
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“Fiscal impact” → Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) from the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee
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“What was said in a hearing?” → Committee hearing recordings or minutes
Schools & school districts​
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“What happened at a school?” → Incident reports
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“School board decisions” → School board meeting minutes
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“Policies and rules” → District policies or policy manuals
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“Contracts with vendors” → Vendor contracts
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“Superintendent communications” → Emails or official correspondence
Health, environment & inspections​
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“Restaurant inspections” → Health inspection reports
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“Violations” → Inspection reports or notice of violation
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“Environmental concerns” → Environmental reports or permit records
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“Water or air quality” → Testing reports or compliance records
Transportation & infrastructure​
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“Road construction details” → Project reports, engineering plans, or construction contracts
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“Traffic accidents” → Crash reports (often through NM Department of Transportation or law enforcement)
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“Public works projects” → Capital project reports or infrastructure plans
Elections & voting​
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“Election results” → Official canvass results
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“Voter turnout” → Election summary reports
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“Voting locations” → Polling place lists
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“Campaign finance” → Campaign finance reports filed with the New Mexico Secretary of State