New Mexico small claims
How to fill out New Mexico's 4-201 (Civil Complaint)
Official form: 4-201 — Civil Complaint · Walkthrough written against Form 4-201, as amended effective January 1, 1995
Download the official form — free, from the court
The only authoritative copy of this form is the court's own. Courts re-issue forms, so downloading a fresh copy right before filing beats reusing a saved one. We link the official source and never host court forms ourselves.
Get the official 4-201 from the court's site →Link verified 2026-07-04. If it has moved, the court's forms index and clerk's office will have the current version — verify with the court before filing.
What this form is
Form 4-201 — "Civil Complaint" — is the Supreme Court–approved form that starts a civil money or property claim in New Mexico's magistrate courts. New Mexico has no separate small-claims form or division: modest money disputes are simply civil complaints in magistrate court, and this short form is the statewide vehicle. In Bernalillo County, the Metropolitan Court hears these cases and labels its version CV-004; the form's header also cross-references the district and Metropolitan Court equivalents (2-201, 3-201).
Magistrate courts hear civil claims up to a jurisdictional dollar ceiling set by statute — commonly published as $10,000 — and the court clerk can confirm the current limit. The complaint claims a money amount "and also claims interest and court costs," or the return of described personal property, or both.
The form is deliberately brief: a caption, four numbered paragraphs (venue, the claim amounts, the event or transaction behind the claim, and a jury-demand line), and a signature block with your printed name, address, and telephone number. Its revision note reads "As amended, effective January 1, 1995" — it has been stable for decades.
The form, field by field
What each part of the form asks for, in the form's own order. These are descriptions of the questions — what to answer depends on facts only you know, and the court clerk or the form's own instructions are the authoritative sources.
The caption
"IN THE ___ COURT, ___ COUNTY" and case number
The court (magistrate, or Metropolitan in Bernalillo County) and county where you are filing. The case number is the clerk's.
Plaintiff and Defendant lines, with the defendant's address and city
Who is suing and who is being sued. The form asks for the defendant's address and city in the caption itself — that is where service is directed.
Paragraph 1 — venue
"Plaintiff or defendant resides, or may be found in, or the cause of action arose in this county."
A pre-printed venue statement you adopt by signing. It is only true if the case actually belongs in the county named in the caption — because a party lives or can be found there, or the events happened there.
Paragraph 2 — what you are claiming
"Plaintiff claims from Defendant the amount of $___ and also claims interest and court costs."
The money claim. Interest and court costs are claimed by the printed text — they are not added into the dollar figure.
Personal property claim — value and description lines
An alternative (or additional) claim: "Plaintiff claims from Defendant personal property of the value of $___, which is described as follows," with lines to describe the property.
Paragraph 3 — the basis of the claim
"Plaintiff's claim arises from the following event or transaction:"
Three lines for a plain-language description of what happened — the contract, the damage, the unpaid debt — that gives rise to the claim.
Paragraph 4 and the signature block
"Trial by jury is (not) demanded."
The jury line, with the form's own parenthetical: "If a jury is demanded, an additional cost must be paid upon filing." Striking or keeping the "(not)" records the choice, and a demand raises the filing cost.
Date, signature, printed name, address, city/state/zip, telephone
You date and sign, then print your name, mailing address, and telephone number — the contact information the court uses for the case. No notarization block appears on the form.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠Filing in a county where neither party resides or can be found and where the events didn't happen — paragraph 1's venue statement is part of the signed complaint.
- ⚠Claiming an amount above the magistrate court's jurisdictional ceiling — larger claims belong in district court, and the clerk can confirm the current limit.
- ⚠Adding interest and costs into the paragraph-2 dollar figure — the printed text claims them separately.
- ⚠Completing neither the money line nor the property lines — the complaint has to state what is actually claimed.
- ⚠Demanding a jury without paying the additional cost — the form's own parenthetical requires the extra payment at filing.
- ⚠Using the 4-201 in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court without checking for its local version — Metro labels the equivalent form CV-004.
What filing costs, and where it happens
The magistrate court filing fee for a civil complaint is commonly around $77, and a jury demand adds a further cost that the form itself flags as payable at filing. Service costs are separate and depend on the method used.
You file with the magistrate court clerk in the proper county — or the Metropolitan Court in Bernalillo County — and the defendant is served with the complaint and summons. The clerk's office quotes the exact filing, jury, and service totals for your case — verify before filing.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our New Mexico small claims guide and the court directory. Fees change — verify the current amount with the clerk before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get Form 4-201?
From nmcourts.gov — the official PDF is free and linked on this page. Magistrate court clerk offices provide paper copies; in Bernalillo County, ask the Metropolitan Court about its CV-004 version.
Does New Mexico have a small claims court?
Not as a separate division or form — modest money and property claims are ordinary civil complaints in magistrate court (or Metropolitan Court in Bernalillo County), filed on this form, with informal procedures suited to self-representation.
How much can I sue for?
Up to the magistrate court's civil jurisdictional limit, set by statute and commonly published as $10,000 — the clerk confirms the current ceiling. Claims above it belong in district court.
Can I ask for a jury?
Paragraph 4 records the choice — "Trial by jury is (not) demanded" — and the form warns that a jury demand means an additional cost paid at filing.
What does it cost to file?
Commonly around $77 for the complaint, plus service costs and the extra jury fee if demanded. The magistrate court clerk confirms the exact total for your county — verify before filing.
Related guides
Form link verified: 2026-07-04. Reviewed against our Editorial Standards.
This is general information to help you understand the form — not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Courts revise forms, fees, and procedures; the court's own instructions and your court clerk are the authoritative sources. Always verify with the court before filing.