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In Doña Ana County, money disputes up to $10,000 go to the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
This page sets out the ceiling on claims, what the court charges, the courthouse that covers Doña Ana County, how notice reaches the other party, the time limits, and the filing steps. Squabble can prepare and lodge the paperwork when you decide to go ahead.
Doña Ana County runs several hub courthouses for these cases. Assignment follows the ZIP code of the defendant or of the dispute itself.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Check the filing location first. The court's small-claims page lists where papers are taken today, and Squabble confirms it for your case as part of filing.
About 229,366 people live in Doña Ana County. 3 courthouses serve Doña Ana County, Dona Ana County Magistrate Court among them.
Filings here are on paper, brought to the counter or posted. Squabble assembles the packet so it is complete when it arrives.
Hearings in small claims are attended in person at the courthouse.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
Residents of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, a county of 229,366 people that includes Las Cruces, Anthony, Hatch, Mesilla, Sunland Park and Santa Teresa, can file small claims cases in the New Mexico Magistrate Court, which handles claims up to $10,000. The Dona Ana County Magistrate Court sits at 110 Calle de Alegra in Las Cruces, 88005, and can be reached at (575) 524-2814. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. A second location, the Anthony Circuit Court-Magistrate Court (Dona Ana County), is at 220 Crossett Lane Suite B in Anthony, 88021, with a phone number of (575) 882-2554 and hours of 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 to 4:00 PM on weekdays. The Doña Ana County Anthony Magistrate Court Las Cruces Division is located at 256 W Las Cruces Ave in Las Cruces. Electronic filing is not available. Court information is posted at http://www.nmcourts.gov/.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 21 communities:
Anthony, Berino, Chamberino, Dona Ana, Fairacres, Garfield, Hatch, La Mesa, Las Cruces, Mesilla, Mesilla Park, Mesquite, Organ, Radium Springs, Rincon, Salem, San Miguel, Santa Teresa, Sunland Park, Vado, White Sands Missile Range.
With about 229,366 residents, Doña Ana County ranks 2nd by population among the 33 counties of New Mexico. Dona Ana County Magistrate Court in Las Cruces lies around 32 miles from the Sierra County courthouse in Truth or Consequences and 32 miles from the Otero County courthouse in Alamogordo.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
The small claims track exists for routine money disputes: fewer formalities, and a cap on what can be claimed.
Maximum claim
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
One dispute cannot be broken into several cases to slip under the cap.
The remedy here is money. Orders telling someone to do or stop something sit with higher courts.
New Mexico permits lawyers at the hearing without requiring them. Everything is built around people presenting their own case.
Where a party is under 18, the court appoints a guardian to act.
Over the limit? Claims over the cap can go two ways: cut to the limit and stay, or move to regular civil court at full value. Cutting it normally waives the excess.
Doña Ana County has 3 courthouses listed on this page. They are the same across all 29 Doña Ana County ZIP codes, from 87936 onward.
Where money is owed and the sum is no more than $10,000, this is the right court. The following disputes are the common ones.
Doña Ana County has about 229,366 residents. Doña Ana County takes in Anthony, Berino and Chamberino and the rest of the county.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Complete the claim form, choose the right court, and pay the filing fee.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve it.
The hearing itself is short and informal. Some courts allow video. The ruling comes then or later in writing.
Dona Ana County Magistrate Court publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. This is the route a Doña Ana County case takes, whether it starts in 87936 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
Once the case is on file, the law requires the other side to be told about it formally. That step is service of process, and the papers cannot normally come from your own hand.
Who may serve depends on the court: law enforcement, a paid process server, the clerk by certified mail, or a disinterested adult. Costs and rules are local.
There is a deadline, counted backwards from the hearing, by which the defendant must have the papers. Ask the clerk for it when the date is assigned.
After delivery, the server fills out a proof of service, and that goes on the court file before the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Addresses in Doña Ana County include places such as Anthony, Berino and Chamberino. Sierra County and Luna County are the counties nearest to Doña Ana County.
The right to bring a claim expires. The period is measured from the moment the dispute arose, and once it has run the court can refuse the case.
| What the claim is about | Time limit to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 4 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
The same periods apply in Doña Ana County as in nearby Sierra County and Luna County, which are in the same state. Doña Ana County, population about 229,366, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in New Mexico generally accrues interest at 8.75% per year before judgment (N.M. Stat. §56-8-4).
A running total including interest can be worked out with the Squabble interest calculator.
The rate above is the one for Doña Ana County, population about 229,366. Doña Ana County is under the same state rate as nearby Sierra County and Luna County.
Check that the amount is within the limit and that you're inside the statute of limitations for your claim type.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File at the Doña Ana County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $25–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Arrange service once your hearing date is set and file the proof of service with the court.
Sort the documents and exhibits in advance so they can be handed up in order.
Attend, in the courtroom or by video where the court allows it, put your case, and hear the ruling.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares the documents, runs a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your case for you.
Start for FREE →Three documents recur: the claim form that begins it, the proof of service confirming delivery, and a fee waiver if eligible. Names vary locally; Squabble selects the correct versions.
Anthony, Berino and Chamberino are among the places in Doña Ana County that filings come from. A Doña Ana County filing goes to one of 3 courthouses, Dona Ana County Magistrate Court among them.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Anthony, Berino and Chamberino are among the Doña Ana County places a hearing can draw parties from. Doña Ana County hearings are held at one of its 3 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Part of the debtor's earnings may be redirected toward the judgment where state law provides for it.
A levy lets the court reach money sitting in the debtor's bank account.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property the debtor owns.
You may also apply for an order compelling the debtor to attend and disclose income and assets on oath. Interest generally continues at the rate the state sets until the debt is met.
Sierra County and Luna County are the counties nearest to Doña Ana County. A Doña Ana County judgment comes from one of its 3 listed courthouses.
Last reviewed August 2026. Court fees, limits, and procedures change. Verify current details with the court before filing.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Doña Ana County case for you.
