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McKinley County resolves money disputes up to $10,000 in 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 McKinley 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.
One courthouse takes small claims for McKinley County, shown below. The court checks the location against the defendant's address and the place of the dispute.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Confirm the courthouse before you file. The court's own small-claims page carries its current filing location and hours, and Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
About 68,945 people live in McKinley County. McKinley County Courthouse, in Gallup, is the courthouse listed for McKinley County.
Small claims are filed here on paper, at the counter or through the mail. Squabble prepares the full packet before it goes.
Small claims hearings are held 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.
Small claims cases in McKinley County, New Mexico are heard through the New Mexico Magistrate Court, which handles claims up to $10000. The McKinley County Courthouse is located in Gallup at 207 W Hill Ave Room 202, 87301, and can be reached at (505) 863-6816. County information is posted at https://www.co.mckinley.nm.us/. The court serves a county population of 68,945 and covers communities including Gallup, Crownpoint, Thoreau, Tohatchi, Zuni, Church Rock, Navajo, and Prewitt, along with ZIP codes such as 87301, 87313, 87323, and 87327. McKinley County lies near Cibola County, San Juan County, and Sandoval County. Electronic filing is not available for these cases, so filings are handled at the courthouse. Residents of smaller communities in the county, among them Brimhall, Gamerco, Jamestown, Mentmore, Mexican Springs, Rehoboth, Smith Lake, Vanderwagen, and Yatahey, use the same Gallup location. Questions about filing procedures can be directed to the courthouse by telephone at the number listed above.
McKinley County covers these 19 towns and cities:
Brimhall, Church Rock, Continental Divide, Crownpoint, Fort Wingate, Gallup, Gamerco, Jamestown, Mentmore, Mexican Springs, Navajo, Prewitt, Rehoboth, Smith Lake, Thoreau, Tohatchi, Vanderwagen, Yatahey, Zuni.
ZIP codes:
McKinley County is the 9th most populous of New Mexico's 33 counties, with about 68,945 residents. McKinley County Courthouse sits about 30 miles from the Cibola County courthouse in Grants and 44 miles from the San Juan County courthouse in Farmington.
Counties nearest to this one:
Small claims is the court's track for everyday money disputes: simplified rules, and limits on how much you can sue for.
Maximum claim
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
Courts do not allow one dispute to be filed as several in order to beat the maximum.
A small-claims judge generally orders one side to pay money; other kinds of orders belong in higher courts.
New Mexico permits lawyers at the hearing without requiring them. Everything is built around people presenting their own case.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
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.
McKinley County Courthouse is the courthouse listed for McKinley County. McKinley County is under the same limits as nearby Cibola County and San Juan County.
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.
McKinley County takes in Brimhall, Church Rock and Continental Divide and the rest of the county. McKinley County has about 68,945 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Set out the claim on the court's form, identify the correct courthouse, and pay the fee.
Service puts the papers in the defendant's hands and starts their time to answer or settle.
Expect a brief session rather than a trial, in person or by video where available, with a decision at the end or soon after.
Everything below applies to a case filed in McKinley County, at the Gallup courthouse. This is the route a McKinley County case takes, whether it starts in 87045 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
A filed case still has to reach the defendant. Formal notice, known as service of process, does that, and delivering it personally is generally not allowed.
Courts accept service by a sheriff or constable, a professional server, the clerk via certified mail, or an adult who is not party to the case. Permitted methods and charges change by county.
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.
Service is proved on paper. The server completes and signs a form, and it is filed before the matter is heard.
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 McKinley County include places such as Brimhall, Church Rock and Continental Divide. A McKinley County address carries one of its 21 ZIP codes, 87045, 87301 and 87302 among them.
You have a limited window to file, measured from when the dispute arose. File after it closes and your claim can be barred.
| Kind of claim | Time limit to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 4 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
They do not change from one McKinley County ZIP code to another, 87045 included. The same periods apply in McKinley County as in nearby Cibola County and San Juan County, which are in the same state.
Money owed under a contract in New Mexico generally accrues interest at 8.75% per year before judgment (N.M. Stat. §56-8-4).
The Squabble interest calculator shows what the accrued figure comes to on top of the principal.
The rate above is the one for McKinley County, population about 68,945. It is the same rate across all 21 McKinley County ZIP codes.
Make sure the claim is under the maximum and that the limitation period has not expired.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File with the McKinley County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $25–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Once the court fixes a date, have the papers served and return the proof of service to the file.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Attend the hearing, in person or by video if that is offered, make your case, and receive the outcome.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed for you.
Start for FREE →Claim form starts the case · Proof of service shows the defendant was notified · Fee waiver if you qualify. Exact form names vary by court; Squabble prepares the right ones for your courthouse.
McKinley County has a population of about 68,945. McKinley County takes in filings from 21 ZIP codes, 87045 first in the list.
Expect a short, informal hearing in which the judge asks the questions. Most people present their own case.
McKinley County has about 68,945 residents. McKinley County Courthouse sits at the 87301 address shown above.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Where the law allows, an employer can be directed to send part of the debtor's pay to the court.
With a bank levy, the court reaches funds held in the debtor's account directly.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings the debtor owns.
Courts can also summon the debtor to answer questions about income and property under oath. Until the balance is paid, interest usually continues to run at the statutory rate.
The judgment in a McKinley County case comes from McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup. Cibola County and San Juan County are the counties nearest to McKinley County.
Information reviewed August 2026. Courts change fees, limits and procedures, so check the current details 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 McKinley County case for you.
