Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, has about 40,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Rio Arriba County depends on where the incident happened: the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Inspection of Public Records Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Rio Arriba County public records, Rio Arriba County arrest records, Rio Arriba County warrants, Rio Arriba County inmate search, Rio Arriba County property records, New Mexico arrest records and New Mexico inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Rio Arriba County
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
In Rio Arriba County that is the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
Reports from the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office
The Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office is the county agency.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 505-747-6367. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at rio-arriba.org/Departments/Departments-Divisions/Detention-Center (page title: Detention Center Rio Arriba County, NM), phone 505-747-6367, 7350 Location 2 Main St. Bldg 2 Tierra Amarilla, NM 87575, Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Reports from the City Agencies in Rio Arriba County
The one city the FBI lists in Rio Arriba County with a reporting agency of its own:
- Española: 356 arrests reported for 2025.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
What the Inspection of Public Records Act Requires
Under the Inspection of Public Records Act the agency must answer a request within 15 calendar days, after acknowledging the request within 3 business days, and it may charge copying at no more than $1 a page. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney, (505) 827-5000, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Rio Arriba County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the Inspection of Public Records Act the answer is due within 15 calendar days, after acknowledging the request within 3 business days.
How long does an agency in Rio Arriba County have to answer?
Under the Inspection of Public Records Act, within 15 calendar days, after acknowledging the request within 3 business days. It may charge copying at no more than $1 a page.
How do I get a report from the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 505-747-6367. Under the Inspection of Public Records Act the answer is due within 15 calendar days, after acknowledging the request within 3 business days.
Is this the official Rio Arriba County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.