Search the Bernalillo County MDC Custody, Arrest and Release Records
For an inmate held at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque, start with the official MDC Custody List. Use the separate Arrest List when you are researching recent bookings, and move to New Mexico court records when you need the criminal case rather than jail status.
Records Search
Court, Criminal, Marriage, Divorce, Property
An MDC arrest record, booking entry or booking photograph documents an arrest or detention event. It does not prove guilt, establish a conviction or necessarily show the final charge or court outcome.
Choose the MDC Search That Matches Your Question
“MDC inmate lookup” can mean current custody, a recent arrest or a recent release. Bernalillo County separates those tasks rather than using one page for every type of jail record.
Is the person in MDC now?
Use the MDC Custody List. This is the primary lookup when you need to know whether someone is presently shown in Metropolitan Detention Center custody.
Was someone recently booked?
Use Bernalillo County’s MDC Arrest List rather than treating the current-custody roster as a permanent arrest archive.
Has the person left MDC custody?
Check the MDC Release List when a person no longer appears as currently incarcerated but may have been released recently.
What happened after the booking?
Use New Mexico Courts Case Lookup for the judicial record. A jail entry tells you about detention; the court record is where later hearings and case activity belong.
Need the incident or arrest report?
Contact the law-enforcement agency that created the report. Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff records are separate from MDC’s jail custody record.
Need an official New Mexico criminal-history record?
Metropolitan Court states that it is not the official keeper of statewide criminal-history records. That role belongs to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.
How to Search the Official MDC Custody List
Bernalillo County’s public custody system is the best starting point when the immediate question is whether a person is currently shown at MDC. Search carefully and verify identity before repeating arrest information.
Open the official Bernalillo County custody search
Use the county-hosted MDC Custody List. The system may first display Bernalillo County’s terms and reference-only disclaimer before allowing you to continue.
Enter the strongest identifier you have
The custody search supports identifying fields such as arrest date, inmate ID, first name and last name. Partial-name searches may be useful when the spelling is uncertain.
Open the matching record detail
Do not stop at the results list. A detailed MDC record can contain the person ID, booking number, booking date, year of birth, active holds, housing information, admission details and related case numbers.
Review arrests, charges, warrants and bail separately
These fields describe different parts of the custody record. A listed charge or warrant is not the same thing as a conviction or final case disposition.
Save the booking and case identifiers
Write down the person ID, booking number and relevant case number before calling the facility or checking court records. Those identifiers are more reliable than relying on a common name alone.
Finding an MDC Mugshot Without Losing the Booking Context
People often search for an “MDC mugshot” when what they actually need is confirmation of a booking. Start with the official custody or arrest record and use the photograph, when publicly displayed, only as one part of the identification process.
Current inmate
Open the custody record and review the complete booking details. The booking number, admission information, charges, case numbers and custody information are usually more useful than a photograph by itself.
Photo not displayed
Do not assume an arrest did not occur simply because an image is unavailable. Verify the booking record, arresting agency and court case instead of depending on a third-party mugshot page.
Use the MDC Arrest List for Recent Booking Searches
The Arrest List serves a different purpose from the Custody List. It is useful when you want to review recent MDC bookings rather than determine only who remains incarcerated at the moment you search.
Start with the arrest date
Recent-booking tools are organized around the booking or arrest period. If you know when the arrest happened, use that date to narrow the records instead of browsing unrelated current inmates.
Move to the Custody List
After finding a recent booking, use the current Custody List if you need to know whether the person remains housed at MDC.
Save the case number
If the MDC record provides a court case number, use it in New Mexico Case Lookup to follow the judicial record rather than treating the jail charge as the final case result.
Check the MDC Release List When an Inmate Disappears From the Current Roster
A person can leave the current custody list because of release, transfer or another change in status. Bernalillo County maintains a separate release resource so a missing current-custody result should not automatically be interpreted as “no arrest.”
Recently released
Check Bernalillo County’s official release information and compare the person’s identity and booking details. Release from MDC does not itself tell you whether the criminal case was dismissed, remains pending or reached another outcome.
Transferred elsewhere
An MDC record may reflect a transfer or release to another agency. When that happens, identify the destination or later custody system before assuming the person is no longer incarcerated anywhere.
What an MDC Booking Detail Can Tell You
Official MDC detail pages can contain several groups of information. Each field has a specific purpose and should not be interpreted more broadly than the record supports.
| MDC field | What it helps confirm | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Person ID | A county identifier associated with the individual. | Criminal guilt or case outcome. |
| Booking number | The specific MDC booking event. | That every listed allegation resulted in prosecution. |
| Booking / admission date | When the person entered the booking or detention process. | The exact time the underlying incident occurred. |
| Active holds | Whether the jail record currently displays an active hold. | That release will occur at a specific time. |
| Arrest information | Available agency, date, location and related case information. | A conviction. |
| Charge description | The allegation associated with the jail or case record at that stage. | The final filed charge or disposition. |
| Warrant information | Warrant details displayed in the custody record. | That every warrant remains active indefinitely. |
| Bail details | Available bail type, amount, release type or related status. | That release has already occurred. |
Where to Check and Post Bond for an MDC Inmate
Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court handles in-custody bonding for applicable Metro Court cases. The court publishes separate bonding instructions, so do not assume that a bond should be paid directly at MDC.
Verify the amount first
The Metropolitan Court’s bonding guidance says bond information can be confirmed through the bonding window or by contacting MDC at 505-839-8700. Recheck the current amount before traveling or making a payment.
Metropolitan Court bonding
The courthouse is at 401 Lomas Blvd. NW in Albuquerque. The court currently publishes weekday in-custody bonding through Customer Service and extended hours through its external bonding window.
Check the required payment and identification
The court’s current bonding instructions require the name of the person in custody and government-issued identification. Accepted payment and bonding requirements can depend on the transaction, so review the current court instructions before traveling.
Use New Mexico Case Lookup for the Criminal Court Record
MDC answers jail and custody questions. New Mexico Case Lookup answers court-record questions. Use the court system when you need a hearing, filed case, later docket activity or disposition rather than relying on the original booking entry.
Copy the case number from the MDC record
A case number is usually a more precise court-search key than a common name. MDC detail pages can display case numbers alongside arrests, charges, warrants and bail information.
Open New Mexico Courts Case Lookup
Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court directs users to the statewide Case Lookup system for current electronic court information.
Match the correct court case
Compare the defendant name, case number and other available information. One jail booking can involve more than one case or warrant.
Use the court record for later case events
Hearings, court orders, filed charges and disposition belong to the court record. Do not represent the original MDC booking charge as the final legal outcome.
A Police Report Is Different From an MDC Booking Record
MDC maintains detention information. The law-enforcement agency that handled the incident maintains its own police, arrest or investigative records. Identify the arresting agency in the jail record before requesting the underlying report.
Albuquerque Police Department
If the MDC arrest entry identifies APD as the agency, use Albuquerque Police records procedures for the incident or police report rather than asking the jail to reproduce an APD investigative file.
Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office
If the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is the arresting agency, use its official records route for the agency-created report.
Do not request police reports from Metro Court
Metropolitan Court states that police reports must be obtained from Albuquerque Police or the Bernalillo County Sheriff rather than from the court.
MDC Inmate Search Troubleshooting
A missing result does not always mean the person was never booked. The next step depends on whether you are researching current custody, a recent arrest, a release or an older case.
Check the Arrest and Release Lists
A person may already have been released or may appear in a recent arrest record even though the current Custody List no longer shows them.
Try partial spelling and identifiers
Use the available first-name, last-name, arrest-date or inmate-ID fields. Save the booking number and person ID once you locate the correct record.
Allow for booking processing
Very recent events may not immediately appear in every public-facing system. Recheck the official county list rather than relying on copied third-party information.
Move beyond the current roster
Check release information and the related court case. A transfer or release from MDC does not necessarily end the underlying criminal case.
Search the court record
Use New Mexico Case Lookup. Jail records document custody; the court file is the appropriate source for later judicial events and disposition information.
Confirm directly with MDC or the court
Bernalillo County warns that its jail web data is reference information. Confirm critical bail, release, housing or court information through the responsible agency.
MDC and Bernalillo County Court Contacts
Recheck official websites before traveling because hours, procedures and service locations can change.
Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center
100 Deputy Dean Miera Dr SWAlbuquerque, NM 87151
General inmate information: 505-839-8700
Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
401 Lomas Blvd. NWAlbuquerque, NM 87102
Customer Service: 505-841-8151
MDC Inmate Lookup and Mugshot FAQs
Which MDC does this inmate lookup guide cover?
This guide covers the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The facility is commonly called MDC or Metro Detention Center.
How do I search for someone currently in MDC?
Use Bernalillo County’s official MDC Custody List. Search using available identifiers such as arrest date, inmate ID, first name or last name, then open the matching record detail.
What information can an MDC custody record show?
Official detail pages can show a person ID, booking number, booking date, year of birth, active holds, housing, admission details, arrests, charges, warrants, case numbers and bail information.
Does an MDC mugshot mean someone was convicted?
No. A booking photograph or jail entry documents an arrest or custody event. It does not establish guilt or show the final result of the court case.
How do I find recent MDC bookings?
Use Bernalillo County’s separate MDC Arrest List for recent booking activity. Use the Custody List when your question is whether the person remains in jail now.
Why is someone missing from the MDC Custody List?
The person may have been released, transferred, recently booked, held elsewhere or listed differently. Check the Arrest List and Release List and confirm time-sensitive information directly with MDC when necessary.
Where do I check the court case after an MDC booking?
Use New Mexico Courts Case Lookup. A case number from the MDC record can help identify the correct court file.
Can I get a police report from Metropolitan Court?
Metropolitan Court says no. Police and accident reports must be requested from the appropriate law-enforcement agency, such as Albuquerque Police Department or the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.
Where can I verify bond information for an MDC inmate?
Check the available bail information in the MDC record and use Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court’s official in-custody bonding guidance. MDC can also be contacted at 505-839-8700 for time-sensitive inmate information.
Official Sources for MDC Inmate and Court Records
These systems answer different questions. Use the jail source for custody, the court system for case activity and the responsible law-enforcement agency for police reports.
- Bernalillo County MDC Custody List — current inmate and booking information.
- Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center — jail services, custody, arrest and release information.
- Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court — court information and services.
- Metropolitan Court In-Custody Bonding — current official bond-posting instructions.
- New Mexico Courts Case Lookup — electronic court-record search.
- Albuquerque Police Department — APD information and police-record routes.
- Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office — county law-enforcement information and records.
Sources reviewed September 29, 2026. Bernalillo County’s main MDC webpage blocked direct retrieval in part of the research environment, but the county-hosted custody system, individual official custody records and current New Mexico Courts resources were accessible. No unverified jail refresh interval or guaranteed mugshot availability is claimed here.