File via paper letter — step by step

Where to send it

The City Clerk is the official records custodian for the City of Alamogordo. Send your request there — not to the Police Department directly, even though the records concern APD.

Verify before sending. City contact information can change. Confirm the address, phone, and email on the city website before you mail anything. If anything has changed, update the template accordingly.

Step 1. Download the template

The paper-letter version of the template includes a proper salutation, signature block, and contact info — everything you'd expect on a real letter. Pick whichever format is easiest to edit:

Download .pdf Download .docx

Use .docx if you can — it's the easiest to edit. The .pdf works fine if you print it and fill it in by hand, but a typed and signed letter looks more professional.

Step 2. Edit it

The template has bracketed placeholders that you need to replace. The IPRA requires that a written request contain the requester's name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number (§ 14-2-5) — a request that omits any of these may be rejected as not properly submitted.

1. Your contact information — replace [Your Name], [Your Mailing Address], [Your Email Address], and [Your Phone Number] with your real information. This is required by IPRA.
2. Date — replace [Insert Date] with the date you're sending the request. This is the date that starts the 15-day clock.
3. The "Re:" line — you can keep it as-is, or shorten it to something like "IPRA Request — ALPR Records". The full version is unambiguous but verbose.
4. Records requested — the template asks for seven categories of records (contracts, policies, data-sharing, retention, deployment, costs, termination). If any of those aren't relevant to your concern — for instance, if you only care about cost — feel free to delete the others. But think twice before trimming: each item forces the agency to either produce or formally deny, which is the part that actually works.
5. Sign it — printed name and signature at the bottom. For an email-of-paper-letter route, a typed name in the signature block works; for a printed letter, ink signature is best.

Step 3. Choose a delivery method

The whole point of a paper letter is the paper trail, so use a delivery method that gives you proof of when it arrived. Pick one of these three:

Option A. Email (fastest, easiest)

Email the .docx or .pdf to ipra@ci.alamogordo.nm.us. The timestamp on the email is your proof of delivery. This is the method the City Clerk prefers and the one most residents use.

Tip: use your real email address (not a throwaway). The agency will use it for any follow-up questions, and if they later claim they tried to contact you and couldn't, your real address on file is your protection.

Option B. USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt (most defensible)

If this is a high-stakes request, or you expect pushback, send it by USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt requested. The certified-mail receipt proves the postmark date (start of the 15-day clock), and the signed return receipt proves when the City Clerk's office actually received it.

At the post office, ask for:

• Certified Mail — gives you a receipt with a tracking number
• Return Receipt (the green card) — the recipient signs it and you get the card back in the mail, showing who signed and when

Cost is roughly $5–$10 depending on weight. Bring the letter unfolded in a flat envelope or a manila envelope. Keep the certified-mail receipt with your copy of the letter.

Where to mail it:

Option C. Hand-deliver to City Hall

You can also drop the letter off in person at the City Clerk's office at City Hall (1376 East Ninth Street, same address). For a paper trail, ask the clerk to date-stamp your copy at the same time — most will do this without being asked, but asking makes it explicit. Office hours are typically 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; call (575) 439-4100 to confirm before you go.

Step 4. Track the deadline

The 15-day response clock starts on the date the agency receives the request — not the date you mailed it. For each delivery method:

• Email: the clock starts on the day you sent it (the email timestamp).
• Certified mail: the clock starts on the date shown on the return receipt (when the clerk's office signed for it).
• Hand-delivery: the clock starts on the date the clerk date-stamped your copy.

New Mexico law gives the agency 15 days to respond for most records (§ 14-2-8(D)) and 3 business days for records to which a law-enforcement-related exception may apply (§ 14-2-8(F)). They can ask for an extension under § 14-2-8(E) by providing written notice, but they have to do it within the original deadline.

Step 5. Save everything

Keep these in a single folder (physical or digital) for at least a year past the final response:

• A copy of the request as sent (with date)
• Email sent-receipt, certified-mail receipt, or hand-delivery date-stamp
• Any response from the agency (email, letter, or records)
• Any appeal correspondence, if you need to escalate

If the agency denies the request, fails to respond in time, or redacts records, you can appeal to the New Mexico Attorney General's office or sue in district court under § 14-2-12. The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (NMFOG) will help you draft an appeal letter, free of charge.

Related

• File via MuckRock (nonprofit archive) →
• All templates and documents →
• Back to Take action →