Last amended November 1, 2002 · Last verified June 26, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1-100 sets the physical format for papers filed in district court—paper size, margins, spacing, type size, and a space for the clerk’s stamp.
Full Text of Rule 1-100
Text size
Except exhibits and papers filed by electronic transmission pursuant to Rule 1-005.2
NMRA of these rules, all pleadings and papers filed in the district court shall be: clearly
legible; printed on one side of the page, on good quality white paper eight and one-half
by eleven (8½ x 11) inches in size, with a left margin of one (1) inch, a right margin of
one (1) inch and top and bottom margins of one and one-half (1½) inches; with
consecutive page numbers at the bottom; stapled at the upper left hand corner; and,
except for a cover page, shall be typed or printed using pica (10 pitch) type style or a
twelve (12) point typeface. A space of at least two and one-half (2½) by two and one-half
(2½) inches for the clerk's recording stamp shall be left in the upper right-hand
corner of the first page of each pleading. The contents, except quotations and footnotes,
shall be double spaced. Exhibits which are copies of original documents may be
reproduced from originals by any duplicating or copying process which produces a clear
black image on white paper on one side of each page. The size of any exhibits shall be
their original size or any smaller size not less than eight and one-half by eleven (8½ x
11) inches.
End
Rule History
[Adopted effective January 1, 1983; Misc. Rule 4; recompiled as 1-100 SCRA 1986; as amended, effective January 1, 1998; November 1, 2002.]
Plain-English Summary
This rule standardizes how filings look. Except for exhibits and electronically filed papers, all pleadings and papers must be clearly legible, printed on one side of good-quality white 8½-by-11-inch paper, with one-inch side margins and one-and-a-half-inch top and bottom margins, consecutive page numbers at the bottom, and stapling at the upper-left corner. Text (except a cover page) is in pica 10-pitch or 12-point type and double-spaced apart from quotations and footnotes, with a 2½-by-2½-inch space in the upper-right of the first page for the clerk’s stamp. Exhibits may be reproduced by any process yielding a clear black image and must be their original size or no smaller than 8½ by 11 inches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the formatting requirements for court papers?
One-sided 8½-by-11-inch white paper, one-inch side margins and 1½-inch top/bottom margins, consecutive bottom page numbers, pica/12-point type, double spacing (except quotations and footnotes), and a 2½-inch square for the clerk’s stamp.
Source & verification. Rule text and Committee commentary reproduced verbatim from the
New Mexico Rules of Civil Procedure for the District Courts (Rule 1-100 NMRA), published by the New Mexico Compilation Commission (NMOneSource).
Promulgated by the Supreme Court of New Mexico. The plain-English summary is original and draws on the official annotations. Last verified June 26, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:form of papersformattingpaper sizemarginsdocument format