Form 4-201, Civil complaint. (For use with Rules 2-201 and 3-201 NMRA), is the New Mexico Judicial Branch form on which a plaintiff states a civil complaint against a defendant for money or personal property. It has four numbered items: venue, the amount or property claimed, the event behind the claim, and whether a jury is demanded. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the court's own copy is published at nmcourts.gov.
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What is 4-201?
Form 4-201, Civil complaint. (For use with Rules 2-201 and 3-201 NMRA) is a New Mexico court form on which a plaintiff states a claim against a defendant for money or personal property and describes the event or transaction behind it.
The form is issued as a Supreme Court approved form by the New Mexico Judicial Branch. Its number is printed as 4-201, with the rule numbers [2-201, 3-201] beside it, and its title says it is for use with Rules 2-201 and 3-201 NMRA. The revision note at the bottom reads "As amended, effective January 1, 1995."
The page is short. The top is a caption: the court, the county, the case number, the plaintiff, the defendant and an address and city. Four numbered items follow:
- Item 1 states that the plaintiff or defendant resides or may be found in the county, or that the cause of action arose there.
- Item 2 states the amount the plaintiff claims, together with interest and court costs, or the value and description of personal property claimed.
- Item 3 describes the event or transaction from which the claim arises.
- Item 4 says whether trial by jury is demanded.
The bottom has a date, a signature and the signer's printed name, address, city, state and ZIP code, and telephone number. The court's forms library places forms like this one under Civil, which it describes as noncriminal lawsuits between individuals, businesses, or state or local government.
Who needs to file 4-201?
The main user is a plaintiff who wants to start a civil case in a New Mexico court by claiming money or personal property from a defendant, using the court procedure that Rules 2-201 and 3-201 NMRA cover.
- A plaintiff claiming money. Item 2 asks for the dollar amount claimed from the defendant. The form also states that the plaintiff claims interest and court costs.
- A plaintiff claiming personal property. Item 2 also provides lines for the value of the property and a description of it.
- A plaintiff who wants a jury. Item 4 is where a jury trial is demanded or not demanded. The form warns that a demand carries an additional cost paid upon filing.
Item 1 limits where the complaint belongs. It says the plaintiff or defendant must reside or be found in the county, or the cause of action must have arisen there, so the form is completed for a specific county's court.
The form does not say that anyone other than the person who signs may complete it. It has one signature block, with the signer's printed name, address and telephone number. The court's forms library lists criminal, divorce and family, landlord/tenant and other case types separately, each with its own forms; this form is a civil complaint for money or personal property.
When to file 4-201
The form prints no deadline of its own. The triggering event is the plaintiff's decision to start a civil case, and the complaint is prepared at that point for filing in the county named in item 1: where the plaintiff or defendant resides or may be found, or where the cause of action arose. Decide about the jury before you file. Item 4 states that if a jury is demanded, an additional cost must be paid upon filing, so the choice is made when the complaint is submitted. For any time limit that applies to your claim, check the rules the form cites, Rules 2-201 and 3-201 NMRA, or the court.
How to fill out 4-201
Enter the court and county
In the caption, write the name of the court after IN THE and the county on the COUNTY line. The No. line is for the case number.
Name the plaintiff and defendant
Write the plaintiff's name on the line above Plaintiff and the defendant's name on the line above Defendant.
Complete the address and city lines
Fill in the Address and City lines printed below the party names in the caption.
Review the venue statement in item 1
Item 1 is printed text: the plaintiff or defendant resides or may be found in the county, or the cause of action arose there. Confirm that it is true for the county you entered.
Enter the amount claimed in item 2
On the first claim line, write the dollar amount you claim from the defendant. The printed text adds a claim for interest and court costs.
Describe any personal property claimed
If you claim personal property, enter its value in dollars and describe it on the lines that follow.
Describe the event in item 3
Write the event or transaction from which your claim arises on the lines provided.
State your jury choice in item 4
Item 4 reads "Trial by jury is (not) demanded." Show whether you demand a jury; if you do, an additional cost must be paid upon filing.
Date and sign the complaint
Enter the date and sign on the Signed line.
Print your contact details
Under the signature, print your name, address, city, state and ZIP code, and telephone number.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the caption, the amounts, the description and the jury choice. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and file it as described under How to submit.
How to submit 4-201
The form names no filing channel, mailing address or portal. The caption block, IN THE ____ COURT, ____ COUNTY, identifies the court that receives the complaint, so confirm the court and county with the clerk before you file.
- Court filing: the completed, dated and signed complaint is filed with the court named in the caption.
- Jury cost: if you demand a jury in item 4, the form says an additional cost must be paid upon filing. The amount is not printed on the form; ask the court for it.
- More forms: the New Mexico Judicial Branch forms library at https://nmcourts.gov/forms-library/ lists Civil and Self-Representation forms and files.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the court's own channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the court, county or case number lines in the caption blank, so the complaint does not show which county's court it is for.
- Leaving item 4 unclear: the form prints "Trial by jury is (not) demanded," so the choice has to be shown, not left open.
- Demanding a jury without planning for the additional cost that the form says must be paid upon filing.
- Claiming personal property in item 2 without entering both its value and a description on the lines provided.
- Writing only a conclusion in item 3 instead of the event or transaction from which the claim arises.
- Filing the complaint without the date, the signature, or the printed name, address, city, state and ZIP code, and telephone number of the signer.
- Entering an amount in item 2 but forgetting that the form also claims interest and court costs, so the claim is not read as a money claim only.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form 4-201, Civil complaint?
It is the New Mexico Judicial Branch's Supreme Court approved form for a civil complaint, for use with Rules 2-201 and 3-201 NMRA. The plaintiff states a claim for money or personal property, describes the event behind it and says whether a jury is demanded.
Can I fill out the civil complaint form online?
Yes. You can fill out Form 4-201 online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the complaint; you file it with the court named in the caption.
What do I claim in item 2 of the complaint?
Item 2 is where you enter the dollar amount you claim from the defendant, and the printed text also claims interest and court costs. The form separately provides lines for personal property, with its value and a description.
Does asking for a jury trial cost extra?
Yes. Item 4 says that if a jury is demanded, an additional cost must be paid upon filing. The form does not print the amount, so ask the court for the current figure before you file.
Which county do I file the civil complaint in?
Item 1 says the plaintiff or defendant resides or may be found in the county, or the cause of action arose in the county. The caption has a line for the court and one for the county, so complete it for the county where that statement is true.
What goes in item 3 of Form 4-201?
Item 3 asks you to describe the event or transaction from which the plaintiff's claim arises. The form gives ruled lines for this description, so state the facts of the event or transaction there.
What is the revision date of Form 4-201?
The form carries the note "As amended, effective January 1, 1995." It is printed with the form number 4-201 and the rule numbers [2-201, 3-201]. The PDF on this page is the copy the New Mexico courts publish.
Where can I find other New Mexico court forms?
The New Mexico Judicial Branch forms library at https://nmcourts.gov/forms-library/ groups forms by subject, including Civil, Appeals, Self-Representation and Landlord/Tenant. The Civil category covers noncriminal lawsuits between individuals, businesses, or state or local government.
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