In 1959 the newly adopted Public Records Act created the Commission of Public Records and charged it with establishing a Records Center in Santa Fe and appointing a State Records Administrator to manage the facility, develop and maintain the State’s records management program, and advise the Commission in related matters. The facility created to fulfill the statutory requirement is commonly known as the State Records Center and Archives (SRCA). The agency is frequently also referred to by that name, although in statute it is designated as the Commission of Public Records.
The agency and its staff protect and preserve New Mexico’s public records – records that in turn protect and preserve the rights of its citizens and contribute to an efficient and open State government by providing a records management system for the State’s public records, by filing and maintaining the State’s rules, and by providing or advocating access to the State’s public and historical records.