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New Mexico ALJ Statistics

Social Security Disability hearing statistics for 2 hearing offices and 17 administrative law judges in New Mexico.

State Approval Rate

54.7%

vs 58.3% national

Hearing Offices

2

in New Mexico

ALJs

17

active judges

Avg Wait Time

9.4 months

vs 8 months national

Hearing Offices in New Mexico

Office ALJs Approval Rate Wait Time Processing Pending
Albuquerque 11 56% 9 months 314 days 1,979
Nhc Albuquerque 6 52% 9 months 365 days 447

About New Mexico Disability Hearings

New Mexico has 2 Social Security hearing offices where Administrative Law Judges hear disability appeals. These offices are part of SSA Region 06 and collectively employ 17 ALJs who decided cases in the current fiscal year.

The average approval rate across New Mexico hearing offices is 54.7%, which is close to the national average of 58.3%. This rate aggregates decisions from all judges across the state's hearing offices.

Wait times across New Mexico offices range from 9 months at the Nhc Albuquerque hearing office to 9 months at the Nhc Albuquerque hearing office.

Across all offices, there are 2,426 cases currently pending in New Mexico, averaging approximately 143 pending cases per judge. Click on any hearing office below to see detailed judge-level statistics and individual approval rates.

New Mexico Hearing Landscape

New Mexico's 2 hearing offices each serve different geographic areas of the state. Case assignment is based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location and judge assignment depend on where the claimant lives rather than personal preference. All statistics on this page are weighted by individual judge caseloads to accurately reflect the volume of cases processed.

With 2 hearing offices, New Mexico provides multiple venues for disability hearings. Office sizes vary from 6 judges at the Nhc Albuquerque hearing office to 11 judges at the Albuquerque hearing office. Cases are assigned to offices based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location is determined by geography rather than preference.

For attorneys practicing disability law in New Mexico, understanding the local hearing landscape is an important part of case preparation. The data on this page provides a starting point for evaluating office-level patterns, though individual judge statistics offer more granular insight into decision-making tendencies. Visit individual office pages for judge-level data.

New Mexico Disability Hearing FAQ

What is the disability approval rate in New Mexico?
The average ALJ approval rate in New Mexico is 54.7% for FY 2025. This includes both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions. The national average is 58.3%, putting New Mexico below the national benchmark. Office-level rates within the state range from 52% to 56%.
How many Social Security hearing offices are in New Mexico?
New Mexico has 2 SSA hearing offices with a total of 17 administrative law judges. The largest office is the Albuquerque hearing office with 11 judges, while the Nhc Albuquerque hearing office has 6. Cases are assigned to hearing offices based on the claimant's residential address, and judge assignments within an office are typically made on a rotational basis.
Which hearing office in New Mexico has the shortest wait time?
The Nhc Albuquerque hearing office currently has the shortest wait time at 9 months. The longest wait is at the Nhc Albuquerque hearing office at 9 months, a gap of 0.0 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is state data calculated?
New Mexico's 2 offices handle cases for the state. State averages are calculated by aggregating data from all hearing offices within the state. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. Data originates from SSA public use files and is refreshed as new reports are published throughout the fiscal year.
How does New Mexico compare to other states?
New Mexico is in SSA Region 06. Its average approval rate of 54.7% is below the national average of 58.3%. For a full comparison of approval rates and wait times across all states, visit the states overview page.
What factors influence hearing outcomes in New Mexico?
Hearing outcomes in New Mexico are influenced by several factors including the strength and completeness of medical evidence, vocational factors such as the claimant's age, education, and work history, the quality of legal representation at the hearing, and individual judge decision-making patterns.

While all ALJs apply the same federal disability standards, these case-level factors can lead to variation in outcomes across offices and judges.
Can I transfer my hearing to a different office in New Mexico?
Cases are assigned to hearing offices based on the claimant's residential address, and judge assignments within an office are typically made on a rotational basis. While transfers between offices are generally not possible based on preference, a change of address that moves you into a different office's service area may result in case reassignment. New Mexico has 2 hearing offices, each serving a defined geographic area within the state.

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