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Mississippi Court Records

Mississippi court records are legal records that involve administrative, criminal, and civil cases. Unless marked confidential, court records are public under the Mississippi Public Records Act and are available upon request for inspection and copying. Usually, searching for case records may require any of the following information:

  • Case number
  • Type of case
  • Name of parties involved
  • Filing date
  • Dispositions
  • Name of judge
  • Name of attorney

 

Which Mississippi Courts Maintain Publicly Accessible Records?

The clerks of court, also known as custodians, maintain and manage Mississippi court records which are accessible and available to the public. The processing time for record requests in Mississippi can take between one (1) to 14 business days depending on the availability of the record. 

Different courts in Mississippi handle different types of court records, including the following:

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the state which exclusively handles cases that involve the death penalty. The Supreme Court also reviews rulings from the lower courts and decisions from the Court of Appeals. 

Court of Appeals

The Court of Appeals hears disputed cases for civil and criminal proceedings before it goes to the Supreme Court for review. 

Circuit Court

The circuit court is the main court responsible for handling civil cases with disputes amounting to $200,000 and more. Aside from civil matters, this court also hears appeals judgments from the lowers courts and criminal cases. 

Municipal Court 

This type of court handles records dealing with city ordinances, traffic violations, and misdemeanor offenses. 

County Court

The county courts assist the circuit, chancery, and justice courts in counties where the population is higher than others. They usually handle criminal cases and recovery of properties valued at $200,000 or less. 

Chancery Court

The chancery court presides over disputes which involve juveniles in cases a county court is unavailable, including but not limited to, custody of minors, adoption, divorce, and wills. 

Justice Court

The justice court handles small claims amounting to less than $3,500 and also preliminary hearings for traffic offenses, misdemeanors, and felonies. 

Youth Court

The youth courts have exclusive jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases committed by minors aged 18 and below. As a court that handles juvenile cases, records are mostly sealed and not available to the public.

While most court records in Mississippi are available upon request to the public, there are certain types of records that may be confidential including medical records, employment applications, trade secrets, and tax records, to name a few. 

 

What are the Common Public Court Records in Mississippi?

The following are the most common Mississippi court records available to the public:

Criminal records

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety Criminal Information Center is the main repository of criminal records in the state. However, court records that involve a criminal case are also available from any of the following courts, which may hear the case: circuit courts, municipal courts, county courts, justice courts, and chancery courts. 

Civil court records

This type of record involves disputes over money or properties not exceeding $200,000. Three courts in Mississippi can handle civil cases including the county courts, circuit courts, and the chancery courts. 

Small claims 

Small claims records involve civil cases with disputes of not more than $3,500. This type of claim is either handled by the circuit or the justice courts. 

Bankruptcy filings

By default, bankruptcy records or filings are public records in Mississippi. A person or business can file for bankruptcy to discharge or obtain debt relief. The court clerks of bankruptcy courts are the primary custodian of this type of record. Requestors can access bankruptcy records by providing the following information: 

  • Case number
  • Name of petitioner
  • Date of filing
  • Location of the filing court
  • Nature of the bankruptcy suit
  • Name of the presiding judge
  • Trustee

Probate records

Probate records in Mississippi involve settlements, claims, wills, letters, petitions, and guardianships, especially of estates and properties. Records of this nature are available from either the probate courts or the chancery courts and are available upon request at the court clerk’s office. 

Judgment records

Judgment records in court proceedings detail the court’s final decision in case proceedings including individual rights, obligations, and penalties. 

 

Interested parties can search for Mississippi court records using the following methods:

Online through PACER or MEC

The basic case search tool online, Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), allows the public to search for a case document or court files easily. To perform a search, the requester must have a registered account at PACER to log in. Once there, they need to provide a full name or a case number to get court information. 

Note that the PACER service charges $.10 per page for using their platform to access electronic court data.

Another online platform to search for court records is the Mississippi Electronic Courts System (MEC). Similar to PACER, MEC allows users to access court files and filings electronically using a registered account. The online platform contains records from over 200 federal districts and bankruptcy courts and is virtually free with just a $10 fee for the annual registration. 

Once logged in, users can view and download documents for just $0.20 per page, access docket information, and electronically file court documents if needed. 

Some counties like Jackson County, DeSoto County, Hinds County, and Scott County have a dedicated case search tool online that the public can use to search for court records. 

 

In-person or by mail

Another method is to do a request in-person or by mail by sending a record request to the record custodian, usually the court of clerks, where the case was heard. Request forms must be notarized to verify the requester’s identity or have the authorization to release the records if the requesting party is not the one named on the court records. Requesters must also pay the $32 record search fee or any other fees that may apply upon their request.

Aside from the search fee, a copy fee of $0.50 applies per page for copying court documents. For copies out of bound volumes, a $2 fee applies. The court clerk also processes all record requests within three (3) days after receipt of payment.  

Interested parties may walk in at the Mississippi Judiciary or send their mail to the mailing address below:

Mississippi Judiciary
Gartin Justice Building
450 High Street
Jackson, MS 39201

Mailing Address:
P O Box 249
Jackson, MS 39205

The public can also call the Clerk’s office for any inquiries regarding record requests at 601-359-3694 from Mondays through Fridays during business hours at 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

 

Third-party sites

Another option when searching for Mississippi court records are third-party sites, which is the most convenient method. Aside from third-party websites being free, requestors only need a case number and a full name to perform case searches. However, the only disadvantage is that the available information from private websites may not be as extensive compared to official websites funded by the government.

 

Counties in Mississippi

Courts in Mississippi

Mississippi Supreme Court450 High St, Jackson, MS
Byram Mississippi Municipal Court5901 Terry Rd, PO Box 720222, Byram, MS
Clinton Mississippi Municipal Court305 Monroe St, Clinton, MS
Jackson Mississippi Municipal Court327 East Pascagoula Street, Jackson, MS
Mississippi Court of Appeals450 High St, Jackson, MS
Hinds County Chancery Court316 S. President St., Jackson, MS
Long Beach Mississippi Municipal Court201 Jeff Davis Ave, PO Box 929, Long Beach, MS
Harrison County Chancery Court1801 23Rd Ave, Gulfport, MS
Gulfport Mississippi Municipal Court2218 15th St, Gulfport, MS
D'Iberville Mississippi Municipal Court10383 Auto Mall Pkwy, D'Iberville, MS

List of Content

  1. Which Mississippi Courts Maintain Publicly Accessible Records?
    1. Supreme Court
    2. Court of Appeals
  2. What are the Common Public Court Records in Mississippi?
    1. Criminal records
  3. Does Mississippi Have a Case Search?