Mississippi Public Records

First Name Last Name

For marriage records prior to 1926 and from 1 July 1938 to 31 December 1941, write to the clerk of the county in question.

Mississippi Land Records
Mississippi is a federal-land state. Land transactions were generally acquired from the federal government or other individuals. Prior to U.S. possession, lands were acquired from the French and the Spanish governments. For federal government purchases, consult the Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States Office's patent indexes, available on CD-ROM through various genealogical vendors and through the Government Printing Office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
These patent indexes are also found among the database searches available at the Ancestry.com web site (www.ancestry.com). Land-entry case files for these patents are available at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Lands received from Spanish and British governments can be researched through "private land claims" (the settling of property ownership by the government of the United States for lands previously acquired under a different sovereign). The federal boards of commissioners' case files for private land claims are housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Also, private land claim records are on microfilm (RG 28 SG 1) at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and can be accessed by consulting the department's guide, "Index to Private Claims and Field Notes in Mississippi."
Land transactions between individuals were recorded at the county courthouse and filed by the chancery clerk. Many pre-twentieth-century deeds have been microfilmed and are available at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the FHL. For further reference, see:
Hone, E. Wade. Land and Property Research in the United States. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1997.

Mississippi Court Records
Court records include probate records (which include wills), guardianship, naturalization, and a wide variety of other sources, ranging from criminal trials to simple road orders. All contain information about individuals within the area. It should be remembered that there are different levels of jurisdiction for courts in the United States, all of which should be considered for research under various circumstances. Court of Common Pleas, Orphan's Court, Probate Court, District Court, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and other titles are among those encountered. To study more about court records in general, see "Research in Court Records," by Arlene H. Eakle, in:
Szucs, Loretto Dennis, and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, eds. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997.

Mississippi Military Records
Because Mississippi was not part of the United States at the time, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History has no official Revolutionary War records on file. The grave registrations, however, include revolutionary soldiers who are buried in Mississippi.
Revolutionary veterans can also be evaluated through Family Records: Mississippi Revolutionary Soldiers, published by the Mississippi Society of the DAR.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History has copies of National Archives microfilm of both indexes and service records for Mississippians who served in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War. They also have Mississippi grave registrations for veterans. National Archives microfilm of Mississippi confederate military records, which include both muster rolls and some pension applications, are also found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The military record gives the name, rank, and organization of Mississippi soldiers who served in the Confederate States Army. The pension application, made by the veteran or widow of a veteran, gives even more genealogical data. There is also a listing of Union Volunteers from Mississippi. All of these compilations are indexed. The state archive also has a microfilm copy of "Selected Records of the War Department Relating to Confederate Prisoners of War, 1861–1865," which is part of the War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109. See also Patti Carr Black and Maxyne Madden Grimes, comps., Guide to Civil War Source Material in the Department of Archives and History, State of Mississippi (Jackson: Mississippi Department of Archives and History, 1962.)
With privacy restrictions placed on some later military records, availability becomes more difficult. Some records found in the Mississippi Department of Archives and History include World War I and an alphabetical index to Mississippi soldiers who fought in the Korean Conflict (Record Group 33). Also included are Mississippians killed in World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict. Grave Registrations for those buried in Mississippi include the following wars: Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Indian Wars, Mexican War, Civil War, Philippine Insurrection, World War I, World War II, and the Korean Conflict. Though helpful, the source is not exhaustive. For further information about military records, consult:
Neagles, James C. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State Sources. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1994.

Additional Sources
Hatten, Ruth Land. "Genealogical Research in Mississippi." National Genealogical Society Quarterly 76 (March 1988): 25–51.
McLemore, Richard A. A History of Mississippi. 2 vols. Jackson: University and College Press of Mississippi, 1973.
Lipscomb, Anne S., and Kathleen S. Hutchison. Tracing Your Mississippi Ancestors. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1994.

Cost of copy: $12.00, Short form: $7.00

Address:
Vital Records
State Department of Health
2423 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39216

Remarks: State office has had records since 1912. Full copies of birth certificates obtained within 1 year after the event are $7.00. Additional copies of same record ordered at same time are $3.00 each for birth; $2.00 each for death and marriage. For out-of-State requests only bank or postal money orders are accepted and should be made payable to Mississippi State Department of Health. Personal checks are accepted only for in-State requests. To verify current fees, the telephone number is (601) 576-7981. A recorded message may be reached on (601) 576-7450.

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Event: Death

Cost of copy: $10.00

Address:
Vital Records
State Department of Health
2423 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39216

Remarks: State office has had records since 1912. Full copies of birth certificates obtained within 1 year after the event are $7.00. Additional copies of same record ordered at same time are $3.00 each for birth; $2.00 each for death and marriage. For out-of-State requests only bank or postal money orders are accepted and should be made payable to Mississippi State Department of Health. Personal checks are accepted only for in-State requests. To verify current fees, the telephone number is (601) 576-7981. A recorded message may be reached on (601) 576-7450.

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Event: Marriage (State)

Cost of copy: $10.00

Address:
Vital Records
State Department of Health
2423 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39216

Remarks: Statistical records only from January 1926 to July 1, 1938, and since January 1942.

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Event: Marriage (county)

Cost of copy: $3.00

Address: See remarks

Remarks: Circuit Clerk in county where license was issued.

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Event: Divorce (State)

Cost of copy: See remarks

Address:
Vital Records
State Department of Health
2423 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39216

Remarks: Records since January 1926. Certified copies are not available from State office. Index search only available at $6.00 for each 5-year increment. Book and page number for county record provided.

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Event: Divorce (county)

Cost of copy: Varies

Address: See remarks

Remarks: Chancery Clerk in county where divorce was granted.