Find Jefferson County Marriage and Divorce Records

Jefferson County Marriage Licenses and the Circuit Clerk

Marriage licenses in Jefferson County are a Circuit Clerk job. The office issues the license and keeps the marriage record afterward. Circuit Clerk Arnell Harried runs the office at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1483 Main Street in Fayette. The mailing address is P.O. Box 305, Fayette, MS 39069. You can reach the staff by phone at 601-786-3422 or by email at circuitclerk@jeffersoncountyms.gov. Counter hours run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This same office also handles passports, voter registration, and professional licenses, so a call ahead helps you reach the right clerk.

Both parties apply together and must bring valid photo identification. The official county FAQ explains the local steps for getting a license, tags, and other county services. You can review those instructions on the Jefferson County how-do-I page before you visit.

That county page lists marriage-license guidance alongside other clerk services, which is why the Circuit Clerk is the first stop for a license. One caution matters here. The county FAQ still mentions a blood test receipt dated within the last 30 days, but Mississippi eliminated the statewide marriage blood-test rule after 2012. Treat that line as outdated and verify the current requirements with the Circuit Clerk before you travel.

How to Apply for a Marriage License in Jefferson County

Applying is straightforward once both parties are ready. Prepare your identification first, then confirm the current rules with the clerk. The steps below follow the county's marriage-license process.

1. Print or pick up the county marriage license application from the Circuit Clerk or the forms page.
2. Call the Circuit Clerk at 601-786-3422 to confirm current requirements, since the county FAQ still references an outdated blood-test line.
3. Bring valid picture identification for both applicants. An applicant under 21 must obtain a parent's signature on the registration form.
4. Complete the application together at the courthouse counter in Fayette.
5. Pay the $37 marriage license application fee.
6. Later, request a certified copy of the marriage record using the $18 search-and-copy service when you need proof.

Note: The under-21 parental-signature rule and the outdated blood-test line both come from the county FAQ, so confirm both with the Circuit Clerk before relying on them.

Jefferson County Marriage License Application Fields

The county marriage license application is a scanned form, so exact field labels are not published online. The application still gathers a predictable set of details from both applicants. The forms page hosts the official PDF and several other county records forms. You can open it from the Jefferson County forms page when you are ready to start.

That forms hub links the marriage license application, the public records request form, and voter registration. The table below lists the kinds of information the application collects, drawn from the county FAQ and the fee schedule.

Jefferson County Marriage and Divorce Fees

Two offices set the fees here. The Circuit Clerk charges for the marriage license and for certified marriage copies under Mississippi record-access law and the state clerk fee statutes. The Chancery Clerk charges the chancery filing fee that opens a divorce case and a flat per-page rate for copies. The amounts below come straight from the county fee schedules.

Marriage fees follow the Circuit Clerk schedule. Divorce filing and copy fees follow the Chancery Clerk schedule. Call ahead to confirm the total before you mail a request, since older files may carry added search time.

How to Look Up Jefferson County Marriage Records

The county does not run an online marriage-record search. A marriage record lookup runs through the Circuit Clerk by phone, mail, or an in-person visit. Start with the office that issued the license. For most county couples, that is the Jefferson County Circuit Clerk in Fayette.

You will need names, the approximate marriage date, and a fee. The $18 service covers a records search plus one certified copy of the marriage license, and each extra certified copy is $6. If you are not sure which county issued the license, the Mississippi State Department of Health points record seekers back to the Circuit Clerk in the issuing county. Some older marriages may not appear in the state Office of Vital Records at all.

Note: A marriage record that does not turn up by phone may still exist in paper or older clerk storage, so ask the Circuit Clerk to check the index directly.

Jefferson County Divorce Records in Chancery Court

Divorce is not a Circuit Clerk matter. In Mississippi, divorce belongs to Chancery Court, the equity court that also handles custody, alimony, and property division. For Jefferson County, the 17th Chancery District Court hears these cases, with Hon. E. Vincent Davis and Hon. George Ward presiding. Divorce files and certified decrees are kept by the Jefferson County Chancery Clerk, Serena King, at P.O. Box 145, 1483 Main St., Fayette, MS 39069. The office phone is 601-786-3021. The same office records deeds, liens, and other land documents, which can matter when a divorce divides real estate.

To open a divorce, a party files a complaint or petition with the Chancery Clerk and pays the $107 chancery filing fee. The walkthrough below follows the county's divorce filing process.

1. Confirm Jefferson County venue and residency, and whether the divorce is contested or uncontested.
2. File the complaint or petition in Chancery Court through the Chancery Clerk.
3. Pay the $107 chancery filing fee, unless you qualify for a fee waiver under court rules.
4. Serve the other party, unless a waiver or joint filing procedure applies.
5. Address property division, custody, child support, alimony, and parenting issues.
6. Attend any required hearings and obtain a signed decree.
7. Request certified copies from the Chancery Clerk for a name change, benefits, real estate, or remarriage.

A finished divorce file holds the petition, the service record, financial filings, any custody and support orders, and the final decree. Some attachments, such as financial account numbers and minor children's details, are redacted or restricted. Chancery probate and estate matters run through this same office, covered on the Jefferson County Chancery Court records page.

Newer divorce files may also be electronic. The statewide Mississippi Electronic Courts system can hold chancery filings, and the public viewer, PAMEC, requires a free registration to read them. Statewide e-filing finished its rollout in 2025, so recent cases are more likely to be online than older paper files. You can register through the Mississippi Electronic Courts portal. Older divorces are usually paper records held by the Chancery Clerk, so a phone call to 601-786-3021 remains the surest path for those.

Certified Copies of Jefferson County Marriage and Divorce Records

A plain copy works for personal reference, but legal use often needs a certified copy. Banks, the Social Security office, and other agencies usually require the certified version with the clerk's seal. Order marriage copies from the Circuit Clerk and divorce decree copies from the Chancery Clerk.

For a marriage record, the $18 fee covers the search and the first certified copy, and additional certified copies are $6 each. For a divorce decree, the Chancery Clerk charges $0.50 per page, and certified copies carry the clerk's certification. The Circuit Clerk also certifies any document on file for $2. Bring or mail valid identification and the case details. The Circuit Clerk's office and broader records request steps are described on the Jefferson County Circuit Clerk page.

Restricted Jefferson County Family Records

Not every family record is open to the public. Adoption files run through Chancery Court but are commonly sealed by law and court order. Youth Court matters, which involve delinquent, neglected, or abused children, are confidential and are not ordinary public lookup records. Mental-health commitment files heard in Chancery Court often hold private medical information and are treated as restricted.

Personal identifiers are also limited in court filings. State electronic-court rules direct filers to keep Social Security numbers, dates of birth, minor children's names, financial account numbers, and home addresses out of public documents except as allowed. If a record appears sealed or blocked, the clerk can explain whether a court order or a statute controls access.

Mississippi Vital Records Office

The Mississippi State Department of Health keeps state-level vital records, but it directs marriage-record seekers to the Circuit Clerk in the county where the license was issued. Not all marriage records sit with the state Office of Vital Records, so the county clerk remains the primary source for Jefferson County marriages. Use the state office for guidance and for vital records the county does not hold.

Note: Contact the Jefferson County Circuit Clerk first for a county marriage license, and use the state Vital Records office mainly for guidance or records the county does not hold.