Getting a Marriage License in Smith County
A marriage license in Smith County is issued by the Circuit Clerk, not the Chancery Clerk. Circuit Clerk Anthony Grayson handles the license, collects the fee, and files the statistical record of marriage with the Office of Vital Records at the State Board of Health. The fee is $21 per marriage record prepared. Both parties must be 21 years of age or older. There is no separate Probate or County Clerk office for this step in Smith County.
The county FAQ keeps the rules short. It lists the $21 fee, the age requirement, and a phone number for anything else. Applicants are told to call the Circuit Clerk's Office for current document rules and scheduling. No online marriage application or appointment scheduler has been posted for Smith County. Both people should plan to appear in person and confirm what to bring before they drive to Raleigh.
The county marriage FAQ spells out the core rules and the office to call. You can read the official Smith County marriage license FAQ for the fee and age language straight from the county.
That page confirms the $21 fee and the 21-and-older rule, and it points applicants to the Circuit Clerk for the rest. Treat the phone call as the real first step, since the county does not publish a downloadable local form.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The process is simple once both people are ready. Bring valid identification, the fee, and accurate facts about any prior marriages. The steps below follow the county's stated rules and the safe in-person process for Smith County.
- Call the Circuit Clerk's Office at 601-782-4751 to confirm what identification to bring and when the office can issue the license.
- Both applicants appear together as required. The license is issued to the couple, so both people take part.
- Show valid identification and confirm that each party is 21 years of age or older.
- Provide the prior marriage or divorce details the clerk asks for, and review the information for accuracy.
- Pay the $21 fee. The clerk issues the license and files the statistical record of marriage with State Vital Records.
Note: Smith County has not published an online application, so phone contact and an in-person visit remain the confirmed path.
Marriage License Application Fields
No public Smith County marriage application form was located online, so the exact field layout is not confirmed. The items below are the practical data points a Circuit Clerk is likely to request based on Mississippi practice and the statistical record the office must file. Confirm the real fields with the Circuit Clerk before your visit. The only items the county itself confirms are the $21 fee, the age requirement, and the instruction to call.
| Field | Likely Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal name, both parties | Yes | Not confirmed on a local form; standard for any license. |
| Age or date of birth | Yes | Both parties must be 21 or older in Smith County. |
| Photo identification | Yes | Confirm accepted ID types with the clerk by phone first. |
| Prior marriage or divorce details | Likely | Used to confirm eligibility; not a confirmed local field. |
| Fee payment | Yes | $21 per marriage record prepared. |
| Statistical record information | Yes | Filed by the clerk with State Vital Records. |
Do not treat the likely fields as an official checklist. The county confirms only the fee, the age rule, and the call-the-clerk instruction.
How to Look Up Smith County Marriage Records
A certified marriage record can come from the Mississippi State Department of Health. MSDH says marriage records are required by law to be registered with the state, though not every record may be on file. The state office is the channel for a certified copy when you need one mailed to you. The Circuit Clerk files the original statistical record locally, but ordering a certified state copy runs through MSDH.
The Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Records office is the place to start for a state-issued copy. Its MSDH Vital Records landing page lists contact details and ordering links for birth, death, and marriage records.
From that landing page, the marriage section explains what the state holds. The MSDH marriage records page states that marriages must be registered with the state and gives the contact for ordering.
To order, you will need the full names of both spouses, the approximate date, and the county where the marriage took place. Smith County couples should list Smith County as the place of marriage when the ceremony happened here.
Smith County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Fees are modest and split across three offices. The county sets the marriage license fee. The state health department sets the certified-copy and index-search fees. The Chancery Clerk sets local page-copy costs for documents pulled at the counter. The table puts the confirmed amounts in one place.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license (Circuit Clerk) | $21 |
| MSDH certified marriage copy | $17 |
| MSDH divorce index, five-year search | $17 |
| County copy, made by the public | $0.25 per page |
| County copy, made by staff | $0.50 per page |
The MSDH divorce fee buys an index search, not a decree. Certification of a county document adds a fee the county has not posted. Call the holding office to confirm the final cost before mailing payment.
Getting Certified Marriage Copies by Mail
A certified marriage copy from the state is a mail process. MSDH charges $17 for a search of records and a certified copy. The application must be completed and signed. Payment must be a cashier's check or a bank or postal money order made payable to Mississippi Vital Records. Personal checks and cash should not be sent.
Photo identification is required. An eligible applicant can order their own record or apply as a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, child, grandchild, guardian, or legal representative. The completed application, the fee, and a self-addressed stamped legal-size envelope are mailed to Mississippi Vital Records in Jackson.
The state posts the exact rules for the mailed request. Review the MSDH marriage record application instructions for the signature, payment, ID, and envelope requirements before you send anything.
Following the instructions exactly prevents a rejected request. A missing signature, the wrong payment type, or no return envelope is the most common reason a mailed order comes back.
How to Find Smith County Divorce Records
Divorce records in Smith County are Chancery Court records, kept by the Chancery Clerk. The county FAQ answers the question plainly: to get a copy of your divorce record, contact the Chancery Clerk's Office. Chancery Clerk Cindy Austin keeps the suit files, dockets, minutes, and the recorded decrees. A certified divorce decree comes from her office, not from the state.
The official county answer is short and clear. The Smith County divorce record FAQ directs certified-copy requests straight to the Chancery Clerk.
To pull a file, identify the case by party names and the approximate year. A divorce file can include the complaint, the final judgment of divorce, custody and support orders, and any property settlement. Some categories are sensitive. Child custody, child support, and related domestic files can carry remote-access limits even when a docket exists online.
Filing for Divorce in Smith County
Divorce in Mississippi is filed in Chancery Court. Smith County divorces route through the equity side of the court system, the same court that handles estates, guardianships, and land matters. Mississippi law requires a six-month bona fide residence before filing, under Miss. Code Section 93-5-5. The steps below outline the path from filing to a certified decree.
- Confirm venue and residency. The case belongs in Chancery Court, and at least one spouse must meet the six-month Mississippi residence rule.
- Prepare the complaint and related pleadings covering divorce, custody, support, property division, or alimony as needed.
- File with the Smith County Chancery Clerk. Ask about the filing fee, service rules, and whether attorneys must e-file through MEC.
- Serve the other party, unless the matter proceeds as a joint irreconcilable-differences case with proper waivers and a written agreement.
- Track settings, orders, and the final judgment through the Chancery Clerk, then request a certified decree once it is entered.
The Mississippi State Department of Health is not a backup for the decree. MSDH does not keep divorce decrees at all. It can run a five-year index search of county divorce records for $17, covering January 1, 1926 to June 30, 1938 and January 1, 1942 to the present. That search locates the county, book, and page where a decree was recorded.
The state spells out this limit on its own page. The MSDH divorce records page confirms that certified decrees come from the Chancery Clerk and that the state only offers an index search.
The index search is useful only when you do not know which county granted the divorce. Once you have the county, book, and page, the certified copy still comes from the Chancery Clerk in Raleigh.
Smith County Marriage Records vs Divorce Records
The two record types follow different offices and different rules. Mixing them up is the most common mistake. The comparison below shows where each record sits and which channel delivers a certified copy.
| Question | Marriage Record | Divorce Record |
|---|---|---|
| Local office | Circuit Clerk issues the license | Chancery Clerk keeps the case file |
| Certified copy from | MSDH Vital Records by mail | Chancery Clerk in Raleigh |
| State role | Holds the registered marriage record | Index search only, no decrees |
| Confirmed fee | $21 license; $17 state copy | $17 state index; county copy fees |
Read the table by goal. For proof of marriage, the state copy works. For a divorce decree, only the Chancery Clerk issues the certified document.
Common Questions About Smith County Records
A few questions come up again and again. Short answers keep the offices and fees straight.
Can I apply for a marriage license online in Smith County? No online application or scheduler has been posted for Smith County. Both parties should call the Circuit Clerk and plan to appear in person.
Does the state keep my divorce decree? No. MSDH does not maintain divorce decrees. The certified decree comes from the Chancery Clerk, and the state offers only a paid index search.
Who has to be 21 to marry here? Both parties. The county FAQ states both must be 21 years of age or older for a Smith County marriage license.
Where do I send the state copy fee? Mississippi Vital Records in Jackson, by cashier's check or money order payable to Mississippi Vital Records, with a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Mississippi Vital Records Office
The Mississippi State Department of Health runs the state vital records office. It holds registered marriage records and runs the divorce index search, but it does not hold divorce decrees. Mail-in requests and ID rules apply to every certified copy. The contact block below is the state office to use for marriage copies and divorce index searches.
For local case files and certified divorce decrees, contact the Smith County Chancery Clerk at 601-782-9811 instead of the state office.