Research Guides: Mississippi: Local History & Genealogy Resource Guide: Vital Records (2024)

FAQs

Can I view death certificates online for free in Mississippi? ›

There is no fee to use FamilySearch, but you must create a free, personal account to access the databases and digital records. Information about how to access birth, death, and marriage records and indexes maintained by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History..

Mississippi Birth Certificates

To order by phone, call our Vital Records office at 601-206-8200.

A five-year search is available to locate the county where the divorce was granted, the book, and the page number in the Chancery Clerk's office where it was recorded. The Chancery Clerk's office will need to be contacted directly in order to obtain a certified copy of the divorce decree.

Before 1912, no births were recorded by the state. Some counties recorded births as early as 1879; contact the specific county for information. You must search substitute records for most individuals to locate your ancestor's birth date and place.

If the newspapers are not held at the library, the local newspaper office may also be contacted to learn where older editions of the newspaper are kept. Some libraries and even newspaper publishers keep obituary files.

For 25 years, VitalChek has been an official, government-authorized service for citizens to securely order certified birth certificates and other vital records from official government agencies nationwide.

If you know the county of marriage, you can request a search for a fee from the circuit court clerk. If you don't know the county or date of marriage, you can request a 5-year search for free from the Mississippi State Department of Health office.

Standard orders (USPS) are processed in 7-10 business days. Online and telephone orders have the option of expedited delivery through UPS and are processed in 3-5 business days. I want to make a genealogy request for a birth and death record.

Police departments and sheriff's offices maintain arrest records within their localities. However, a person can also find arrest records with the Department of Public Safety's Criminal Information Center (CIC), the state agency responsible for maintaining Mississippi criminal records.

By Mississippi Code § 25–61–3, Mississippi criminal records are public records and are accessible to members of the general public. The law makes any record held by a public body a public record.

Are wills public record in Mississippi? ›

Legal Considerations

Upon the death of the testator, the will is typically filed with the chancery court in the county where the deceased resided. Once the will is filed, it becomes a matter of public record, allowing interested parties to access and review the document.

To avoid additional fees, you can order from MSDH by mail. Order by phone from VitalChek by contacting the MSDH Vital Records Office: 601-206-8200.

In some states, birth records are confidential for a period of up to 100 years or more, and access to more recent records may require proof that of being a direct descendant of the person whose record sought.

The compulsory registration of births with the United Kingdom government is a practice that originated at least as far back as 1853. The entire United States did not get a standardized system until 1902. Most countries have statutes and laws that regulate the registration of births.

Vital Records such as Birth and Death Certificates are the responsibility of the Mississippi State Department of Health. All information, corrections, changes, or copies of records must be acquired through this State Department.

The fee for a certified copy of a death certificate is $17. Each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6. If the date of death is uncertain, a five-year search of our records will be made. If the record is not on file, only the fees paid for any additional copies, if any, will be refunded.

For death and marriage certificate applications whose fees have been paid, the certified copy will be mailed to the customer within 7-10 business days. Can I order a birth certificate by phone? To order by phone, please call 1-877-295-4229.