Rankin County Court Records

Rankin County court records are essential documents that contain information on all cases tried by the county's courts of law. These court records include transcripts, motions, written and printed papers, and other materials generated and maintained by the county's local courts. In Rankin County, the legal responsibility of creating, maintaining, and dispensing court records lies with the Clerk of the courts.

Court records allow members of the public to scrutinize the judiciary's actions, ensuring that the legal system's accountability is not jeopardized. They also allow the losing party to request an appellate review, as the lower court records are referenced by a higher court to ascertain if the trial was fair to the defendant.

Are Court Records Public in Rankin County?

Yes. According to the Mississippi Public Records Act, court records are public in Rankin County. According to this law, citizens are permitted to request any governmental body in the state should they wish to access any of their records. However, while this law permits unrestricted access to the records of the judiciary, some court records are marked as confidential and are thus exempt from public access without a court order. Mississippi Code Ann. § 25-59-27 and the Supreme Court Statement of Public Records Policy outline some records that come under this category, and they include the following:

• Adoption records
• Medical records
• Scholastic records
• Records containing information reflecting an individual's personal details, such as the home address, telephone number, social security number, and income tax returns
• Records about security plans and procedures

Rankin County Court Records Search

To conduct a Rankin County court records search, interested parties can take any of the steps outlined below:

• Visit the Clerk's office in either the Chancery or Circuit court to make a request
• Search via the Mississippi Electronic Courts portal
• Utilize the Mississippi Judiciary Case Search feature
• Make use of any reputable third-party public records website

Rankin County Court Records Search by Name

Performing a Rankin court records search by name involves a few simple steps. To begin with, requesters must first possess the legal names of the individual or organization in question. For online options, individuals may utilize the Case Search feature provided by the Mississippi Judiciary. As this feature does not offer additional parameters such as the county or attorney's name, the requester should include even the individual's middle name to enhance the search's precision and accuracy. Requesters can also search Rankin County court records by name via the Mississippi Electronic Courts portal. The portal provides options to search the records of the Circuit, County, and Chancery courts in Rankin County. To access court records on this portal, requesters need a PAMEC login and password.

Alternatively, requesters may contact the Clerk of the Courts at the following locations:

Rankin County Circuit Clerk
215 E. Government St
Brandon, MS 39042
(601) 825-1466

Rankin County Chancery Clerk
211 E Government St
Suite D
Brandon, MS 39042
(601) 825-1469

Rankin County Courts

The judicial system in Mississippi is comprised of a range of courts, each serving a distinct purpose. These include Circuit courts, County courts, Chancery courts, Youth courts, Municipal courts, and Justice courts. Listed below are the courts and their addresses, contact details, and links to their websites.

Rankin County Circuit Court
Rankin County Justice Center
215 E Government St, P.O. Box 1599, Brandon, MS 39043
Phone: (601) 825-1466
Fax: (601) 825-1465

Rankin County Chancery Court
Rankin County Courthouse Annex
211 E Government St, Ste D, Brandon, MS 39042
Phone: (601) 825-1469
Fax: (601) 824-7116

County Court of Rankin County
Rankin County Justice Center
215 E Government St, P.O. Box 1599, Brandon, MS 39043
Phone: (601) 825-1466
Fax: (601) 825-1465

Rankin County Youth Court
Rankin County Juvenile Justice Center
100 Court Cove, Pelahatchie, MS 39145
Phone: (601) 824-2545
Fax: (601) 591-4788

Rankin County Justice Court
Rankin County Chancery-Justice Center
201 North St
Brandon, MS 39042
Phone: 601- 824-2665
Fax: (601) 824-2668

Brandon Municipal Court
1455 W Government St, Brandon, MS 39042
Phone: (601) 825-7227
Fax: (601) 825-8595

Florence Municipal Court
203 College St, P.O. Box 309, Florence, MS 39073
Phone: (601) 845-1748
Fax: (601) 845-0458

Flowood Municipal Court
2101 Airport Rd, Ste B, Flowood, MS 39232
Phone: (601) 420-3364

Pearl Municipal Court
2561 Old Brandon Rd, Pearl, MS 39208
Phone: (601) 932-2262

Pelahatchie Municipal Court
P.O. Box 229, Pelahatchie, MS 39145
Phone: (601) 854-5223

Puckett Municipal Court
P.O. Box 130, Puckett, MS 39151
Phone: (601) 825-8074

Richland Municipal Court
371 Scarbrough St, Richland, MS 39218
Phone: (601) 420-1563
Fax: (601) 936-4614

Rankin County Superior Court Case Search

There is no Superior Court in the Judicial system of Rankin County. As explained above, the courts within its system include the Justice, County, Municipal, Youth, and Chancery courts, as well as the Circuit court, which serves as the highest trial court within Rankin County.

Rankin County Criminal Records

In Rankin County, criminal records can be freely accessed from government law enforcement agencies without undue restrictions, per the Mississippi Public Records Act. This law, however, excludes the criminal records of juveniles from public viewing. This is done to safeguard minors' right to privacy and protect them from future disadvantage. To access other Rankin County arrest and criminal records, requesters can take any of the steps listed below:

• Visit the Rankin County Sheriff's Office website and fill in the Public Information Request Form linked at the page's footer. Requesters should fill in all required details, including their names, addresses, and details of the criminal record required. A $10 fee is required to process the request, and an additional $10 is charged for every additional document that is requested and found. To complete the request, the completed form, along with a $10 check for processing, a copy of a valid government-issued means of identification, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of the records, should be mailed to the following address:

Rankin County Sheriff's Department
Attn: Public Records Request Official
221 N. Timber St.
Brandon, MS 39042

Requesters may also submit the request physically to the above address between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

• The Mississippi Department of Public Safety provides a Criminal Background Check service for people within the state. To request a Rankin County criminal background check, interested individuals should fill in the Requestor Information form with details from a valid government-issued I.D. A fee of $32 is required to process the request, and it takes up to 30 days to fulfill the request.

Rankin County Criminal Court Case Lookup

In Rankin County, a criminal court case lookup can be conducted at the Circuit, Justice, and Municipal courts. The Circuit Court handles felony and misdemeanor cases, while the Justice Court tries lesser criminal offenses. The municipal court, on the other hand, handles misdemeanor cases to a much lesser degree than those tried by the circuit and justice courts. To access the records of the Circuit and Justice courts, requesters should visit the offices at the following addresses to make a request:

Rankin County Circuit Clerk
215 E. Government St
Brandon, MS 39042
(601) 825-1466

Rankin County Chancery-Justice Center 201 North St
1st Floor
Brandon, MS 39042
(601) 824-2665

To retrieve criminal court case records from the Municipal Court, requesters must contact the specific court within the Municipality where the case was tried. For instance, requesters searching for the court case of a misdemeanor tried in the City of Pearl must fill in the Records Request form provided by its Municipal Court. The form should be filled in with the required details and sent to the following address:

2561 Old Brandon Road
Pearl, MS 39208
(601) 939-7000

Records cost $.25 per page, while research, copying, and scanning time are charged an hourly fee of $17.50.

Get Rankin County Civil Court Records

Rankin County, civil court records, are legal documents that provide the details of non-criminal cases between two or more parties. These parties may be individuals, organizations, or government entities. Civil cases include debt collection, replevin, land and property disputes, and small claims. In Rankin County, the Circuit, Justice, and County courts preside over civil cases of varying degrees. The Circuit court has jurisdiction over issues of $2,500 and above, while the Justice and County courts process civil actions of a maximum of $3,500 and $200,000, respectively.

Civil court records for Rankin County can be retrieved by visiting the courthouses at the above addresses to make a request. Requesters can also search the Mississippi Electronic Courts portal for civil court records of the Circuit and County courts.

Rankin County Family Court Records

Family court records refer to documents concerning legal matters involving family relationships. These records include adoptions, child custody and support, and other related issues. In Rankin County, the Chancery court presides over family law cases.

In Rankin County, family court records can be obtained by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court to make a request. There, the request procedure and the fees will be disclosed. The address and contact details of the office are provided below:

211 E Government St
Suite D
Brandon, MS 39042
(601) 825-1469

Rankin County Dissolution of Marriage Records

In Rankin County, dissolution of marriage records refers to all legal documentation concerning the termination of a marital relationship, which is referred to as a divorce or annulment. The Chancery court hears cases pertaining to the dissolution of marriage, as they are family law cases.

Rankin County Marriage and Divorce Records

In Rankin County, marriage and divorce are generally accessible to the public. Obtaining Rankin County marriage records can be done through various means. First, requesters can access them through a mail-in application to the Mississippi State Department of Health's Vital Records office. Requesters should first fill out the Marriage Records Application form with the requested information. The office charges a fee of $17 to conduct the records search and an additional fee of $6 per copy requested, which is refundable if the record required is unavailable. Once the application form is completed, it should be sent along with a valid photo identification, a self-addressed envelope, and the correct fee—a check, bank or postal money order, or a bank cashier's check, to:

Mississippi Vital Records
P.O. Box 1700
Jackson, MS 39215-1700

Requesters who wish to request person may do so by visiting the Vital Records office at the address provided below from 8 am to 5 pm from Monday through Friday:

222 Marketridge Drive
Ridgeland, MS 39157

Rankin county Marriage records can also be accessed online or by phone through VitalChek, an authorized private Vital Records service. Online requests can be made via their secure portal, while phone requests can be made by calling (601) 206-8200.

Requesters may also directly contact Michelle Adcock, the Rankin county Circuit Clerk at:

P.O. Drawer 1599
Brandon, MS 39043
Phone: (601) 825-1466
Fax: (601) 825-1465

Requesters should note the following to ensure that the most appropriate method of retrieval is selected:

1. The Vital Records office only conducts 5-year record searches.
2. The records maintained by the Vital Records office are from January 1, 1926 to June 30, 1938, and from January 1, 1942 to present.

To access Rankin county Divorce records, requesters may visit the Chancery Court or contact the Chancery Court Clerk directly:

P.O. Box 700
Brandon, MS 39042
Phone: (601) 825-1469
Fax: (601) 824-7116

The Vital Records office can also conduct a 5-year search of the divorce indexes in Rankin county, from January 1, 1926, to June 30, 1938, and from January 1, 1942, for a fee of $17. However, the office of the Chancery court's Clerk will still need to be contacted directly for a certified copy of the Divorce record.

Rankin County Birth and Death Records

Rankin County's birth and death records are both obtainable from the Vital Records Office of the Mississippi State Department of Health. Birth and Death record requests can be made by filling and submitting the application forms to the Vital Records office in Jackson, for a service fee of $17 and $6 for each copy requested. In-person, phone, and online requests can also be made using the procedures outlined in the section above.

Rankin County Probate Court Records

In Rankin County, all matters concerning Probate are handled by the Chancery Court. This includes cases involving wills and estates, guardianships, and trusts. The Chancery Court maintains records concerning probate matters and can be accessed by contacting the office of the court Clerk at:

211 E Government St
Suite D
Brandon, MS 39042
(601) 825-1469

Rankin County Property Records

Property records provide essential information about real estate and property within a particular area, including its ownership, legal description, and taxation. The Clerk of the Chancery Court office creates and maintains property records within Rankin County. They can be accessed for public viewing through the Rankin County Chancery Clerk's online land records database. To search, requesters should enter key details such as the name and legal description of the property.

Rankin County Court Records Online

Rankin County court records can generally be accessed via public case searches provided by the government and third-party websites. Third-party platforms like Mississippicourtrecords.us are owned by independent organizations that collate accurate information from various platforms, such as courthouses, and sell it to the public.

An advantage of utilizing third-party websites for court records searches is the convenience that users enjoy. Individuals can view various court records on demand without visiting a courthouse. Most third-party websites also aggregate data from multiple states and jurisdictions, providing users with access to different information in one place.

However, there are some disadvantages. Third-party websites may be costly, as some providers charge a fee to retrieve additional details or search multiple jurisdictions.