Contact the Jasper County Circuit Clerk

About the Jasper County Circuit Clerk

Billy G. Rayner serves as the Jasper County Circuit Clerk. The clerk is an elected official who runs the record office for Circuit Court matters across the county. Jasper County splits its business between two judicial districts, so the Circuit Clerk keeps an office in each one. The First Judicial District office sits in Paulding. The Second Judicial District office sits in Bay Springs. Email reaches the clerk at brayner@co.jasper.ms.us, and both counters keep the same weekday schedule.

This office is the hub for Circuit Court paperwork. Staff file new lawsuits and criminal cases, manage the case record, issue process such as summonses and subpoenas, and keep judgments on the books. The clerk also issues marriage licenses, registers voters, and runs election duties for the county. Because Jasper County has no single online case database of its own, the clerk's counter remains a primary point of contact for many records.

The Jasper County Circuit Clerk page lists the duties and the office details for each district.

That page confirms the two district offices and the contact lines shown in the cards below.

What the Circuit Clerk Does in Jasper County

The Circuit Clerk serves as Clerk of the Circuit Courts for Jasper County. Staff receive and file the papers that drive civil and criminal Circuit Court cases. That work covers new lawsuits, indictments, motions, and the orders that follow. The office also handles several duties that sit outside the courtroom, such as voter registration and passport applications. The list below sums up the main jobs the clerk performs.

• Files lawsuits, indictments, motions, and related papers in civil and criminal Circuit Court cases.
• Issues process, including summonses and subpoenas.
• Draws jurors and qualifies juries for Circuit Court terms.
• Keeps the record of judgments and executions.
• Issues marriage licenses and keeps marriage records.
• Records medical and other professional licenses.
• Issues passports, registers voters, and handles election duties.

This range makes the Circuit Clerk the starting point for felony case files, large civil Circuit Court records, judgments, jury questions, and marriage licenses. When a record sits in Circuit Court, the clerk's office is the office to call. For equity and family matters, the Chancery Clerk takes over, as the next section explains.

Circuit Clerk vs Chancery Clerk

Mississippi uses a split clerk system, so Jasper County has two record offices that do not overlap. The Circuit Clerk handles trial-court litigation and several public duties. The Chancery Clerk, Sharon Gray King, handles equity, probate, land, and county board records. Sending a request to the wrong office only slows the work. The table sorts common record types by the clerk that holds them.

The Jasper County Chancery Clerk page names Sharon Gray King and lists both district offices.

That page also posts the county delinquent-tax notice, which confirms the Chancery Clerk's land and tax record role. For probate filings, see the county probate records details, since probate runs through Chancery Court.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and proves a document is a true copy of the court file. People need certified copies for marriage proof, court appeals, title work, and many government filings. The clerk can also provide plain copies for general reference. The steps below walk through a request to the Circuit Clerk, and the same flow works for the Chancery Clerk on equity and probate files.

1. Identify the record. Gather full party names, the case type, the approximate year, and the case number if you have it.
2. Match the office and district. Circuit Court records go to the Circuit Clerk in Paulding or Bay Springs; probate, divorce, and land records go to the Chancery Clerk.
3. Contact the correct counter by phone or mail to confirm the document exists and to ask for the current copy and certification fees.
4. Submit the request with payment. Include a return address and a daytime phone number, and state plainly that you need a certified copy.
5. Pick up the copy in person or wait for it by mail. Allow extra time for older or paper-only files that staff must pull by hand.

Because official Jasper County sources do not publish a fixed copy fee, call the office first. Staff confirm the cost before they pull and certify the document, which avoids surprises at the counter.

Records Request Form Fields

Jasper County does not post a dedicated court-record request form, so a clear written request works best. The county does run a general contact form with basic fields, and a marriage application carries its own in-person requirements. Whether you write a letter or use the county form, include enough detail for staff to find the file fast. The table lists the fields a strong records request should carry.

Jasper County Marriage Licenses

The Circuit Clerk issues marriage licenses and keeps the marriage records for Jasper County. Both applicants must apply in person and be present at the same time. Mississippi sets no waiting period and requires no blood test, so a couple can usually apply and proceed without a statutory delay. Each applicant brings a picture ID and proof of age. Applicants must be 21, or underage applicants must bring parental approval and a signature.

The fee is $37, due at the time of application. After the ceremony, the signed license returns to the clerk for recording, which creates the marriage record for future certified-copy requests. Couples may apply at either district office during regular clerk hours. The points below sum up the requirements the Circuit Clerk lists.

Both parties present

Required. The application is in person only, with no online form.

Picture ID and proof of age

Required for each applicant at the counter.

Age 21 or parental approval

Applicants under 21 need a parent signature and approval.

License fee

$37, due at the time of application.

Waiting period and blood test

Neither is required in Mississippi.

Divorce records, by contrast, are Chancery Court files. The Chancery Clerk holds local divorce decrees and certified copies, and a fuller look at marriage and divorce records covers both sides.

Jasper County Clerk Fees

Official Jasper County pages publish only a few clerk fees. The marriage license cost is firm at $37. Plain and certified copy fees are not posted online, so the safe step is to call the correct clerk and confirm the current charge before you order. The online court system, MEC, carries its own reported costs, which should be checked against current terms. The table gathers the fee data that official sources confirm.

The PAMEC figures come from a 2025 Mississippi Judiciary news release and should be treated as reported numbers. Confirm the current terms with the online system before you rely on them. The clerk's counter still offers free viewing of public files during business hours, with copy fees only when you ask for reproductions.

Public Records Requests in Jasper County

The Mississippi Public Records Act, found in Title 25, Chapter 61 of the state code, supports public access to government records. The rule starts with a simple idea. Records held by a public body are generally open for inspection unless a statute exempts them. A request must go to the office that has custody of the record. For court case files, that office is usually the clerk, not the Board of Supervisors or the sheriff.

The Mississippi Ethics Commission explains the Public Records Act and handles complaints about public bodies.

That page sets the access framework that the Jasper County clerks follow when they respond to a request. The Act does not open sealed, juvenile, expunged, or otherwise confidential court material, so some records stay closed even with a valid request.

The statutes themselves live in the Mississippi Code. The Mississippi Code public-access portal hosts the full text of the 1972 code.

Use that portal to read the exact statute language before you cite a rule, since some provisions, such as expunction terms, are under active amendment. For most users, a short written request to the right Jasper County clerk, with party names and a clear copy request, is the practical path.

Online and Mail Access for Court Files

Jasper County does not run its own case-search website. Circuit and Chancery case documents move through Mississippi Electronic Courts, known as MEC, and its public arm, PAMEC. Public users register for a PAMEC account to view filed documents online. Circuit Court records went live on MEC on December 12, 2016, and Chancery Court followed on July 22, 2019. Remote access is read-only for the public, and many family categories such as divorce, custody, and child support stay off remote view.

For records that the online system blocks, or for paper-only and older files, mail a request to the correct district office. Use the posted P.O. Box, name the parties, give the approximate year, and state whether you need certified copies. When PAMEC cannot show a record, the clerk's counter remains the fallback, and staff can confirm whether a case exists before you assume it does not.