Find Scott County Marriage Records

Apply for a Scott County Marriage License

The Scott County Circuit Clerk issues every marriage license in the county. The clerk is Rebecca "Becky" Gray, and her office sits in the county seat of Forest. The same office files lawsuits, draws juries, and keeps marriage records on the books for years. To start a license, both people apply together at the Circuit Clerk's office. The mailing address is PO Box 371, Forest, MS 39074, and the office phone is 601-469-3601. The office also lists a fax line of 601-469-5188 and the email scottcircuitclerk@scottcountyms.gov for questions that do not need a counter visit.

Mississippi has no statewide waiting period, so a license can be issued the same day in most cases. Timing still matters. The county FAQ states that any application filed after 4:00 p.m. will be issued the next business day. Hours can shift around holidays and county business, so a quick call before you drive in is wise. The clerk also keeps the long-term marriage record, which ties this office to the work of the Scott County Circuit Clerk across many record types.

Marriage License Fee and Documents in Scott County

The county keeps the document list short and firm. Each party brings a valid photo ID. The fee is exactly $37.00, so plan to pay the precise amount. Anyone under age 21 needs parental consent. If either person was married before, the office wants proof that the prior marriage ended in law, such as a divorce decree or a death certificate. No Scott County source lists a Social Security number, a birthplace field, parents' names, or officiant details, so do not assume those are asked at the counter.

How to Apply for a Scott County Marriage License

The walk-in process is quick once both people gather the right items. The steps below follow the county FAQ and the Circuit Clerk's posted duties. Bring everything in one trip so the clerk can issue the license without a second visit.

1. Call the Circuit Clerk at 601-469-3601 to confirm current hours and the exact payment method.
2. Both applicants go together, in person, to the Circuit Clerk's office in Forest.
3. Each party shows a valid photo ID.
4. Pay exactly $37.00 for the license.
5. If either party is under 21, arrange parental consent before you apply.
6. If either party was married before, bring proof that the prior marriage was legally dissolved.
7. Apply before 4:00 p.m. for same-day issuance; later applications are issued the next business day.

Scott County Marriage and Divorce Record Fees

Fees depend on which office handles the request. The county sets the license fee. The state health agency sets its own charges for record copies and for its divorce index search. The Chancery Clerk charges for certified copies of decrees and for county pages under the public-records policy. The table groups the main costs in one place.

Note: The Circuit Clerk asks for the exact $37.00 license amount, so bring precise payment rather than relying on change at the counter.

Scott County Marriage Records from MSDH

Mississippi marriage records are kept by both state and county officials. You can ask the county Circuit Clerk that issued the license, or you can order from the state. The Mississippi State Department of Health runs the statewide channel. Its Vital Records gateway is the front door for marriage, divorce, birth, and death record orders.

State copies cover a wide span of years. MSDH marriage records run from January 1, 1926 through June 30, 1938, and from January 1, 1942 to the present. Orders come in three forms. You can mail an application with a cashier's check or money order. You can order online or by phone through a private vital-records vendor with a credit card. You can also walk into the MSDH office in person. The full ordering rules sit on the MSDH marriage records page.

In-person orders are taken at the MSDH Ridgeland office at 222 Marketridge Drive, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Staff accept cash, cashier's check, money order, credit card, or debit card there. The finished record is mailed out within 7 to 10 business days. For older records, MSDH may point you back to the Circuit Clerk in the county where the license was issued.

Find Scott County Divorce Records in Chancery Court

Divorce is an equity matter in Mississippi, so it is heard in Chancery Court, not Circuit Court. Scott County sits in the Second Chancery Court District. The court handles divorce, child custody, property division, alimony, and related domestic cases. Its office is at PO Box 434, Forest, MS 39074, with a phone of 601-469-2447 and a website at 2ndchancerycourtdistrictms.org.

The certified decree itself comes from the Chancery Clerk. The county FAQ routes all divorce-record requests to the Chancery Clerk's office, and county records requests go to that office at PO Box 630, Forest, MS 39074. The same office records deeds, estate files, and Board minutes, which is why divorce and probate sit side by side under Scott County Chancery Court. Most divorce files are open, though sealed terms, minor details, and some financial matters can be restricted. A clear way to speed a request is to bring the case number, the names of both parties, and the year the judgment was entered. With those facts, the clerk can pull the right book and page without a long search of the index.

The MSDH Divorce Index Search

The state does not keep divorce decrees. It does keep a divorce index, which is a finding aid rather than a copy of the judgment. MSDH offers a five-year search of county divorce indexes for $17. That search covers January 1, 1926 through June 30, 1938, and January 1, 1942 to the present. Full details sit on the MSDH divorce records page.

The index does not hand you the decree. It tells you where to look. A successful search returns the county where the divorce was granted, plus the book and page number in that county's Chancery Clerk office. With those three facts in hand, you contact the Chancery Clerk and ask for the certified copy. The index is most useful when you are unsure which county granted the divorce.

Certified Copies and Older Scott County Records

A certified copy carries an official seal and is the version most courts, banks, and agencies accept. For a marriage record, order the certified copy from MSDH or from the Circuit Clerk that issued the license. For a divorce, request the certified decree straight from the Chancery Clerk, since the state does not keep that judgment.

Coverage has real gaps. MSDH itself warns that not every marriage record is on file with Vital Records, even though the law calls for them to be registered. The same caution applies to divorce records held by the state. Records from before the covered year ranges, or those that slipped through registration, may live only in the county office. When the usual copy channels stall, a written public-records request to the proper Scott County clerk is the next step, with county pages charged at $0.50 each.

Mississippi Vital Records Office

The Mississippi State Department of Health is the central vital-records office for the state. Its Vital Records unit fills marriage, birth, and death orders and runs the divorce index search. The Ridgeland office handles in-person visits and mailed orders alike.

Scott County is also modernizing its own records. A 2026 Circuit Clerk Marriage License Digitization Project moved through the Board of Supervisors, with a low proposal of $19,680.90 from BSC and a $10,000 reimbursement grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Local Government Records Office. The work aims to convert older paper marriage books into a digital archive, which should make future Scott County marriage records easier to pull and protect.