Clay County Circuit Clerk Office

About the Clay County Circuit Clerk

Kim Brown Hood is the elected Circuit Clerk for Clay County. The office is the front door to Circuit Court, the county's main trial court for felony cases and major civil suits. It also takes appeals that move up from Justice Court and Municipal Court. When a case is filed, the Circuit Clerk dates it, indexes it, and keeps the file.

The duties reach well past courtroom paper. The Circuit Clerk issues and records marriage licenses, manages jury summons and pay, collects court fines, and records orders and judgments. The office also runs voter registration and absentee voting for the county. Three deputy clerks support the work: Rasheda Burnett, Heather Cunningham, and Christal Stark.

The Circuit Clerk sits at the Clay County Court Complex on West Main Street, a separate building from the main courthouse. The official Circuit Clerk office information page lists the address, mailing box, phone, fax, and hours.

That page confirms the office runs on weekday business hours and closes for legal holidays.

What the Circuit Clerk Files

The Circuit Clerk receives and files a wide set of court papers. The office handles the full life of a Circuit Court case, from the first lawsuit or indictment to the final judgment. It is also the county's marriage-license counter. Most record requests for felony and civil trial files start here.

• Lawsuits, indictments, motions, and bonds
• Subpoenas and jury summons
• Court fines, orders, and judgments
• Marriage licenses, issued and recorded
• Appeals from Justice Court and Municipal Court
• Voter registration and absentee voting

Marriage licenses issued at this counter, along with divorce decrees held by the Chancery side, are covered in more detail on the Clay County marriage and divorce records page. Felony and major civil filings move through the Clay County Circuit Court.

The Clay County Chancery Clerk

LaFrance H. Boyd is the elected Chancery Clerk. The office is the custodian of public land records and the clerk of the Chancery Court, the equity court that handles divorce, custody, guardianships, wills, estates, and land disputes. The Chancery Clerk also serves as clerk of the Board of Supervisors.

Clay County is a beat county rather than a unit county. Because of that, it has no separate County Administrator, so the Chancery Clerk usually fills that role. The office acts as County Treasurer, County Auditor, and Comptroller, and it collects delinquent real-estate taxes. It records military discharge papers, serves as a county-wide notary, and works as a U.S. passport agent.

The financial side is heavier than most clerk offices. The Chancery Clerk financial information page describes fund accounting across the county's many active funds, monthly reconciliation, and audits by the State Auditor or an approved firm.

That detail explains why the Chancery Clerk handles far more than court files. The court-records deputy on staff is April Edwards, and the land-records team includes Barbara Spraggins, Margo Barnette, and Shakeena Douglas.

Note: The two clerk offices sit at different addresses in West Point, so confirm which one holds your record before you drive over.

Records Each Clerk Handles

The split between the two offices follows the court structure. Circuit Court files live with the Circuit Clerk. Chancery Court files and land records live with the Chancery Clerk. The table below shows where common record types belong.

For Chancery Court dates and docket timing, callers can phone the Chancery Clerk and ask for Vicki Ray. Circuit Court case questions go to the Circuit Clerk counter.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy is a clerk-stamped document that proves the record is a true copy from the official file. Courts, banks, and agencies often demand certified copies rather than plain prints. The steps are similar at both offices, though the record type sets which counter to use.

1. Identify the record. Pin down the case number, party names, and document type for a court file, or the book and page number for a land record.
2. Pick the right office. Send Circuit Court files and marriage records to the Circuit Clerk. Send Chancery, land, and probate records to the Chancery Clerk.
3. Make the request in person, by phone, or by mail. For a mailed land-record copy, include the book and page, a check or money order for the fee, and a stamped self-addressed envelope.
4. Pay the copy and certification fee. The Chancery Clerk accepts cash or checks and money orders payable to the Clay County Chancery Clerk.
5. Pick up the certified copy at the counter, or wait for it to arrive by return mail.

Note: A certified marriage-license copy from the Circuit Clerk costs $17, and certified land-record copies carry an added certification fee on top of the per-page rate.

Records Request Form Fields

Clay County's official site does not post a single general public-records form, so requests are built from the details each office needs to find a file. The more identifying facts you supply, the faster the clerk can locate the document. The fields below cover both court and land-record requests.

Clay County Clerk Fees

Each office posts its own charges. The Circuit Clerk lists filing and service fees for court matters, while the Chancery Clerk sets per-page copy rates for land records. The Circuit Clerk filing fees page carries the court-side amounts shown below.

The fees gathered in one place make it easier to plan a filing or a copy request before visiting either counter.

Note: The marriage license itself is $37 in cash only, and the office asks applicants to call ahead for an appointment time.

Land Records and Copy Rules

Land records are the Chancery Clerk's largest public collection. Deeds, deeds of trust, plats, name-change orders, and judgment indexes are all recorded and open for inspection. The counter is open for public review on weekday business hours. The Chancery Clerk land records page spells out copy fees and recording rules.

That page is also where the mail-copy process is set out for people who cannot visit in person. A mailed request must include three things.

• Enough detail to identify the document, especially the book and page where it is recorded
• A check or money order covering the copy cost
• A stamped self-addressed envelope for the return

Land records can also be searched online through Delta Computer Systems, which covers Clay County deeds from 2007 forward and deeds of trust from 2011 forward. Access is by subscription or pay-per-document.

Electronic Filing Through MEC

Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) is the statewide system for electronic filing and case management. Clay County Chancery Court implemented MEC, so many Chancery case files are kept and filed electronically. Circuit Court files may also appear through the state system where the court participates.

Public users can search docket information and view documents in courts that use MEC, though registration or a login may be required for full access and some documents may carry fees. Attorneys and filers register through the Mississippi Electronic Courts portal. To register or get help, the MEC helpdesk answers at 601-576-4650 or helpdesk@mec.ms.gov.

Older cases, sealed matters, juvenile files, and records not loaded into MEC will not show online. For those, the clerk that owns the file is still the place to call or visit.

Notary and Passport Services

The Chancery Clerk doubles as the county-wide notary and as a U.S. passport acceptance agent. Passport forms are available at the courthouse or through travel.state.gov, but applicants should not sign the form until they arrive in person at the counter. The Chancery Clerk passport page confirms the office hours and counter steps.

That page notes the office takes passport applications during regular weekday hours with no appointment needed. The notary fee through the office is $2, and military discharge papers can be recorded and preserved at the same counter.