Getting a Marriage License in Copiah County
Marriage licenses in Copiah County are issued by the Circuit Clerk, not the Chancery Clerk. The current clerk is Derrick Cubit, and the office sits at 100 Caldwell Drive in Hazlehurst. The clerk issues the license, prepares the marriage record, and files a statistical record with the Office of Vital Records at the Mississippi State Department of Health. That filing is how the marriage enters the statewide system. You can reach the office by phone at (601) 894-1241 or by email at derrick@copiahcountyms.gov before you visit.
Both parties should plan to appear together. Each person needs proof of age and identity, such as a government issued ID. An older county FAQ once stated that both applicants must be 21 or older, but Mississippi law allows younger applicants under certain conditions. Because the local guidance is brief, ask the clerk directly about parental consent and any documents needed if either applicant is under 21. The same goes for anyone recently divorced, since the office may want to see the prior decree.
There is no separate online application portal for a Copiah County license. The process runs through the Circuit Clerk in person, so a quick call ahead confirms current hours and accepted payment.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The application itself is short, but a little preparation keeps it smooth. Gather identification for both people, know each other's full legal names and dates of birth, and have the fee ready. If either applicant was married before, bring details about when and how that marriage ended. Follow these steps to apply through the Copiah County Circuit Clerk.
- Contact or visit the Circuit Clerk at 100 Caldwell Drive in Hazlehurst, and call ahead to confirm hours.
- Both parties appear together and present proof of age and identity.
- Provide the application details, including legal names, dates of birth, and prior marriage information.
- Pay the current filing fee charged for the marriage record prepared.
- The clerk issues the license and files the statistical record with Mississippi Vital Records.
- After the ceremony, the officiant returns the signed license so the marriage is fully recorded.
Ask the clerk about the return deadline and how to request a certified copy once the license is back on file. Rules on consent, age, and any waiting period can change, so confirm the current requirements at the time you apply.
Marriage License Application Fields
No Copiah specific application form was published online, so the fields below are compiled from the clerk's duty page and standard Mississippi practice. Use it as a checklist for what each person will likely need to provide. Treat anything marked likely as a prompt to confirm with the office, since exact form fields can vary.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant 1 full legal name | Yes | Exact legal name as it appears on ID. |
| Applicant 2 full legal name | Yes | Exact legal name as it appears on ID. |
| Current address | Likely | Mailing address for each applicant. |
| Date of birth / age | Yes | Proof of age is required. |
| Parent names / mother's maiden name | Likely | Common Mississippi license data; confirm locally. |
| Prior marriages / date last ended | Likely | Needed if previously married; ask if a decree copy is required. |
| Identification document | Yes | Government ID or other proof of age and identity. |
| Filing fee | Yes | Paid at the time the record is prepared. |
Copiah County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Fees split across two places. The Circuit Clerk charges a filing fee when it prepares the marriage record, while the Mississippi State Department of Health charges for certified copies and index searches. The current Copiah County Circuit Clerk page lists a marriage filing fee of $37 per record prepared. An older county FAQ named a $21 fee under a former clerk, so treat that figure as stale and confirm the amount with the current office before you go.
The table below pulls the confirmed numbers together. Where an amount was not published in official Copiah sources, the entry says so plainly. Always verify totals with the office that collects them, since rates and added vendor charges change over time.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license filing (Circuit Clerk) | $37 per record (confirm; older FAQ said $21) |
| Certified marriage copy (MSDH) | $17 |
| Five year divorce index search (MSDH) | $17 |
| VitalChek online or phone order | $17 plus an added vendor fee |
| Certified divorce decree copy (Chancery Clerk) | Fee not located; ask the Chancery Clerk |
| Divorce filing fee (Chancery Court) | Fee not located; ask the Chancery Clerk |
To find this information at its source, start with the Mississippi State Department of Health vital records page, which explains certified copy and search charges.
The MSDH vital records portal lays out which life records the state keeps and how the fees apply, which helps before you choose between a county office and a state copy.
Note: Verify every fee with the collecting office before you visit, because published amounts can lag behind current charges.
How to Look Up Copiah County Marriage Records
Mississippi marriage records are held by both state and county officials, so you have more than one path. You can order a certified copy from the Mississippi State Department of Health, or have the state search for the county where the license was issued if you are unsure. The MSDH Vital Records office is at 222 Marketridge Drive in Ridgeland, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Reach it by phone at (601) 206-8200 or by email at VRInfo@msdh.ms.gov. A certified copy costs $17, and the record is mailed within 7 to 10 business days.
To search at the local level, contact the Copiah County Circuit Clerk, since that office issued and filed the license. Have the full names of both spouses, the approximate date of the marriage, and the county ready. The more detail you provide, the faster a clerk can locate the right entry. For online or phone ordering, the state uses VitalChek, which adds a vendor fee on top of the $17 charge. Ordering directly from MSDH by mail avoids that extra cost.
You can review what the state offers on the MSDH marriage records page before deciding where to order.
That page spells out the certified copy fee and the mail option, which is the cheapest way to get a Copiah County marriage certificate that works for legal purposes.
How to Find Copiah County Divorce Records
Divorce records work differently from marriage records. Divorce case files and final decrees are Chancery Court and Chancery Clerk records, not health department records. The Copiah County Chancery Clerk is Deborah Sandifer, located at 122 S. Lowe Street in Hazlehurst, reachable at (601) 894-3021 or dsandifer@copiahcountyms.gov. The Chancery Court handles divorce along with child custody, child support, property division, alimony, and adoption. To get a certified copy of a decree, contact the Chancery Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted.
The Mississippi State Department of Health does not maintain divorce decrees, but it can help you find one. For $17, MSDH performs a five year search of county divorce indexes covering January 1, 1926 to June 30, 1938, and January 1, 1942 to the present. That search returns the county, book, and page number where the divorce was recorded. With those details in hand, the Chancery Clerk can pull the file quickly. If the case was electronically filed, parties or attorneys may also access records through the Mississippi Electronic Courts system, though sensitive family case categories can have limited remote access.
A divorce file usually includes the petition, the final judgment, and orders on custody, support, and property. Some financial details and matters involving minor children may be restricted. You can see how the state handles the index search on the MSDH divorce records page.
The divorce index search is useful when you do not know the exact county or filing date, since it points you straight to the Chancery Clerk's book and page.
Filing for Divorce in Copiah County
People starting a divorce file in Chancery Court, because that court hears domestic and family matters in Copiah County. The first practical step is to figure out what the case involves, such as children, property, support, or alimony, since that shapes the pleadings. Pleadings are filed with the Chancery Clerk at 122 S. Lowe Street, or through the Mississippi Electronic Courts system if a party is represented and eligible for e-filing.
Filing fees apply, and a fee waiver may be available for those who qualify, though a Copiah specific divorce filing fee was not published. After filing, the other party must be served unless service is legally waived. Chancery matters are generally heard by a chancellor without a jury, with narrow exceptions. Once the judgment is final, request certified copies of the decree from the Chancery Clerk. This is a general overview of the process, not legal advice.
Getting Certified Copies in Copiah County
A certified copy carries an official seal and is what most agencies accept for name changes, benefits, immigration, and other legal needs. For a marriage record, order the certified copy from the Mississippi State Department of Health for $17, or ask the Circuit Clerk about a county certified copy. In person payment at MSDH may be cash, cashier's check, money order, credit card, or debit card, and the record is mailed within 7 to 10 business days. For a divorce decree, request the certified copy from the Chancery Clerk in the county that granted it.
Online and phone orders go through VitalChek, which adds a fee to the $17 state charge. If saving money matters more than speed, mailing your request directly to MSDH is the lower cost route. Before you order, confirm the exact spelling of names and the date of the event, since errors slow processing.
You can compare the ordering channels on the MSDH online and phone ordering page.
That page shows the VitalChek option and the added vendor fee, so you can weigh convenience against cost before placing a Copiah County marriage record order.
Note: Order by mail directly from the state to avoid the extra vendor charge that online and phone services add to the base copy fee.
Mississippi Vital Records Office
The Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, is the statewide source for certified marriage copies and divorce index searches. It keeps the statistical marriage records filed by county clerks and can search across counties when you are not sure where a license was issued. The office does not issue divorce decrees, but its five year index search points you to the right Chancery Clerk. Use the contact details below to plan a mail request or an in person visit.
For probate and estate filings handled by the same Chancery Clerk, the Copiah County probate records page explains how wills and estate files are searched.