Access Perry County Circuit Records

About the Perry County Circuit Clerk

Christy Mayo serves as the Perry County Circuit Clerk. The office sits in the county seat of New Augusta and works as the record keeper for the Circuit Court, the general trial court for the county. Like other Mississippi circuit clerks, she is an elected official who runs a public-facing counter, manages case files, and supports both court operations and county elections.

The Circuit Clerk wears more hats than many people expect. Beyond court files, the office handles voter registration, helps run elections, processes absentee ballots, issues marriage licenses, maintains the county judgment roll, and offers free notary service. Court records and election duties make this one of the busiest offices in the county.

What the Perry County Circuit Clerk Does

The core job is managing and maintaining Circuit Court records, but the statutory duty list runs wide. The office files and stores court papers, collects Circuit Court fines, and keeps the judgment roll that records civil money judgments entered in the county. It also serves as a key link in the state election system.

Residents most often reach the office for one of these core functions:

• Clerk of the Circuit Court, holding criminal and civil case files
• Collecting Circuit Court fines and court costs
• Maintaining the county judgment roll
• Voter registration and election support
• Processing absentee ballots
• Issuing marriage licenses
• Free notary service for the public

Equity matters do not run through this office. Divorce, custody, adoption, estates, and land records belong to the Perry County Chancery Clerk, so a resident chasing a divorce decree or a deed should start there instead.

Circuit Court Records Held in Perry County

The Circuit Court is the county's general law court, and its files fall into a few broad groups. The Perry County Circuit Clerk keeps the paper and electronic record for each one. Knowing which group a case belongs to helps a requester point straight to the right file.

Felony criminal matters make up a large share of the work. A felony case file can include the indictment, the capias, arraignment and waiver papers, plea petitions, motions, trial calendar entries, the plea or verdict, sentencing, and any fine or cost record. Civil cases form the second group and cover debt collections, products liability, torts, contracts, and other civil disputes not assigned to another court. A civil file may hold the complaint, summons, answers, motions, hearing notices, jury-trial settings, judgments, and cost bills.

The Circuit Court also hears appeals from Justice Court, so an appeal record can land with the Circuit Clerk even though the case began in a lower court. The full criminal case file is described in more depth on the Perry County criminal court records page.

A felony case often moves through the Twelfth Circuit on a steady schedule. After indictment, a defendant out on bond is served the indictment and capias during a monthly sign-in, then meets with a public defender and completes waiver and indigency papers. Each of those steps adds a document to the file the Circuit Clerk keeps. The Circuit Clerk also records the judgment roll, the running list of civil money judgments that can attach as liens against property in the county, which makes the office a common stop for title and credit research.

Note: Youth Court files, sealed cases, expunged cases, and documents holding Social Security or financial-account numbers may be restricted or redacted by law.

Perry County Marriage Licenses at the Circuit Clerk

Marriage licenses are issued by the Circuit Clerk, not the Chancery Clerk. Both parties must appear together at the office, show proof of age such as a driver's license, and pay the license fee. The license is issued the same day the couple applies, though the couple must arrange their own licensed officiant because the courthouse does not perform ceremonies.

Applicants also disclose the date a prior marriage ended if either party was married before, give both parents' full names including maiden names, and state their occupation status. The office holds marriage records from 1874 to the present; licenses issued before 1874 were destroyed by fire, so older records may not exist locally. The fields a couple should be ready to provide appear below.

A couple seeking an older certificate or a copy of a recorded marriage can ask the office to research the index. State-level vital records and divorce details are covered on the Perry County marriage and divorce records page.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and proves a record is a true copy of what the court holds. People need certified copies for background matters, appeals, name changes, and many official filings. Plain copies work for personal reference, but courts and agencies usually demand the certified version.

1. Identify the case. Find the case number, the party names, and the year so the clerk can pull the right file quickly.
2. Contact the Circuit Clerk. Call 601.964.3398 or visit the office at 103 Main Street to confirm the document exists locally and is not sealed.
3. Submit the request and fee. Provide the case details in person or by mail to P.O. Box 198, New Augusta, MS 39462, with the certification fee.
4. Receive the copy. Pick the certified copy up at the counter or include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a mailed return.

For marriage research, the office asks for the full groom name, the bride's full maiden name, and an approximate date so it can locate the entry. A marriage search includes a certified copy if the record is held locally.

Jury Service in Perry County Circuit Court

Jury duty is one of the most common reasons a resident hears from the Circuit Clerk. The court pulls juror panels on a rolling basis through the year, with terms commonly set around February, May, August, and November. A summons arrives by mail, and the office runs a recorded juror line so people can confirm whether they must report.

Jurors call 601-964-8663 ext. 3 on the Friday before a Monday report date for instructions. Reporting can change at the last minute, so checking the line saves a wasted trip to New Augusta. Service pays a daily rate plus the state mileage rate for travel from outside the county seat.

Note: Bring the summons and a photo ID when reporting, and confirm parking and entrance procedures with the office before the report date.

Perry County Circuit Clerk Fees

Fees at the Circuit Clerk cover licenses, record research, and court fines. The amounts below come from the county Circuit Clerk page. Payment rules matter as much as the amount, because the office limits how fines may be paid.

Circuit Court fines are paid to the Circuit Clerk by cash or money order only. A fine mailed to the office must be a money order, must include the offender name and case number, and should include a self-addressed stamped envelope if the payer wants a receipt. Cards are not used for fine payments.

Electronic Access Through MEC and PAMEC

Mississippi runs an internet-based filing and case-management system called Mississippi Electronic Courts, or MEC. Perry County Circuit Court sits in the Twelfth Circuit District with Forrest County, and the Twelfth Circuit went live on MEC on February 21, 2017. Public viewers reach docket and document information through Public Access to MEC, known as PAMEC.

A member of the public registers for a PAMEC viewer account rather than the attorney filing credentials. The login pages separate the two account types, and a user without permission for a restricted document will see a no-access message. Registration runs through the PAMEC online registration page, and general system details appear on the Mississippi Judiciary MEC information page. The MEC help desk answers at 601-576-4650 or helpdesk@mec.ms.gov.

For records not online, the surest route is still the local counter. Call or visit the Circuit Clerk, ask for the copy or search procedure, the fee, the accepted payment, and whether a file is sealed, archived, or available only through PAMEC. The statewide Mississippi Public Records Act backs public access, and the Judiciary keeps a separate public-records policy for court files.