Lamar County Marriage and Divorce Records

Getting a Marriage License in Lamar County

Marriage licenses in Lamar County are handled through the Circuit Clerk. That office is led by Martin Hankins and sits at 203 Main Street in Purvis, with mail sent to P.O. Box 369, Purvis, MS 39475. The Circuit Clerk also keeps court records and court finances, so the marriage counter is one of several services under the same roof. Both applicants must apply together in person. There is no online application that replaces the in-person visit, and a license issued here is the document a couple presents to be married in Mississippi.

Eligibility rules are straightforward. Each applicant brings one form of identification, such as a driver's license or a certified birth certificate. The fee is $36.00, paid by cash or credit only. If either person has been married before, the applicants must provide the date the last marriage ended by death or divorce. When a parent or legal guardian must sign to approve issuance of the license, that adult must appear and show identification as well. Bringing the right documents on the first trip keeps the visit short.

The official Lamar County marriage license page sets out these local requirements in plain language.

For a full picture of how this office works, the Circuit Clerk page covers its records, fees, and case-type codes in more detail.

The county marriage license page lists the documents, the fee, and the in-person rule for applicants.

Review the Lamar County marriage license requirements on the county website.

Reading the requirements before the visit helps both applicants gather identification and payment in advance.

How to Apply for a Marriage License

Applying is a short, in-person process once both people are ready to appear at the Circuit Clerk's counter. The steps below follow the order the office expects.

1. Confirm that both parties can appear together at the Circuit Clerk's office in Purvis.
2. Bring one valid identification document each; a driver's license or certified birth certificate are listed examples.
3. Bring $36 in cash or a credit card, since those are the only accepted payment methods.
4. If a parent or legal guardian must approve issuance, that person appears, signs, and shows identification.
5. If either applicant was married before, know the date the last marriage ended by divorce or death.

Once the application is complete and the fee is paid, the clerk issues the license at the counter. Couples who arrive with the wrong payment type or missing identification may have to return, so a quick checklist beforehand is worth the effort.

Marriage License Application Fields

The local requirements function less like a long paper form and more like a short set of conditions both applicants must satisfy in person. The inventory below mirrors what the Circuit Clerk asks for, with notes on when an item applies.

Each field exists to confirm identity, eligibility, and any prior marital status before the clerk issues the license.

Lamar County Marriage and Divorce Fees

Fees differ depending on whether the request is a marriage license, a state-level vital-record service, or a certified divorce decree from the court. The table gathers the amounts confirmed for these channels. Where an office does not publish a flat amount, the request is priced when it is made.

The marriage license fee is fixed locally. The $17 charge is a state index search, not a copy of a decree, so the two should not be confused.

Looking Up Lamar County Marriage Records

A couple married in the county receives the license through the Circuit Clerk, and that office is the first place to start for a local marriage record. For state-level service, the Mississippi State Department of Health keeps vital records, including pages dedicated to marriage and divorce. The Office of Vital Records can be reached at 601-206-8200 or by email at VRInfo@msdh.ms.gov. One caution matters here: the marriage-record page notes that not all marriage records may be on file with the state office, so a county request is often the more reliable route for a Lamar County marriage record.

To find a specific record, gather the names of both spouses, the approximate date of the marriage, and the county where the license was issued. Those details speed up any search, whether the request goes to the Circuit Clerk or to the state. People searching older records should expect to confirm whether the document is held locally or by the state before paying any fee.

The Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Records page outlines the birth, death, marriage, and divorce services available at the state level.

Visit the MSDH Vital Records page for state vital-record services.

The state page links separately to its marriage-record and divorce-record instructions, which set out contacts and fees.

The MSDH marriage-record page gives the Vital Records contact and the caution that some marriage records may not be on file.

See the MSDH marriage records instructions and contact details.

Reading that page first tells an applicant whether a state request or a local Circuit Clerk request is the better fit.

Finding Lamar County Divorce Records

Divorce in Mississippi is an equity matter, so Lamar County divorce case files are Chancery Court records rather than Circuit Court records. The Chancery Clerk is Jamie Aultman, and that office sits at 403 Main Street in Purvis, with mail sent to P.O. Box 247, Purvis, MS 39475. The Chancery Clerk lists divorces among its case types and notes that most cases are public record and open to the public, subject to confidentiality limits. A certified copy of a final divorce decree comes from this office, not from the state health department.

The state does play a supporting role. The Mississippi State Department of Health does not maintain divorce decrees. Instead, MSDH offers a five-year search of county divorce indexes for January 1, 1926 through June 30, 1938, and January 1, 1942 to the present, for a fee of $17. That search locates the county, book, and page number in the Chancery Clerk's office where the divorce was recorded. It is a finding aid, useful when the recording details are unknown, and it points the requester back to the Chancery Clerk for the actual decree.

The MSDH divorce-record page explains the five-year index search and directs requesters to the Chancery Clerk for decrees.

Read the MSDH divorce records instructions and index-search details.

With the county, book, and page in hand, a follow-up request to the Chancery Clerk produces the certified decree.

To locate a divorce record efficiently, the steps below move from identifying the record to securing the certified copy.

1. Determine whether the record is a Chancery Court divorce decree or a state index search.
2. Contact the Lamar County Chancery Clerk for a decree or certified copy at 403 Main Street, P.O. Box 247, Purvis, MS 39475.
3. Use the MSDH divorce-index search if the county, book, and page are unknown and the record falls within the index years.
4. Expect sensitive family documents, minor information, and sealed components to be restricted or redacted.

Mississippi Divorce Law and the Chancery Court File

Three statutes shape where and how a divorce is filed, which in turn affects where the record lands. Miss. Code Ann. Section 93-5-5 sets the residency rule, generally requiring one party to be a bona fide Mississippi resident for six months before filing. Section 93-5-7 sets the procedure, providing that a divorce is filed by complaint in Chancery Court and proceeds much like other chancery suits, with divorce-specific limits. Section 93-5-11 governs venue, so the proper county depends on residence and the defendant's status. Filing in the correct county is what places a Lamar County divorce record with the local Chancery Clerk.

A complete divorce file can include the complaint, summons, financial filings, custody and support orders, property division, settlement agreements, and the final decree. Some components are public, while records involving minors or adoption are confidential and may be sealed or redacted. Anyone reviewing these files should expect parts to be withheld to protect family privacy.

The Mississippi Legislature has carried these divorce statutes forward in bill text, including Sections 93-5-3, 93-5-5, 93-5-7, and 93-5-11.

Read the Mississippi divorce statute bill text on the Legislature site.

The statutory text is the authoritative source for residency, procedure, and venue questions tied to a divorce file.

Certified Copies and Restricted Family Records

Certified copies carry an official seal and are the version accepted for legal and identity purposes. For a Lamar County marriage license or record, the Circuit Clerk is the local source, while the state office handles MSDH-level marriage services. For a divorce decree, the certified copy comes from the Chancery Clerk after the case is identified.

Because access rules differ by office, it helps to confirm the certified-copy fee and accepted payment methods with the specific clerk before sending a request. Estate and guardianship matters share the same Chancery Court venue, and the probate records overview explains how those related files are kept.

Mississippi Vital Records Office

The Mississippi State Department of Health maintains state-level vital records and operates the Office of Vital Records for marriage and divorce-index services. It is the right contact for statewide requests, while county clerks remain the source for local licenses and decrees.