Stone County Marriage and Divorce Records

Getting a Marriage License in Stone County

The Stone County Circuit Clerk issues marriage licenses. The Chancery Clerk does not. That split surprises some couples, so the first task is reaching the right counter. Treba Davis serves as Circuit Clerk and Registrar. Her office sits at 323 Cavers Ave E in Wiggins, and the phone line is 601-928-5246. Couples apply together in person during regular business hours.

The official Stone County marriage license page lists who qualifies and what to bring. The image below shows that page.

It also spells out the documents the clerk needs before a license is printed. A license is issued the same day a couple applies. The ceremony may happen that day too. There is no deadline to hold the wedding once the license is in hand. After the wedding, the license must go back to the clerk within five days so the marriage can be recorded. Plan to arrive no later than 4:00 PM. Call ahead, because appointments are preferred. The same office handles voter registration, court fines, and other duties covered on the Clerk of Court page.

How to Apply for a Marriage License

A little prep keeps the visit short. Gather identification, payment, and a few family details before you go. The steps below follow the Circuit Clerk's stated process for Stone County couples.

1. Call the Circuit Clerk at 601-928-5246 to confirm hours and ask whether an appointment is available.
2. Complete the marriage license application before you arrive, or fill it out at the counter.
3. Both applicants appear together at the Circuit Clerk office, 323 Cavers Ave E, Wiggins.
4. Bring proof of age, the date any prior marriage ended, both parents' full names with maiden names, and the $37.00 fee.
5. If either party is under 21, arrange parental consent or a sworn affidavit and proof of parentage.
6. Receive the license the same day, then have an authorized officiant perform the ceremony.
7. Return the signed license and statistical record within five days so the State of Mississippi can record it.

Note: The officiant must be a minister or other official authorized under Mississippi statute, and booking that person is the couple's own responsibility.

Stone County Marriage License Requirements

Mississippi sets the rules, and the Circuit Clerk applies them locally. Both parties normally must be 21 or older. Younger applicants face extra steps. Statutes Section 93-1-5 and Section 93-1-13 frame how a license is issued and how it returns to the clerk after the wedding.

Couples should walk in with the following ready:

• Both parties 21 or older, or parental consent when either is younger.
• Valid proof of age, such as a driver's license or birth certificate.
• The date a prior marriage ended, if either party was married before.
• Both parents' full names, including the mothers' maiden names.
• The $37.00 license fee, paid at the counter.
• A completed application, submitted before the license prints.

Note: Anyone under 21 needs parental consent, and under-18 applicants face further restrictions, so call the clerk at 601-928-5246 before applying.

Stone County Marriage Record Fees

Costs for marriage records are short and fixed. The license is one charge. A certified copy or search is another. Additional copies cost less when ordered together, and the state health department sets its own copy fee. The table lists each amount with its source.

The $17.00 certified charge covers a five-year record search and includes a copy when the record is located. If no record turns up, only the fees paid for additional copies are refunded. Divorce filing and decree-copy costs are not posted online, so ask the Chancery Clerk at 601-928-5266 for current chancery fees.

Stone County Marriage Copy Request Form

The Circuit Clerk offers a Certified Marriage License Request form for mail and phone orders. It is built around the data the office needs to find a record. Stone County marriage records run from July 1916 to the present. Anything older may be traced through the Mississippi Department of Archives. The form fields are listed below.

Looking Up Stone County Marriage Records

Stone County marriage records from July 1916 to the present are held at the Circuit Clerk's office. Older entries may sit with the Mississippi Department of Archives. A certified search costs $17.00 and includes a copy when the record is found. The office needs the groom's complete name, the bride's full maiden name, and an approximate marriage date to begin.

Mississippi also issues marriage certificates statewide through its health department. The MSDH online and phone ordering page describes those choices, shown below.

That page gives couples a second route when a county trip is hard. After a wedding and a name change, the bride may obtain a certificate of marriage from the Circuit Clerk for $17.00. The certificate works for a name change at the DMV and with Social Security. Once the officiant signs everything, the bottom of the license and the statistical record go back to the clerk for filing with the state.

Stone County Divorce Records in Chancery Court

Divorce is not a Circuit Clerk matter. It is heard in Chancery Court. Stone County falls in the Eighth Chancery District, and the court sits at 323 East Cavers Avenue in Wiggins. The Chancery Clerk is Samuel Tom Smith, and the office phone is 601-928-5266. Chancery cases cover divorce, child custody, property division, alimony, adoptions, and related family matters, many of which overlap with probate records.

Mississippi allows a no-fault divorce by irreconcilable differences under Section 93-5-2. Section 93-5-5 sets the residency rule, so a filer must meet venue and residency before filing in chancery. A public divorce case file may be searched through Eighth Chancery MEC at https://eighth.chancery.mec.ms.gov/ when the case is not sealed or restricted. You may also contact the Chancery Clerk directly.

To track down or start a Stone County divorce file, follow this order:

1. Confirm the matter is a Chancery Court case, not a Circuit Court one.
2. Search the Eighth Chancery MEC docket by name or current date where it is available.
3. Call the Chancery Clerk at 601-928-5266 or visit 323 East Cavers Avenue, Wiggins.
4. Ask the clerk about copy and certification fees and whether the file is public, sealed, or restricted.
5. For a new filing, follow chancery procedure and verify the residency and grounds rules with the clerk or an attorney.

A divorce file can hold the petition, the grounds, property and custody terms, support orders, and the final decree. Older files may not be online and could require a clerk visit or written request.

Note: Sensitive divorce material can be redacted or sealed, and adoption and minor settlement files tied to chancery cases are not open to the general public.

Mississippi Vital Records and MSDH Ordering

The Mississippi State Department of Health keeps statewide vital records. Birth, death, and marriage records can be ordered online, by mail, by phone, or in person. The MSDH vital records ordering page lays out the choices and is shown below.

Online and phone orders run through VitalChek, which accepts major credit cards but adds a fee to the $17.00 certified charge. Mailing the order to MSDH avoids that extra fee. Additional copies of the same record are $6.00 from the state. Keep one point clear about divorce. MSDH may verify or certify a vital record, but the divorce case file itself stays with the Chancery Court, not the state.