Covington County Circuit Clerk

About the Covington County Circuit Clerk's Office

Melissa Duckworth serves as the Covington County Circuit Clerk. She is an elected county official who runs one of the busiest record offices in the county. The clerk acts as Clerk of both the Circuit Court and the County Court. That means she holds the paper trail for jury-trial civil suits, felony cases, and many other filings made at this court level. The office sits in the county seat of Collins, alongside the other courthouse offices.

The Circuit Clerk does more than file court papers. The office issues marriage licenses, keeps marriage records, records medical and professional licenses, registers voters, and manages election duties. It also draws jurors and qualifies juries for each court term. Because the role spans courts, vital records, and elections, residents reach this office for many different reasons.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History keeps a property record for the Covington County Courthouse in Collins.

That archive describes the courthouse as a 1907 Classical Revival building and the principal architectural landmark of the county. The Circuit Clerk's records have been kept in this civic setting for generations, which is why older files may still live at the counter rather than online.

What the Covington County Circuit Clerk Handles

The Circuit Clerk receives and files lawsuits, indictments, motions, and related papers in civil and criminal cases brought in Circuit or County Court. Once a case opens, the clerk tracks each filing and keeps the record current. The office also issues the legal notices that move a case forward, such as summonses and subpoenas. These duties make the clerk the front door for most Circuit Court business in Covington County.

The office carries several responsibilities beyond the courtroom. The county lists the core duties of the Circuit Clerk in clear terms.

• Receive and file civil and criminal case papers, indictments, and motions
• Issue process, including summonses and subpoenas
• Draw jurors and qualify juries for court terms
• Keep records of judgments and executions
• Issue marriage licenses and keep records of marriages
• Record medical and other professional licenses
• Register voters and carry out election duties

Each duty creates a record someone may later need. A judgment may need to be proven for a debt. A marriage record may be needed for a name change or a benefit claim. A jury summons may need to be confirmed. The clerk's office is the source for all of these in Covington County.

Circuit Clerk and Chancery Clerk in Covington County

Covington County uses a split clerk structure. Two separate elected officials keep two separate sets of records. The Circuit Clerk handles Circuit and County Court matters, marriage licenses, juries, and voter records. The Chancery Clerk handles a different world of records, including land deeds, board minutes, and the family and estate cases heard in Chancery Court. Sending a request to the wrong office is the most common delay residents face.

The table below shows how the two offices divide the work. For deeds, probate, divorce, and board minutes, the Covington County Chancery Clerk is the correct office to contact.

Note: divorce is a Chancery Court matter, so a divorce case file is kept by the Chancery Clerk even though the Circuit Clerk issues marriage licenses.

Covington County Marriage Licenses and Records

The Circuit Clerk issues marriage licenses and keeps the county's marriage records. Couples who plan to marry in Covington County start here. No county online marriage application, fee, or waiting-period page was located, so the safe first step is a phone call to the clerk. Ask about the current fee, accepted payment, identification, age rules, and whether both applicants must appear in person.

Mississippi also keeps marriage records at the state level. The Mississippi State Department of Health can order a marriage record copy and can search for the county where a license was issued. State copies can be ordered through VitalChek or by phone at 601-206-8200. The state channel helps when the issuing county is unknown or when a certified vital record is needed quickly. The full marriage and divorce picture, including where divorce files live, appears on the county marriage and divorce records page.

Note: after a wedding, make sure the officiant returns the signed license so the Circuit Clerk can record it and later issue certified copies.

Searching Covington County Circuit Court Records

There is no single countywide public case database for Covington County. Circuit Court record access runs through a few channels, and the right one depends on the case type. Mississippi has finished moving its trial courts to electronic filing, so many eligible records now exist in a statewide system. Restricted categories, older paper files, and certified copies still flow through the clerk directly.

Mississippi Electronic Courts, known as MEC, is live in all circuit, chancery, and county courts. The public can view eligible documents through Public Access Mississippi Electronic Courts, or PAMEC, after registering. Registration costs $10 per year, and document viewing costs 20 cents per page. Sensitive family and protective-order categories are not available remotely. Use the steps below to reach the right channel.

1. Register for public access at the PAMEC registration site to view eligible Circuit and County Court records online.
2. Read the program details on the Mississippi Electronic Courts page before paying any viewing charge.
3. For files that are restricted, older, or not online, call the Circuit Clerk at 601-765-6506.
4. For a certified or paper copy, contact the clerk by phone, mail, email, or in person.

The clerk remains the fallback for anything the online system does not show. That includes non-digitized files, restricted records, and any document that must carry the clerk's certification. A short call before mailing a request can confirm whether the record is available and what it costs.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and signature. Courts, banks, and agencies often require a certified copy rather than a plain printout from a website. A marriage record, a judgment, or a final order may all need certification for legal use. The Circuit Clerk produces certified copies of records the office holds.

1. Identify the record. Gather the case number, party names, filing year, and document type so the clerk can find the file fast.
2. Contact the office. Call 601-765-6506 or email the clerk to confirm the record exists and what the copy will cost.
3. Submit the request. Provide the record details and your contact information by mail to PO Box 667, Collins, MS 39428, or in person at the clerk's counter.
4. Pay the fee. Confirm the amount and accepted payment before you send anything, since the county does not post a copy fee online.
5. Receive the copy. Pick it up in person or wait for the certified copy to arrive by mail.

Records Request Form Fields

No dedicated Covington County court-records request form was located on the county forms page. When you write or call in a request, include the details below so staff can match the record quickly. Treat this list as a guide and confirm the exact format with the clerk before mailing payment.

The county does publish other resident forms, such as birth-certificate, homestead, and voter-registration documents.

You can review what is posted on the official Covington County forms page before you contact the office.

The fields below cover what a request for a court-record copy usually needs. Confirm any unclear item with the clerk.

Covington County Circuit Clerk Fees

Covington County does not post a Circuit Clerk fee schedule online. No published amount was located for plain copies, certified copies, marriage licenses, or search fees on the county site. The only documented figures come from the statewide electronic system, not from the county counter. Because of that gap, the table below shows what is confirmed and what must be checked by phone before you pay.

The Mississippi Public Records Act lets a public body charge fees that reimburse the actual cost of search, review, copying, redaction, and mailing. Those costs vary by request, which is one reason the county does not post a flat sheet. Always confirm the amount and accepted payment with the Circuit Clerk before mailing a request or arriving for certified copies.

Public Access Laws for Covington County Records

Most court records held by the Circuit Clerk are public under state law. The Mississippi Public Records Act gives any person the right to inspect or copy public records unless a statute makes them exempt. The first question is always which office holds the record. Circuit and County Court files route to the Circuit Clerk, while equity and family files route to the Chancery Clerk.

A few statutes shape how the office responds to a request.

Miss. Code Ann. Section 25-61-5

Sets the right to inspect or copy public records under reasonable written procedures, with access generally within one working day and production or denial within seven working days.

Miss. Code Ann. Section 25-61-7

Allows a public body to charge fees that cover the actual cost of searching, reviewing, copying, redacting, and mailing records, and to collect those fees in advance.

Miss. Code Ann. Section 25-61-12

Exempts certain personal information of officers and judges and allows some investigative material to be withheld, while keeping incident reports public.

Some records carry stronger limits. Youth Court files are confidential. Sealed and expunged records are blocked from ordinary public access. Adoption, guardianship, conservatorship, and protective-order material may be restricted or redacted. When a file mixes public and exempt content, the office should redact the exempt part and release what is allowed.

Note: an expunged case may vanish from public search yet remain visible to agencies that the law allows to view it.

Jury Service and Voter Registration

The Circuit Clerk draws jurors and qualifies juries for Covington County court terms. Residents who receive a jury summons can confirm reporting details with this office. No separate juror pay, parking, or dress-code page was located, so questions about service are best answered by a direct call to the clerk.

The same office registers voters and handles election duties for the county. People who move, change a name, or need to confirm registration status can reach the Circuit Clerk for help. The office also records medical and other professional licenses, which makes it the place to verify or file those documents locally. These duties round out a role that reaches well beyond the courtroom and into civic life across the county.