Marriage Laws in Mississippi:

Any ordained minister for the gospel who is in good standing with his or her church may perform marriages. Ministers must send a certificate of marriage to the clerk who issued the marriage license within 3 months after the marriage. For questions in each individual county, see the clerk of the circuit court.

Information for those wishing to marry in Mississippi:

Here's what you need to know to make the marriage legal in Mississippi. In order to get married, you need to apply and receive a marriage license. This is the document in your state that allows you to officially tie the knot under the law. The rules for acquiring your marriage license varies from state to state, so you should check with your city's marriage bureau at your clerk of court's office to find out what your local rules are.

You'll typically need to apply for your marriage license at least one month before your wedding ceremony. You'll traditionally need to send in your birth certificates, tax information, and other official documents. You don't, however, want to apply for your marriage license too early. In some states, the licenses do expire, if you don't get married within a few months.

When you apply for your license, you'll not only need a proof of identification and age, will need to provide any information about previous marriages, and will need to pay a nominal fee. You will also need to have a witness when you sign the application, so plan on bringing your maid of honor or best man with you. The bride will need to know what her married name will be before she signs the marriage certificate. You'll have to write that name on the application. And, believe it or not, just because you have your marriage license sent to you in the mail does not mean you are officially married. You need to have a justice of the peace or a religious clergyman sign the document. On your wedding day, you'll give your chaplain your marriage license, then after the ceremony, he'll sign it and send it to the proper government agency for validation.

ID Requirement: Picture id such as Drivers License. Having your Social Security card, Birth Certificate, etc. may be helpful. Bring some friends with you, because witnesses need to sign your application, too.

Residency Requirement: Do not have to be a resident of Mississippi.

Previous Marriages: You need to know the date (mm/dd/yy) and how the last marriage ended. If it was within the last 6 months, you will need to bring proof of the divorce that can be left with the Clerk.

Application Requirement: Both the bride and groom must appear in person at the time of applying.

Waiting Period: No waiting period.

Fees: $22 - Cash Only.

Blood Tests: Blood test within 30 days showing that both applicants are free from syphilis. The results can be from any laboratory (in state or out of state) that is authorized to do pre-marital syphilis testing and is registered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Under 21: Parental consent is needed if under 21 years of age. If parents or guardians do not give consent at time of application, they will be notified via certified mail. The marriage application will be held for three (3) days. Marriage licenses cannot be issued to males under 17, or females under 15 years of age. If the clerk receives a signed authorization from the parents, this minimum age requirement can be waived.

Proxy Marriages: No.

Common Law Marriage: No.

Cousin Marriages: No.

Same Sex Marriages: No.

Officiates: Any ordained minister of the gospel who is in good standing with his or her church, mayors, local Board of Supervisors members, and judges of the state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit court, Chancery court, Justice court, or County court may perform marriages. Officiates must send a certificate of marriage to the clerk who issued the marriage license within three months after the marriage.

Valid: License is valid for 30 days and can only be used within the State of Mississippi.

 

List of Mississippi County Clerk's Offices:

Adams County Natchez, MS 601.446.6326 Alcorn County Corinth, MS 601.286.7740 Amite County Liberty, MS 601-657-8932 Attala County Kosciusko, MS 601-289-1471 Benton County Ashland, MS 601.224.6310 Bolivar County Cleveland, MS 601.843.2061 Calhoun County Pittsboro, MS 601.412.3101 Carroll County Carrollton, MS 601.237.9274 Chickasaw County Houston, MS 601.456.2331 Claiborne County Port Gibson, MS 601.437.5841 Clay County West Point, MS 601.494.3384 Coahoma County Clarksdale, MS 601.624.3000 Copiah County Hazlehurst, MS 601.894.1241 Covington County Collins, MS 601.765.6506 De Soto County Hernando, MS 601.429.1325 Forrest County Hattiesburg, MS 601.582.3213 Franklin County Meadville, MS 601.384.2320 George County Lucedale, MS 601.947.4881 Greene County Leakesville, MS 601.394.2379 Grenada County Grenada, MS 601.226.1941 Hancock County Bay St. Louis, MS 228.467.5265

Harrison County Gulfport, MS 228.865.4167 Hinds County Raymond, MS 601.968.6653 Holmes County Lexington, MS 601.834.2476 Itawamba County Fulton, MS 601.862.3511 Jackson County Pascagoula, MS 228.769.3039 Jefferson Davis County Prentiss, MS 601.792.4231 Jones County Laurel, MS 601.425.2556 Lafayette County Oxford, MS 601.234.4951 Lamar County Purvis, MS 601-794-8504 Lauderdale County Meridian, MS 601.482.9731 Leake County Carthage, MS 601.298.1302 Lee County Tupelo, MS 601.841.9024 Leflore County Greenwood, MS 601.453.1435 Lincoln County Brookhaven, MS 601.835.3435 Lowndes County Columbus, MS 601.329.5900 Madison County Canton, MS 601.859.4365 Marion County Columbia, MS 601.736.8246 Marshall County Holly Springs, MS 601.252.3434 Monroe County Aberdeen, MS 601.369.8695 Montgomery County Winona, MS 601-283-4161 Neshoba County Philadelphia, MS 601.656.4781

Newton County Decatur, MS 601.635.2368 Noxubee County Macon, MS 601.726.5737 Oktibbeha County Starkville, MS 601.323.1356 Panola County Batesville, MS 601.563.6210 Pearl River County Poplarville, MS 601.795.1235 Pike County Magnolia, MS 601.783.2581 Prentiss County Booneville, MS 601.728.4611 Quitman County Marks, MS 601.326.8003 Rankin County Brandon, MS 601.825.1466 Scott County Forest, MS 601.469.3601 Simpson County Mendenhall, MS 601.847.2474 Stone County Wiggins, MS 601.928.5246 Sunflower County Indianola, MS 601.887.1252 Tate County Senatobia, MS 601.562.5211 Tishomingo County Iuka, MS 601.423.7037 Union County New Albany, MS 601.534.1910 Warren County Vicksburg, MS 601.636.3961 Washington County Greenville, MS 601.378.2747 Winston County Louisville, MS 601.773.3581 Yalobusha County Water Valley, MS 601.473.1341 Yazoo County Yazoo City, MS 601.746.1872