About the Hancock County Circuit Clerk
Kendra Necaise serves as the Circuit Court Clerk for Hancock County. The position is an elected county office in Mississippi, and it carries a broad mix of court, records, and civic duties. The Circuit Clerk works inside the courthouse at 152 Main Street, Suite B, in downtown Bay St. Louis. This is the same building that houses circuit court and the chancery court records counter, though each office sits in its own suite.
The Circuit Clerk's Office is the front door for circuit court paperwork in the county. Staff accept new filings, stamp and index documents, collect statutory fees, issue marriage licenses, and produce certified copies on request. The office also touches jury management and elections. Posted hours run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the office is closed on weekends.
Hancock County Circuit Clerk
Clerk: Kendra Necaise
152 Main Street, Suite B
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
228-467-5265
Fax: 228-467-2779
Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
The county also publishes a staff directory entry for the office. For the listed address, phone, fax, and hours, see the county's Circuit Clerk staff directory page.
The directory entry confirms the suite, the main phone line, and the weekday schedule used for filings and copy requests. Calling ahead is wise when a document needs a certified seal or an in-person signature.
What the Circuit Clerk Handles
The Circuit Clerk indexes felony cases after indictment, major civil lawsuits, and appeals that rise from the lower courts. The office is the clerk of record for the circuit court, so its files cover the formal life of a case from filing through judgment and appeal. Record checks and certified copies flow from the same counter.
- Circuit court indexing for civil and criminal cases
- Civil filing intake and statutory fees
- Criminal and civil record checks at $10 per ten years
- Appeals from Justice Court and Municipal Court
- Marriage license issuance and certified copies
- Jury duty management and election material
Felony charges in Hancock County start in Justice Court or Municipal Court, depending on the arresting agency. If a case is bound over to the grand jury and an indictment follows, the file then lives with the Circuit Clerk on the circuit court docket. That split matters when you hunt for a charge that has not yet reached the circuit level.
Hancock County Circuit Clerk Fees
The Circuit Clerk collects set fees for filings, copies, and record work. The schedule below mirrors the figures the county publishes for the office. Civil filers should read the first row closely, because a civil case needs a separate process check made out to the sheriff in addition to the filing fee.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Original complaints / civil cover sheet (plus separate process check to sheriff) | $161.00 |
| Original cases passed to files and reinstated | $85.00 |
| Change of venue and transfers | $88.00 |
| Enrolling foreign judgment | $161.00 |
| Garnishment, judgment debtors, executions, renewal of judgment | $36.00 |
| Enrolling judgments from other courts | $5.00 |
| Cancellation of judgment | $1.00 |
| Certified copy | $1.50 |
| Certified copy under acts of Congress | $3.00 |
| Sheriff's fee per defendant ($5 extra for two at same address) | $45.00 |
| Appeal on criminal case from lower court | $110.00 |
| Copies per page | $1.00 |
| Faxed copies per page | $1.00 |
| Petition to review / appeal | $161.00 |
| Petition for hardship license | $211.00 |
| Criminal and civil record checks per ten years | $10.00 |
| Civil appeal (appeal bond is 124% of judgment) | $161.00 |
Fees can change, so confirm the current amount with the office before mailing payment. A record check that spans more than one decade is priced per ten-year block, so a twenty-year search runs at twice the listed rate.
Civil Filing Rules in Hancock County
Civil filers in circuit court face a few firm rules at the Circuit Clerk's counter. These rules keep the docket clean and make sure each defendant can be served. Missing any one of them can stall a new case before it ever reaches a judge.
Every civil action needs a separate check for process made payable to the sheriff of the county, in addition to the filing fee. Filers must prepare all summons for the defendants named in the suit. The office will not accept unsigned court orders. Orders must arrive with the court dates already filled in, set through the court administrators' office, and sent to the Circuit Clerk only after the judge signs them.
Court dates are not set at the clerk's window. They are scheduled through the court administrators, then added to the signed order before it returns to the Circuit Clerk for filing.
Searching Circuit Court Records
Circuit civil, circuit criminal, judgment roll, and marriage indexes for Hancock County are hosted online through Delta Computer Systems. The landing page lets you search by party name, case number, file number, or docket book and page. It is a finding aid, not the official record. When the online entry differs from the courthouse file, the courthouse file controls.
Access to the circuit indexes is gated. The county's records portal at Delta Computer Systems requires a paid subscription for the full circuit case data, priced at $30 monthly or $330 yearly, with an account set up first. The marriage index is searchable without that subscription, though images of marriage records are not posted online.
For a primary look at the office and its published guidance, the county maintains a Circuit Clerk page with fees, civil filing notes, and the court-appointed attorney pathway.
That page is the source most people use to confirm fees and the marriage license details before visiting the office in person. Treat any nonofficial index result as a lead, then order a certified copy when you need a document that will hold up for legal use.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and proves a document is a true copy of the court file. People need them for appeals, name changes, benefit claims, and many legal filings. The steps below move a request from start to finish.
- Identify the case by number, file number, or party names, plus the document you want.
- Confirm the record is held by the Circuit Clerk and not the chancery side.
- Contact the office at 228-467-5265 to verify the document and the total fee.
- Submit the request in person or by mail with payment, since certified copies run $1.50 each.
- Pick up the certified copy at the Suite B counter or wait for it to arrive by mail.
Bring valid identification and the most precise case detail you have. A clear case number speeds the search and lowers the chance of a wrong file.
Marriage Licenses and Certified Copies
Marriage licenses in Hancock County are issued by the Circuit Clerk, not the Chancery Clerk. Both parties must apply in person and show proof of age, such as a driver's license, birth certificate, or passport. The license fee is $37 by cash or card. If either party has been divorced, the office needs the divorce date, and a maiden-name restoration calls for the divorce decree.
Age and consent rules set a few extra steps for younger applicants.
- Applicants 21 and older may apply without a parent's signature.
- A bride age 15 needs both parents' signatures and IDs.
- A bride 16 to 20 needs one parent's signature and ID.
- A groom age 17 needs both parents' signatures and IDs.
- A groom 18 to 20 needs one parent's signature and ID.
After the ceremony, the officiant mails the statistical record and the perforated portion of the license back to the Circuit Clerk at the Suite B address. Once the return is on file, a certified copy can be ordered for a name change with Social Security. Certified marriage copies cost $17 for the first copy and $6 for each additional copy, and they come only from this office. Divorce records, by contrast, are chancery files, and the related marriage and divorce records path explains where each lives.
Certified marriage license copies must be requested from the Circuit Clerk's Office at 228-467-5265 only, even though most other county records run through the County Administrator.
Court-Appointed Attorney Petitions
The Circuit Clerk's Office publishes the practical path for a felony defendant who cannot afford a lawyer. Felony defendants usually have an initial appearance within 48 hours of arrest. At that hearing, the Justice Court or Municipal Judge asks whether the person can hire counsel. A defendant who cannot afford an attorney receives a Petition for Court Appointed Attorney to complete under oath.
Hancock County has three private attorneys under contract to serve as court-appointed counsel. The route depends on custody status.
- In jail, the judge handles the appointment at the initial appearance.
- Out on bond, the defendant can get the petition from the Circuit Clerk.
- The signed petition is filed in person or by mail with the office.
If the case is bound to the grand jury and an indictment follows, it is placed on the circuit court docket. The judge then reviews attorney status, arraignment or a waiver of arraignment occurs, a plea is entered, and a trial date is set. Discovery in these cases comes from the District Attorney's Office.
Jury Duty and Elections
Beyond case files, the Circuit Clerk carries duties that touch nearly every resident. The office manages jury duty for circuit court, including the summons process and juror records. It also serves as a hub for election material and voting information, linking the court system to the county's civic machinery.
People summoned for jury service should follow the instructions on the summons and confirm reporting details with the office. Election questions about registration and voting can begin here, since the Circuit Clerk page links to jury duty, elections, and marriage license resources in one place. When a question falls outside court records, staff can point you to the right county channel.
Public Records Request Form Fields
Many county records, outside certified marriage copies, are obtained through the Hancock County public records request form. Mississippi's Public Records Act under Title 25, Chapter 61 makes most records open unless an exemption applies. The county must produce or deny a request no later than seven working days from the request date, and the copy fee is $0.50 per page. The form asks for the fields below.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Request | Date | Listed | Date line at the top of the form. |
| Name | Text | Listed | Requester's full name. |
| Listed | Requester's email address. | ||
| Mailing Address | Text | Listed | Mailing address line. |
| Telephone Number | Text | Listed | Requester's phone. |
| Signature | Signature | Listed | Requester signature. |
| Records Requested | Free text | Yes in practice | Be clear and specific; an extra page is allowed. |
| Preferred Method for Receiving Information | Free text | Listed | Selection area without preset checkboxes. |
Requests go to the Hancock County Administrator at 854 Highway 90, Suite A, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520, by fax, mail, or email during weekday business hours. Fees are collected in advance for searching, reviewing, copying, and mailing. The statutory framework sits in the Mississippi Public Records Act, which the Ethics Commission publishes in full.
Note: the form warns that your request information becomes part of Hancock County's public records and may be included in future requests.
When to Use the Chancery Clerk Instead
Hancock County splits its clerk duties between two offices, and choosing the wrong one wastes a trip. The Circuit Clerk handles felony cases after indictment, major civil suits, lower-court appeals, marriage licenses, jury matters, and circuit record checks. The Chancery Clerk handles a different world of records, and many family and property questions belong there.
Divorce, child custody, adoption, guardianship, estates and probate, land records, and board minutes all run through chancery. Certified divorce decrees come from the Chancery Clerk, while certified marriage copies come from the Circuit Clerk. If your matter involves a will, an estate, a deed, or a family case other than a marriage license, the Hancock County Chancery Clerk is the office to call. For circuit case files, marriage records, and record checks, the Circuit Clerk at 228-467-5265 is the right contact.