Marriage Licenses in Quitman County
A marriage license in Quitman County is issued by the Circuit Clerk. The clerk of record is Teareathrea Keeler, and the office sits in Suite 4 of the Quitman County Courthouse at 220 Chestnut Street in Marks. You can reach that office at 662-326-8003. The same office keeps the county copy of the marriage record once the license is returned and recorded. Both the state health department and the federal vital-records guide point people back to the circuit clerk in the county where the license was issued.
Mississippi does not run a single statewide marriage license office. Instead, each county circuit clerk issues licenses and holds the local record. That is why a Quitman County license is requested in Marks and not from a central state desk. The clerk can confirm current application hours, accepted forms of payment, and proof rules. A short phone call before driving to the courthouse prevents a wasted trip.
Note: marriage license rules and counter hours can change, so call the Circuit Clerk at 662-326-8003 to confirm the current process before you visit.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The application is handled in person at the Circuit Clerk counter. Mississippi practice usually expects both partners to come together and to show proof of age and identity. The steps below follow the documented state process and the clerk's listed contact path, since a Quitman-specific application form was not located in public sources.
- Call the Quitman County Circuit Clerk at 662-326-8003 to confirm current hours, the fee, payment methods, and the exact ID rules.
- Plan for both applicants to appear together at Suite 4, 220 Chestnut Street, Marks. This joint appearance is common Mississippi circuit-clerk practice.
- Bring proof of age and identity for each person, such as a driver's license, birth certificate, passport, state ID, or military ID.
- If either applicant was divorced recently, bring the date of the divorce and, if asked, a copy of the decree.
- Pay the license fee. Ask whether the amount matches the common Mississippi figure of $37, since the Quitman fee is not published.
- After the ceremony, the officiant returns the signed license to the clerk for recording, and certified copies can then be requested.
Marriage License Application Fields
An applicant should arrive ready to give basic identity facts for both people. The table below lists the items Mississippi circuit clerks typically collect, framed as state context. A separate downloadable Quitman County form was not located, so treat this as the kind of information to prepare, not a county document.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal name of each applicant | Yes | Both names appear on the license. |
| Date of birth | Yes | Used to confirm age and identity. |
| Proof of age and identity | Yes | Driver's license, birth certificate, passport, state ID, or military ID. |
| Prior marriages | Yes | Be ready to state when any prior marriage ended. |
| Recent divorce decree | If applicable | Some Mississippi counties ask for a decree if the divorce was within six months. |
| Social Security number | Varies | Practice differs by clerk; confirm with the Quitman County office. |
The fields above are a preparation checklist. Bring originals or certified copies of any proof document, since clerks rarely accept photocopies for identity. Confirm with the office whether a waiting period or appointment applies before the license is issued.
Looking Up Quitman County Marriage Records
Once a license is recorded, the marriage record lives in two places. The county copy stays with the Quitman County Circuit Clerk, who can issue a certified copy of a locally issued license. The state copy is held by the Mississippi State Department of Health, which can search for the county where a license was issued and supply a record for certain date ranges. The state health department explains its marriage-record ordering routes on the MSDH marriage records page.
That state page lays out the mail, phone, online, and in-person channels and notes that county marriage copies stay with the circuit clerk. To find a Quitman County record, you generally need the full names of both spouses, the approximate date, and the place of marriage. State staff use that detail to locate the county, book, and page when the record predates easy electronic lookup.
Quitman County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Fees split between local clerk charges and state vital-records charges. The Quitman County marriage-license fee is not published in official county sources, so the figure below is flagged rather than stated as confirmed. The state copy fees come from the documented Mississippi and federal vital-records guidance.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license (Quitman County) | Not published. The common Mississippi amount is $37, but the Quitman fee is not confirmed. Call the Circuit Clerk at 662-326-8003. |
| State marriage record copy (MSDH) | $17 |
| Each additional copy of the same marriage record | $6 |
| Divorce index search (MSDH Vital Records) | $17 per five-year increment |
| Certified divorce decree copy (Chancery Clerk) | Not published. Call 662-326-2661. |
| Circuit Clerk certified copy | Not published. Call 662-326-8003. |
| PAMEC online access | $10 annual registration plus 20 cents per page |
Note: local clerk copy and license fees are not posted online, so confirm the exact charge and payment method with the office before mailing money or planning a visit.
Finding Quitman County Divorce Records
Divorce in Quitman County is a Chancery Court matter. The Chancery Clerk, T.H. "Butch" Scipper, keeps the divorce case file and the certified decree. That office is in Suite 2 of the courthouse at 220 Chestnut Street in Marks, and the phone number is 662-326-2661. Chancery Court is the state's equity court, which means it handles family cases such as divorce, custody, child support, and the division of property. A certified divorce decree comes from the Chancery Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted.
The state can help you locate a divorce, but it cannot finish the job. State Vital Records holds a divorce index back to January 1926 for search purposes only. It does not issue a certified divorce decree. Instead, it returns the county, book, and page so you can order the certified copy from the right chancery clerk. For Quitman County divorces, that final certified copy still comes from the Marks office. Probate, guardianship, and estate matters run through the same court, and those records are covered on the county Chancery Court probate records page.
Restricted Access to Divorce Records
Family case files carry more privacy protection than ordinary court records. Mississippi's electronic case system, PAMEC, may show docket entries for some chancery matters. Public reporting on the system, however, lists several categories that are not available remotely. A user who tries to view these online may be blocked even when the case itself exists.
- Divorce and separate-maintenance files
- Child custody and visitation matters
- Child support cases
- Termination of parental rights
- Guardianship and conservatorship
- Minor's settlement and protection from domestic abuse
Because of these limits, the most reliable path is the Chancery Clerk counter rather than a remote search. Parties to the case, their attorneys, or a person acting under a court order generally have the strongest access. Some filings can also be sealed, which restricts them further. State Vital Records does not replace the Chancery Clerk for a certified decree, so plan to contact the Marks office for the official copy.
Filing for Divorce in Quitman County
A divorce starts with a complaint filed in Chancery Court. The general flow below follows Mississippi practice. The Quitman-specific filing fee was not located in public sources, so confirm the current amount with the Chancery Clerk before filing.
- Confirm residency and venue rules with counsel or the Chancery Clerk.
- File the complaint or petition for divorce in Chancery Court.
- Pay the filing fee, or ask about a fee waiver if you qualify.
- Serve the other party, unless you file jointly under an uncontested process that still meets service rules.
- Address property division, custody, support, and name restoration where they apply.
- Attend any hearings or submit agreed orders as the court directs.
- Request certified copies from the Chancery Clerk after the decree is entered.
Certified Copies of Marriage and Divorce Records
A certified copy is the version most agencies accept for legal use. For a marriage record, you can request a certified copy from the Quitman County Circuit Clerk for a locally issued license, or from the Mississippi State Department of Health for a state copy within the covered date ranges. The state marriage copy costs $17, and each extra copy of the same record costs $6. State requests by mail use a cashier's check or money order, and an in-person order is usually mailed back within seven to ten business days.
For a divorce, the certified decree comes only from the Chancery Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. State Vital Records can run an index search for $17 per five-year increment, but it will not certify the decree itself. Quitman County clerk copy fees are not posted, so call ahead. The public-records framework in Miss. Code Ann. Section 25-61-1 and the seven-working-day response rule in Section 25-61-5 set the general open-records baseline, though court files still follow court rules and any sealing order. Circuit and chancery court records more broadly are described on the county court records page.
Older and Genealogy Marriage Records
Researchers tracing family history should watch the state's date limits. The state marriage index does not cover every year. According to the health department, state marriage records run from January 1, 1926 through June 30, 1938, and again from January 1, 1942 to the present. Divorce index records reach back to January 1926. The federal vital-records guide spells out these Mississippi routes, fees, and date limits on the CDC Mississippi vital records page.
That federal page confirms the same split: the state holds marriage copies for set ranges, while older or gap-year records route to the county circuit clerk. For a Quitman County marriage that falls outside the state range, the Circuit Clerk in Marks is the best source. Family historians often find that the county book and page reference is the key that unlocks an older file.
Out-of-State and Federal Matters
Marriage and divorce are state and county matters, not federal ones, so most requests stay in Mississippi. A few situations route elsewhere. A marriage or divorce that happened in another state must be requested from that state's vital-records office or county clerk. A federal civil case, such as a related lawsuit, is searched through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, not the county courthouse. The federal clerk's contact details are listed on the Northern District contact page.
That contact page handles procedural and electronic-filing questions for the federal court, which is a separate system from county marriage and divorce files. For a routine Quitman County marriage or divorce record, you will not need the federal clerk at all. Keep the county circuit and chancery clerks as your first call, and use the state and federal pages only when the record truly sits outside the county.
Mississippi Vital Records Office
The Mississippi State Department of Health runs the state Vital Records office. It supplies state marriage copies for the covered years and the divorce index search that points back to the right county. The office answers mail, phone, online, and in-person requests, and an in-person order is generally mailed back within seven to ten business days.
Note: state copy fees and date ranges can change, so confirm them through MSDH at 601-206-8200 or VRInfo@msdh.ms.gov before sending payment for a record.