Sharkey County Clerk Offices and Records

About the Sharkey County Clerk Offices

Sharkey County splits its clerk work between two elected offices, the Circuit Clerk and the Chancery Clerk. Both seats are currently held by Murindia Williams, so one person signs for both counters. That is common in small Mississippi counties, but it does not mean the records sit together. Each office keeps its own files, its own books, and its own set of duties, and a request goes faster when it lands at the right desk the first time.

The Circuit Clerk serves as clerk of both the Circuit Court and the Chancery Court. This office receives civil and criminal filings, issues court process, draws juries, keeps judgments and executions, issues marriage licenses, and runs voter registration and elections. The Chancery Clerk is the county recorder, the clerk for the Board of Supervisors, the county treasurer, and the keeper of land records and older county books. Both offices share the same courthouse at 120 Locust Street.

The courthouse and the area around it took damage in the March 2023 Rolling Fork tornado. Because hours and access can shift while repairs continue, it is wise to call before driving in for a time-sensitive copy or filing. The clerk's main line and the county email above reach both offices.

What the Sharkey County Circuit Clerk Handles

The Circuit Clerk is the court clerk for the trial courts of record. When a felony case, a civil lawsuit, or an appeal comes in, the paperwork is filed, stamped, and tracked through this office. The same office issues the orders that pull people into court, builds the jury pool, and records what the court decides. It also issues marriage licenses and keeps the marriage book, which surprises some people who expect that work to sit with a separate vital-records desk.

• Receives and files civil and criminal lawsuits, indictments, motions, and related court papers
• Issues summons, subpoenas, and other court process
• Draws jurors and qualifies juries for Circuit Court terms
• Keeps the records of judgments and executions
• Issues marriage licenses and keeps the county marriage records
• Records medical and other professional licenses
• Registers voters and carries out election duties

Anyone applying to marry in the county starts at this counter, and certified marriage copies route back here as well. For the full picture on marriage and divorce paperwork, see the Sharkey County marriage and divorce records page, which explains the license steps and the state vital-records office.

What the Sharkey County Chancery Clerk Handles

The Chancery Clerk wears more than one hat. As public recorder, this office holds the land and lending records that prove who owns what. As clerk for the Board of Supervisors, it records the board's minutes. As county treasurer, it prepares the claims docket and signs checks after the board approves them. It is also the long-term keeper of older county books, and the clerk for Chancery Court, the equity and family court that handles estates, guardianships, divorces, and property disputes.

Several terms come up often at this counter. A short glossary helps when a request asks for a specific filing rather than a whole case.

Public recorder

The official who records and indexes deeds, mortgages, liens, and similar documents so the public can trace property and debt.

Lis pendens

A recorded notice that a lawsuit is pending against a piece of property, warning buyers and lenders.

Conservatorship

A court arrangement that puts an adult's care or finances under an appointed person when the adult cannot manage alone.

Guardianship

A court arrangement that places a minor or protected person under the care of a guardian named by the Chancery Court.

Deeds, mortgages, construction and condominium liens, federal tax liens, lis pendens notices, and military discharge records are all recorded here. So are estate and probate files. Probate work in the county runs through Chancery Court, and the Sharkey County probate records page covers how those estate and guardianship files are opened and searched.

Which Office Holds Which Record

The fastest way to find a Sharkey County record is to match the record type to the office that keeps it. Felony and major civil matters belong to the Circuit Clerk. Land, family, and estate matters belong to the Chancery Clerk. Tickets, small claims, and county misdemeanors belong to Justice Court. The table below sorts the most common requests by office.

Sheriff jail and booking questions go to the Sheriff's Office, not to a clerk. City police tickets may route to a municipal court rather than county Justice Court. When in doubt, the Circuit Clerk line can point a caller toward the correct desk.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy is a clerk-stamped, signed copy that an office, lender, or court will accept as official. A plain copy is fine for personal reference, but legal use usually calls for the certified version. Sharkey County does not post a self-service copy portal, so a certified copy comes through the clerk by phone, mail, or an in-person visit.

1. Identify the court and the case. Decide whether the file sits with the Circuit Clerk, the Chancery Clerk, or Justice Court, then gather the case or cause number, the party names, and the dates you can recall.
2. Contact the office that holds the record. Call 662-873-2755 for the Circuit or Chancery Clerk, or write to PO Box 218, Rolling Fork, MS 39159, and confirm the document is on file.
3. Ask for the copy type and the fee. Request a certified copy rather than a plain one, and ask the per-page charge and the certification charge up front, because those amounts are not posted online.
4. Submit the request with payment. Deliver it in person at 120 Locust Street or mail it with the fee and a self-addressed return envelope to PO Box 218.
5. Pick up or wait for the mail. Plan for processing time, and confirm the return method so the certified copy reaches you the way you need it.

What to Put in a Written Records Request

When an office has no printed request form, a clear letter does the job. The Mississippi Public Records Act, found at Miss. Code Section 25-61-1, gives the public a right to inspect and copy most government records, though court files can also fall under court rules and sealing orders. A written request that includes the details below helps the clerk find the right file and quote a fee without a second round of phone tag.

• Your name and return contact, including a mailing address, phone number, and email
• The office and court that hold the record
• The record or document type you want
• The full names of the parties involved
• The relevant dates, such as a filing, incident, marriage, or recording date
• The case, cause, or citation number if you know it
• The copy type you need, plain or certified, and the number of copies
• Your preferred delivery method, pickup or mail

Send the request to the office that maintains the file. Circuit and Chancery requests go to PO Box 218; the county email cc@sharkeycountyms.gov reaches both. Sealed and confidential matters, such as juvenile or certain family cases, stay restricted even under the Public Records Act.

Sharkey County Clerk Fees

Sharkey County does not publish a clerk fee schedule on its official pages, and the research for this county did not turn up copy or certification amounts. Rather than print a guess, the table marks each item as something to confirm with the clerk. Always ask the per-page and certification charges before mailing payment.

Online document viewing through the state e-filing system may carry its own viewing or download charges, and those are separate from the clerk's counter fees. Confirm any online cost at login.

Note: ask whether the clerk takes cash, check, or money order before you travel, since small county offices do not always accept cards.

E-Filing and Online Access Through MEC

Mississippi Electronic Courts, known as MEC, is the statewide internet-based system for filing and case management. The Sharkey County Chancery Clerk page lists the office as part of MEC and links to the access point for the 9th Chancery District. A 2025 Mississippi Judiciary news item reported that electronic filing is complete across all 82 Circuit Courts and all 24 County Courts, with Chancery Courts brought online earlier, so Sharkey case data can flow through this system.

Public document viewing usually needs a login, and an account or subscription may be required to open filings. The exact search fields could not be captured because the MEC landing page returned a security check during research, so a visit to the MEC portal is the way to see the current sign-in and search options. When the portal is gated, behind on older scanned files, or simply not showing a match, the in-person counter at 120 Locust Street remains the fallback, and it is often the only free way to view some older filings.