Access Clarke County Chancery Clerk Records

About the Clarke County Chancery Clerk

Leanne Volking serves as the Clarke County Chancery Clerk. The county calls this one of the most diverse offices in Mississippi government, and the workload backs that up. The clerk wears several hats at once. She is Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, the County Treasurer, the public recorder of land documents, and the Clerk of Chancery Court. Each role carries its own set of public records.

The office sits at the court campus in downtown Quitman. Walk-in record work happens at the counter on South Archusa Avenue. Staff can pull files, take requests, and explain what is open and what is sealed. Phone and email both reach the office during business hours.

What the Chancery Clerk Does in Clarke County

The Clarke County Chancery Clerk handles far more than court files. As Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, she records the official minutes of board meetings. As County Treasurer, she prepares the claims docket, runs payroll for county departments, and writes and signs checks once the board approves them. As public recorder, she records property documents and keeps them open for search. As Clerk of Chancery Court, she manages the equity and family case files. The county FAQ sends several record types straight to this office.

• Divorce, child custody, and adoption files from Chancery Court
• Estates, guardianships, and conservatorships
• Deeds, mortgages, and recorded property liens
• Delinquent tax records and old land rolls
• Board of Supervisors minutes and orders

Records tied to criminal history, civil litigation, tax liens, and marriage licenses run through a different office. Those belong to the Circuit Clerk. Matching the record to the correct clerk is the fastest way to get it.

Recording Clarke County Land Records

The Chancery Clerk is the county's official recorder of land and property documents. When someone buys land, takes a mortgage, or files a lien, the paper lands here. The office records the document, stamps it, and adds it to the public index. Title searchers, lenders, and owners all rely on this set of records. The county FAQ routes land and delinquent tax questions to the Chancery Clerk for that reason.

Several document types show up in the land index. A few carry terms that trip up first-time searchers.

Deed

The document that transfers ownership of real property from one party to another.

Mortgage

A recorded loan that uses the property as security for the debt.

Lis Pendens

A recorded notice that a lawsuit may affect the title to a piece of property.

Federal tax lien

A claim the government records against property for unpaid federal taxes.

Military discharge

A veteran's discharge paper recorded for safekeeping and later proof of service.

Construction liens and condominium liens are recorded here too. Call ahead for very old land files, since some may sit in archive storage rather than the front counter.

Clarke County Board and Treasury Records

Two of the clerk's roles produce records people often miss. As Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, the Chancery Clerk records the minutes of every board meeting. Those minutes and the board orders are public, and the county FAQ points residents here for them. They show how the county votes, spends, and sets policy.

As County Treasurer, the clerk keeps the claims docket and the county payroll. The claims docket lists the bills the county pays. Checks go out only after the Board of Supervisors approves them. These money records are open under state law, though the clerk sets how each request is filled.

Good to know. Board minutes, claims, and payroll are public records, but the staff may need the meeting date or a date range before they can pull the right file.

Clarke County Chancery Court Files

As Clerk of Chancery Court, the Chancery Clerk holds the equity and family case files for the 12th Chancery District. That covers divorces, child custody, adoptions, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, property disputes, and other matters of equity. The clerk files the petitions, logs every order, and keeps the case file together. For a deeper look at estate and guardianship cases, the Chancery Court probate records page breaks down how those files work.

Record age matters in Clarke County. Chancery Court joined Mississippi Electronic Courts on November 1, 2015. Cases filed after that date are more likely to have an electronic trail. Older files may live only on paper at the clerk's counter or in storage. The office is in charge of storing and disposing of older land rolls, tax receipts, and other county records once their active life ends.

Some files carry limits. Adoptions, guardianships, conservatorships, and commitments often hold medical, minor, or financial details that are not open to the general public. The clerk cannot release a sealed file without authority.

Records Request Form Fields

Clarke County does not publish a dedicated Chancery Clerk records request form online. A clear written request still works at the counter or by mail. Build it from the standard fields below so staff can find the file on the first try. The more detail a request carries, the faster the office can answer.

A typed letter or a simple counter slip is fine. Sign and date the request, and note whether certified copies are needed for court.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the clerk's stamp and signature. Courts, banks, and other agencies often demand one because a plain printout will not hold up. Certified copies of divorce decrees, estate orders, and recorded deeds all start at the Chancery Clerk's counter.

1. Identify the record. Pull the cause number if you can, or gather the party names, the document type, and the rough filing year.
2. Reach the office. Call 601-776-2126, email chancery@clarkecountyms.gov, or visit the counter at 101 S Archusa Ave in Quitman.
3. Submit your request and pay the fee. Confirm the cost first, since no fee schedule is posted online, and ask which payment methods the office takes.
4. Collect the copy. Pick it up at the counter or have it mailed once the clerk certifies and stamps it.

Mailed requests should include a return address and a daytime phone number. Calling first avoids a second trip when a file sits in storage.

Clarke County Chancery Clerk Fees

No local fee schedule for the Clarke County Chancery Clerk was found in official county sources. Copy, certification, and filing costs are set by the office, so the safest move is to call and confirm before you order. The table below flags which fees are published and which are not.

Mississippi sets PAMEC charges at the state level, not the county. Verify the current registration and per-page rates inside the portal before you pay.

Important: Because the county posts no Chancery Clerk fee list, confirm every copy, certification, recording, and filing cost by phone at 601-776-2126 before you mail money or visit.

Searching Clarke County Chancery Records

Clarke County does not run its own case search website. Electronic Chancery Court records go through the statewide public access portal known as PAMEC. Users register, log in, and search dockets much like federal PACER. Choose the 12th Chancery District for Clarke County cases. The wider Mississippi Electronic Courts system covers circuit and chancery filings across the state.

The 12th Chancery District court information page lists Clarke County Chancery Court, its hours, and its November 1, 2015 go-live date. The PAMEC helpdesk answers at 601-576-4650 and at helpdesk@mec.ms.gov for login and access problems.

When a record is not online, the clerk's counter is the fallback. Mississippi's Public Records Act keeps county records open unless a law or court order limits them. The county FAQ on the official county site confirms that divorce, estate, land, delinquent tax, and board records all route to the Chancery Clerk.

Note: Records filed before the November 2015 electronic start date often exist only on paper, so plan a call or counter visit for older Chancery Court files.