Mississippi, Madison County
Where Canton's records are kept. Court and property records for Canton sit with Madison County, and birth and death certificates come from the State of Mississippi.
Start here
Canton relies on Madison County and the State of Mississippi for its public records. The cards below are the Mississippi state offices, and the Madison County offices are on our Madison County page. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
Police & jail
FBI wanted posters, from the Ten Most Wanted list to fugitives, terrorism suspects, kidnapped and missing persons, bank robbers and seeking information cases; tips go to tips.fbi.gov.
Open official site FBI Most WantedVital records
MSDH Bureau of Vital Records in Ridgeland keeps Mississippi birth and death records and takes orders for birth, death and marriage certificates and divorce record searches. Window open weekdays 8 to 4.
Open official site Mississippi State Department of Health Vital RecordsVital records
USAGov explains how to get certified copies of birth and death certificates, copies of marriage and divorce records, and replacements for lost or stolen government ID cards.
Open official site USAGov Guide to Copies of Vital Records and IDsCounty court
The federal judiciary's national index of district, bankruptcy and appellate court cases. Searching needs a free PACER account; pages cost $0.10, capped at $3 per document, with quarterly charges of $30 or less waived.
Open official site PACER Case LocatorFederal
USAGov sends you to your state's unclaimed property office, which holds most unclaimed money, and to federal searches for back wages, pensions, IRS refunds, savings bonds and deposits from failed banks.
Open official site USAGov Guide to Unclaimed MoneyVital records
The Social Security Administration explains survivor benefits, monthly payments to eligible relatives of workers who paid Social Security taxes before death, including who qualifies, possible amounts and when to report a death.
Open official site Social Security Survivor BenefitsPolice & jail
U.S. Department of Justice search of public sex offender registries from every state, territory and many tribes by name or ZIP code; address radius searches cover only states that send coordinates.
Open official site Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public WebsiteFederal
USAGov explains checking your registration through Can I Vote, which opens your state's election website, and advises doing it before the state deadline, which can be up to 30 days before an election.
Open official site USAGov Guide to Confirming Voter RegistrationCounty court
Federal judiciary guide to finding a case in PACER: search the court where it was filed for current data, or the nationwide PACER Case Locator, updated daily. A PACER account is required.
Open official site PACER Find a CaseState records
State archives guide to family research: death records from 1912 to 1943 on microfiche (no birth records), county marriage books on microfilm, census returns, Dawes Rolls and Confederate pension files.
Open official site Mississippi Department of Archives and History GenealogyCounty court
Bankruptcy court for southern Mississippi with courthouses in Jackson and Gulfport and hearing sites in Hattiesburg and Natchez. Posts deadlines for reporting settlements and requesting hearing resets.
Open official site U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of MississippiCounty court
Website of the Mississippi courts with Supreme Court and Court of Appeals dockets and briefs, appellate opinions since 1996 and live oral arguments; trial court files sit in the subscriber, fee based PAMEC portal.
Open official site State of Mississippi JudiciaryEverything else, organized
12 more Canton sources not listed above.
Local record guide
What we hold on Canton, and who keeps its records.
Local profile
Canton, a place of 10,948 people, is the seat of Madison County, so most county offices are in Canton itself. The town keeps its own council and business records. Each Madison County office is listed on our Madison County page.
Abandoned mine records
What the records show here, and the office that holds the mine maps.
Canton sits over the Mississippi Region and the coal there is lignite, worked mostly at the surface. The USGS coal fields map is drawn at a small scale, so it shows the ground, not a parcel.
Nothing at all is on record inside the town limits: no mine, no shaft, no adit and no pit. That is what the files say, and it is not a clearance. Those files record a working only where one was catalogued or drawn on a survey sheet, and on coal ground the sheets are thin: the maps that show the rooms and the pillars are held by MDEQ Office of Geology, Mining and Reclamation Division and that office is where to ask for them.
Mississippi abandoned mine maps ranks every county and town in the state by the workings recorded inside it, names the office that holds the mine maps, and says what to do if the ground moves.
Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Voter registration in Mississippi is run by the Mississippi Secretary of State, Elections Division, and the county Circuit Clerk keeps the roll for Canton. Mississippi has no online voter registration: the form goes in by mail or in person at a registration office. No online voter registration; register in person at the Circuit Clerk's Office or by mail with an application postmarked by the deadline (October 5 for the November 3, 2026 election).
Certified birth and death certificates for events in Mississippi come from the Mississippi State Department of Health, Vital Records. The fee is $17 for a birth or death certificate, $6 for each added copy of the same record ordered at the same time.
Deeds for property in Canton are recorded by the county Chancery Clerk, the county Tax Assessor sets the assessed value, and the county Tax Collector sends the tax bill. Our Madison County page lists those offices.
Businesses that operate in Canton register with the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division, which runs the state business entity search. The Secretary of State's business portal says you may need permits and licenses from your city or county government, and requirements differ by location.
Mississippi criminal history checks are run by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Criminal Information Center. The fee is $32.00 per request. Name based check of your own record only, requested online through the DPS Name Based Background Check by the person the record belongs to; results can take up to 30 calendar days.
Same county
Other places in Madison County. A town page lists that town's own offices where it has them; Madison County records are on the county page.