Guntown, Mississippi Public Records

The Lee County Circuit Court, located at the Lee County Justice Center, 827 South Green Street, Tupelo, MS 38804 (phone: 662-841-9100), has jurisdiction over felony criminal cases, civil matters exceeding $75,000, appeals from lower courts, and equity cases. The Lee County Chancery Court, at the Lee County Chancery Building, 200 West Jefferson Street, Tupelo, MS 38804 (phone: 662-841-9030), handles divorces, child custody and support, adoptions, guardianships, probate matters, and real property disputes. The Lee County Justice Court (phone: 662-841-9120) handles misdemeanor criminal cases, small claims up to $3,500, and evictions. Mississippi offers online court record access through the Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) system at https://courts.ms.gov, where users can search civil and criminal cases by party name, case number, or attorney. Certified copies of court documents typically cost $1.50 per page plus a $2.00 certification fee. The Chancery Clerk charges $10 for certified copies of vital records and $1.00 per page for land records. Fees may vary by document type and court division.

The Assessor's website offers a free online property search tool where users can search by owner name, parcel number, or property address to view current assessments, tax districts, land and improvement values, and assessment history. The Lee County Chancery Clerk, at 200 West Jefferson Street, Tupelo, MS 38804 (phone: 662-841-9030), serves as the county's land records recorder and maintains the official land records including warranty deeds, quit claim deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, releases, liens, easements, plats, and other instruments affecting real property. The Chancery Clerk's office provides online access to land records through a web-based system where users can search by grantor/grantee name, instrument type, book and page, or date range. Some older records may require in-person research. There is no fee to search online, but certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus a $2.00 certification fee. Lee County also offers a GIS mapping system at http://qpublic.net/ms/lee that provides interactive parcel maps, aerial imagery, ownership information, and assessment data. Users can search by address, owner name, or parcel ID and view property boundaries, dimensions, zoning, and sales history.

Many Guntown residents commute approximately six miles south to Tupelo for employment at major facilities including Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi (one of the region's largest employers with over 2,000 workers), North Mississippi Medical Center (the region's largest healthcare employer), Cadence Bank headquarters, Ashley Furniture, and Cooper Tire. The Lee County School District is also a significant employer for Guntown residents. The median household income for Guntown is estimated at approximately $52,000 based on recent census data, slightly below the Mississippi state median. The town has experienced modest residential growth over the past two decades as families seek affordable housing with access to Tupelo's employment base while maintaining a small-town environment. Dominant industries in the broader area include advanced manufacturing, healthcare, retail trade, and education. Guntown benefits economically from its location on U.S. Highway 45, a major north-south corridor, and proximity to the Tupelo Regional Airport. Recent development has included new residential subdivisions and expanded commercial services. The town's economic character is that of a bedroom community and highway commercial corridor serving the Tupelo metropolitan statistical area.

The Guntown Police Department serves as the primary law enforcement agency within the town limits, located at 3862 Highway 45 North, Guntown, MS 38849. The department can be reached at (662) 348-7515. Residents can request copies of police reports, incident reports, and accident reports by visiting the department in person or submitting a written request. Mississippi's Public Records Act (Mississippi Code § 25-61-1 through § 25-61-17) governs access to law enforcement records, requiring agencies to provide public records within a reasonable time unless exempt for ongoing investigations or privacy concerns. The Lee County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 827 South Green Street, Tupelo, MS 38804 (phone: 662-841-9041, website: www.leecountyso.com), provides law enforcement services in unincorporated areas of Lee County and assists Guntown Police with major investigations and regional coordination. For arrests and jail bookings, the Lee County Adult Detention Center maintains an online inmate roster accessible through the Sheriff's Office website. The inmate search allows the public to view current detainees by searching by name, booking date, or booking number. Information typically includes the inmate's full name, booking photo (mugshot), charges filed, bond amount, booking date and time, and projected release date. Records of arrests, bookings, and incident reports are generally considered public unless they involve juveniles or are part of an active investigation. Mississippi law requires written requests for certain records, and agencies may charge reasonable copying fees as specified in Miss. Code § 25-61-7.

Online ordering is available through the VitalChek service at www.vitalchek.com with additional processing fees. Expedited service costs an additional $10. Standard processing time is approximately 4-6 weeks for mail requests and 2-4 weeks for online orders. Applicants must provide valid government-issued photo ID and proof of relationship or legal entitlement to the record. Only immediate family members, legal representatives, or individuals with a direct and tangible interest may obtain certified copies. Marriage licenses are issued by the Lee County Circuit Clerk, located at 827 South Green Street, Tupelo, MS 38804 (phone: 662-841-9100). The marriage license fee is $21.00, and there is no waiting period or blood test required. Both parties must appear in person with valid photo identification and social security numbers. Divorce records are maintained by the Lee County Chancery Clerk at 200 West Jefferson Street, Tupelo, MS 38804 (phone: 662-841-9030), as divorces are filed in Chancery Court. Certified copies of divorce decrees cost $10.00 per certified copy. Mississippi vital records became statewide and comprehensive starting in November 1912, though some earlier records exist.

Fictitious business name registrations (Doing Business As or DBA filings) in Mississippi are filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State rather than at the county level. For state-level business entity searches, the Mississippi Secretary of State Business Services Division (phone: 601-359-1633, website: www.sos.ms.gov) maintains a free online database where users can search corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and other registered business entities. The database at https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corp/portal/c/page/business-search allows searches by business name, registered agent, or entity number, displaying the entity's status (active, dissolved, withdrawn), formation date, principal office address, registered agent name and address, and filing history. Formation fees are $50 for domestic LLCs and corporations. Annual reports are required with fees of $25 for most entities. UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) financing statements and lien searches are also filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State UCC Division and can be searched online. Business owners in Guntown should also check with the Lee County Tax Assessor regarding commercial property assessments, which are public records searchable online. The assessor's parcel search includes commercial properties showing assessed values used for property tax calculations.

Guntown voters are served by the Lee County Circuit Clerk's Office, which administers elections for the county. The office is located at 827 South Green Street, Tupelo, MS 38804 (phone: 662-841-9100, website: www.leecountyms.org). Mississippi residents can register to vote online through the Mississippi Online Voter Registration system at https://www.msegov.com/sos/voter_registration or by submitting a paper application to the Circuit Clerk. Voters must register at least 30 days before an election. Valid Mississippi driver's license or state ID number is required for online registration. Guntown holds municipal elections for mayor and board of aldermen on a four-year cycle; the most recent municipal election was in 2021, with the next scheduled for June 2025. Municipal elections in Mississippi are held in odd-numbered years, separate from federal and state elections. Voters can find their assigned polling location by contacting the Circuit Clerk's office or checking the Mississippi Secretary of State's polling place lookup at www.sos.ms.gov. Election records that are public in Mississippi include voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes), campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State or local clerk, candidate qualifying documents, and certified election results by precinct. In the November 2024 presidential election, Lee County reported approximately 60% voter turnout with roughly 28,000 ballots cast from about 47,000 registered voters. On November 3, 2026, Mississippi voters will participate in federal midterm elections, which will include one U.S. Senate seat (Class II seat currently held by Cindy Hyde-Smith is up for election in 2026), and Mississippi's four U.S. House of Representatives seats. State constitutional offices including Governor are not up for election in 2026 (Mississippi holds gubernatorial elections in odd years). County positions potentially on the 2026 ballot include sheriff, chancery clerk, circuit clerk, tax assessor, tax collector, and county supervisors, depending on term schedules. Mississippi voters can request absentee ballots by submitting a written application to the Circuit Clerk's office at least five business days before the election. Absentee voting is available for voters who will be away from their county on election day, have a temporary or permanent physical disability, are 65 or older, are required to work on election day, are a parent or caregiver of a dependent with a disability, or are a member of the military or their spouse or dependent. Absentee ballot applications are available at the Circuit Clerk's office or downloadable from the Secretary of State's website.