Mantee, Mississippi Public Records

The Webster County Chancery Court, also located in the Eupora courthouse, has jurisdiction over property disputes, estates and wills, guardianships, adoptions, divorces, child custody matters, and civil cases involving real property. The Chancery Clerk's office (662-258-4131) maintains these records and can assist with searches. Webster County Justice Court handles misdemeanor criminal offenses, preliminary hearings for felonies, civil cases under $3,500, traffic violations, and small claims disputes. Justice Court is located at 130 Maben Street, Eupora, MS 39744 (phone: 662-258-3331). Mississippi offers limited online court records access through the Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) system, though full statewide public access is not available for all case types; most court record searches require in-person visits to the courthouse or written requests to the appropriate clerk. Certified copies of court documents typically cost $1.00 per page plus a certification fee. Marriage licenses are issued by the Circuit Clerk's office at a cost of approximately $21.00, with a three-day waiting period. Filing fees vary by case type: civil filings generally range from $100-$200 depending on the nature and amount in controversy.

Property tax bills, assessment appeals, and homestead exemption applications are handled through this office. For recorded documents including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, plat maps, and other instruments affecting real property, the Webster County Chancery Clerk serves as the official Recorder of Deeds. The Chancery Clerk's office is located at 5 Courthouse Street (Courthouse), Eupora, MS 39744 (phone: 662-258-4131). This office maintains grantor/grantee indices and deed books dating back to the county's formation in 1874. Document recording fees are established by Mississippi statute and typically include a base fee plus per-page charges. Webster County does not currently offer a comprehensive online parcel viewer or GIS mapping system accessible to the public; property research generally requires contacting county offices directly or visiting in person. Some basic property information may be obtainable by phone inquiry, but detailed title searches typically require examination of physical records at the courthouse. Copies of recorded documents can be obtained for statutory fees, with certified copies available for an additional charge.

Webster County's largest employers include Webster County School District, Webster County government offices, and various manufacturing facilities in Eupora. Many Mantee residents commute to Starkville, approximately 30 miles southeast, where Mississippi State University serves as the region's largest employer with thousands of faculty and staff positions, along with Bryan Health System and aerospace/defense contractors. The manufacturing sector in Webster County includes furniture production and wood products industries that leverage the area's timber resources. Retail, healthcare, and government services in Eupora provide additional employment opportunities. Median household income in Webster County is below the Mississippi state average, reflecting the rural character and limited industrial development. The economy has remained relatively stable with modest growth, maintaining its agricultural heritage while residents increasingly commute to larger employment centers. Recent economic development efforts in Webster County focus on attracting light manufacturing, supporting small business development, and leveraging proximity to Mississippi State University and the Golden Triangle region (Columbus, Starkville, West Point) for economic opportunities.

Mantee, Mississippi is an unincorporated community with no municipal police department, so all law enforcement services are provided by the Webster County Sheriff's Department, headquartered at 9 West Jackson Street, Eupora, MS 39744. The Sheriff's Office can be reached at (662) 258-4481 and maintains jurisdiction over all unincorporated areas of Webster County including Mantee. Residents can request incident reports, accident reports, and other law enforcement records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly during business hours or submitting written requests. The department handles patrol, criminal investigations, civil process service, and detention operations for the county. For arrest records and jail bookings, the Webster County Detention Center operates under the Sheriff's Department at the same Eupora location. Current inmate information including names, booking dates, charges, and bond amounts can be obtained by calling the jail directly at (662) 258-4481. Mississippi does not currently maintain a centralized statewide online inmate search portal, so inquiries must be made directly to the Webster County facility. Under Mississippi's Public Records Act (Mississippi Code § 25-61-1 through § 25-61-17), law enforcement agencies must provide access to public records upon written request, though certain investigative records, juvenile information, and confidential informant data are exempt from disclosure. Requesters should submit written requests to the Webster County Sheriff identifying the specific records sought with reasonable particularity. The agency may charge reasonable fees for copying and staff time associated with fulfilling requests. Response times vary but agencies must respond within a reasonable timeframe as defined by state statute.

Applicants must provide valid photo identification and proof of relationship or legal entitlement to the record. Death certificates are also maintained by the Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Records Office with the same fee structure as birth certificates. Records are available from January 1, 1912 to present. Authorized applicants include immediate family members, legal representatives, and those with a direct and tangible interest. Marriage licenses for Mantee residents are issued by the Webster County Circuit Clerk's office at the Webster County Courthouse, 5 Courthouse Street, Eupora, MS 39744 (phone: 662-258-4131). The marriage license fee is $21.00 and there is a mandatory three-day waiting period between issuance and the ceremony. Both parties must appear in person with valid photo identification and Social Security numbers. Marriage records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk and are public records available for search and certified copy issuance. Divorce records are court records maintained by the Webster County Chancery Clerk where the divorce was granted; certified copies can be obtained from that office for statutory fees. Mississippi restricts access to vital records to authorized individuals to protect privacy, and requesters must demonstrate proper legal interest in the records sought.

Certain business activities such as alcohol sales, food service, and professional occupations require state-level licensing through appropriate Mississippi regulatory agencies. Fictitious business name (DBA) registrations in Mississippi are typically filed with the county Chancery Clerk; for businesses operating in Mantee, this would be the Webster County Chancery Clerk at 5 Courthouse Street, Eupora, MS 39744 (phone: 662-258-4131). Business name registration helps establish public notice of business ownership and can be required for opening business bank accounts. For formal business entity formation including corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and other registered entities, filings are made with the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division, P.O. Box 136, Jackson, MS 39205 (phone: 601-359-1633). The Secretary of State maintains a free online business entity search at https://www.sos.ms.gov/business-services where users can search by entity name, registered agent, or file number to verify business registration status, view officers and directors, check entity standing, and access formation documents. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements and lien searches are also filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State's UCC Division and can be searched online. Property tax assessments for commercial properties in Mantee are handled by the Webster County Tax Assessor's office (662-258-3534), where business owners can research assessed values and tax obligations for real and personal property used in business operations.

Mantee voters are served by the Webster County Circuit Clerk, which administers elections for the county. The Webster County Circuit Clerk's office is located at 5 Courthouse Street (Webster County Courthouse), Eupora, MS 39744, and can be reached at (662) 258-4131 for voter registration and election information. Mississippi voters can register online through the Mississippi Secretary of State's website at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/voter-registration-information or by submitting a paper application to the Circuit Clerk's office. Voter registration must be completed at least 30 days before an election to be eligible to vote in that election. Acceptable forms of identification for voter registration include a Mississippi driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Since Mantee is an unincorporated community with no municipal government, residents do not vote in city elections but participate in Webster County, state, and federal elections. County-level elections include Board of Supervisors seats (five districts), Sheriff, Circuit Clerk, Chancery Clerk, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Coroner, and other county offices. Mississippi state elections follow a unique schedule with gubernatorial and most state offices elected in off-years. Mantee 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 tool at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/polling-place-locator. In the November 2024 presidential election, Webster County reported moderate turnout consistent with rural Mississippi patterns, with several thousand ballots cast from the county's approximately 7,000 registered voters. For the November 3, 2026 general election, Mississippi voters statewide will decide various county and local offices; Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat held by Roger Wicker is not up for election in 2026 (next in 2028), and the governorship was last elected in 2023 (next in 2027). The 2026 ballot for Mantee/Webster County voters will include county offices such as Sheriff and Board of Supervisors seats depending on the district cycle, along with any state legislative races for Mississippi House and Senate districts serving Webster County. Mississippi allows absentee voting by mail 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 during polling hours, are a parent or caregiver of a person with special needs, or are a member of the military or spouse/dependent. Absentee ballot applications must be submitted to the Circuit Clerk by mail or in person, with completed ballots returned by mail or delivered before polls close on election day. Public election records in Mississippi include voter registration lists (available with restrictions), campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State or county officials, candidate qualifying documents, precinct-level election results, and ballot measures. These records are accessible through the Circuit Clerk's office or the Mississippi Secretary of State's Elections Division website at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting.