Guide
Mississippi Genealogy Search at a Glance
Mississippi family history runs through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson, which holds the territorial and state records from 1798, the county records of 82 counties on microfilm, Confederate records, and the state censuses taken in 1805 through 1866, with its digital collections free online. Statewide vital registration did not begin until 1912, so marriage, probate and land records from the chancery clerks, and church and cemetery records, carry most nineteenth century families.
Mississippi's Choctaw and Chickasaw cessions of the 1830s opened most of the state, and the federal land records from the Columbus, Augusta, Chocchuma and Pontotoc land offices name the first owners.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
Mississippi Genealogy
Mississippi statewide genealogy links
- Mississippi State Archives Online CatalogLocate Historic Archives in Mississippi
- Genealogical Research at the Mississippi State ArchivesGenealogical Research at the Archives
- Mississippi State Department of Health Vital RecordsObtain Mississippi Vital Records
- Mississippi State Archives and Libraries SearchMississippi Archives and Libraries Search
- Millsaps College J B Cain Archives of Mississippi MethodismGenealogy Research at Millsaps College
- USGenWeb Archives MississippiSearch Mississippi GenWeb Archives
- National Archives Southeast Region for MississippiMississippi Genealogy Research at the National Archives
Guide
Vital records for Mississippi family history
Mississippi began statewide birth and death registration in 1912, and the Mississippi State Department of Health's Vital Records office in Jackson holds the certificates. Mississippi restricts birth and death certificates to the subject, family and those with a legal interest, but the Department of Archives and History holds a death index from 1912 to 1943 and death certificates for those years, open for research. Marriage records were kept by each county's circuit clerk from the county's founding and are widely indexed, and divorce records sit with the chancery clerk.
- Mississippi Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage and divorce certificates from 1912, checked September 25, 2026
- Mississippi Department of Archives and HistoryDeath index 1912 to 1943, county marriage records and state censuses, checked September 25, 2026
- Mississippi Vital Records guideHow to order certificates and what is public
Guide
Mississippi archives, census and military records
The Department of Archives and History holds the territorial and state censuses of 1805, 1810, 1816, 1818, 1820, 1822 to 1825, 1830, 1837, 1841, 1845, 1853 and 1866, taken in various counties, Confederate service and pension records including the 1907 and 1925 pension applications, Mississippi's World War I service cards, state penitentiary registers from Parchman, tax rolls from the 1800s and county records on microfilm, with free digital collections online. Federal land patents for Mississippi are at the General Land Office site, and the National Archives at Atlanta holds Mississippi's federal court, Freedmen's Bureau and Choctaw and Chickasaw removal records.
- Mississippi Digital LibraryFree digitized Mississippi records, newspapers and photographs, checked September 25, 2026
- Bureau of Land Management General Land Office recordsFederal land patents for Mississippi from 1803 onward, checked September 25, 2026
- National Archives at AtlantaFederal court, Freedmen's Bureau and removal records for Mississippi, checked September 25, 2026
- FamilySearch Mississippi research guideFree indexed Mississippi records and images, checked September 25, 2026
Guide
County courthouse records in Mississippi
Mississippi's chancery clerks are the county recorders and probate custodians, holding deeds, mortgages, wills, estates, guardianships and divorce files from each county's founding, and circuit clerks hold marriage licenses and civil and criminal cases. Ten counties keep two sets of books in two judicial districts. The Department of Archives and History has microfilmed the older chancery and circuit records of every county, and many chancery clerks post deed indexes online. Courthouse fires destroyed early records in Amite, Attala, Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Perry, Wayne and other counties, so the land patents and tax rolls are the substitutes.
Guide
Federal & National Authoritative Sources
These federal and national sources complement Mississippi's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when Mississippi state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.
NARA, National Archives The federal government's primary archive. Holds the U.S. census (1790, 1950), ship passenger lists, naturalization records, military service files, and land entry files.
FamilySearch Free online genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Digitized microfilm copies of many county and state records worldwide.
Library of Congress, Local History & Genealogy The LoC's research guides, city directories, newspapers, and Civil War records, most accessible free online through loc.gov.
Straight answers
Mississippi Genealogy Search, questions
When did Mississippi start keeping birth and death records?
Statewide registration began in 1912. Before that, marriage records from the circuit clerks, chancery court probate files, church registers and cemetery records are the sources.
Did Mississippi take state censuses?
Yes, many, from 1805 through 1866, though each covers only some counties. The Department of Archives and History holds them, with the 1866 census the most complete.
Are Mississippi death certificates open to researchers?
The Department of Archives and History holds a death index and death certificates from 1912 to 1943 open for research. Later certificates are restricted to family and those with a legal interest.