New Augusta, Mississippi Public Records

Coordination between the Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments occurs regularly, especially in handling major crimes or incidents that cross jurisdictional boundaries, ensuring comprehensive law enforcement coverage throughout Perry County.

The Perry County Chancery Court, phone (601) 964-8398, has jurisdiction over divorce and family matters, child custody and support, adoptions, guardianships, conservatorships, estates and wills (probate), land disputes, and equitable relief matters. Additionally, New Augusta and Perry County are served by Perry County Justice Court, which handles misdemeanor criminal offenses, initial appearances for felony cases, civil matters up to $3,500, evictions, small claims, and traffic violations. Mississippi's electronic court records system, known as MEC (Mississippi Electronic Courts), provides limited online access to case information at https://courts.ms.gov, though not all Perry County records may be fully digitized or searchable online. For comprehensive searches, requests should be directed to the Perry County Circuit Clerk's Office at (601) 964-8398 or the Chancery Clerk at (601) 964-8398, where staff can perform case lookups by party name or case number. Certified copies of court documents typically cost $1.50 per page plus a certification fee, with exact fees varying by document type and clerk office. Case file copies are generally $1.00 per page for non-certified documents, and civil case filing fees range from approximately $150 to $300 depending on case type.

Property owners and prospective buyers can search assessment records by owner name, parcel number, or property address, though online access may be limited and require contacting the office directly or visiting in person. The Perry County Chancery Clerk's Office, serving as the land records recorder, is located at 100 Main Street, New Augusta, MS 39462, phone (601) 964-8398, and maintains all official land records including warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, mechanic's liens, judgment liens, easements, rights-of-way, plat maps, and property surveys. These documents are recorded chronologically and indexed by grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer) names in deed books maintained since Perry County's formation in 1820. To conduct a property title search, researchers can visit the Chancery Clerk's office during business hours (typically Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM) and request access to the deed indexes and record books. Some Mississippi counties offer online land records through third-party vendors, but Perry County's records access should be verified by contacting the Chancery Clerk directly at the number above. Copies of recorded documents typically cost $1.00 per page, with certified copies requiring an additional certification fee. Perry County may maintain a GIS mapping system accessible through the county website or tax assessor's office, providing visual parcel identification and basic property data, though functionality varies by county in Mississippi.

Agriculture, particularly cattle ranching and poultry farming, also contributes to the local economy. Many New Augusta residents commute to Hattiesburg, approximately 25 miles to the south, where the University of Southern Mississippi, Forrest General Hospital, and various retail and manufacturing employers provide employment opportunities. The median household income for Perry County is estimated at approximately $38,000 to $42,000, significantly below the Mississippi state median, reflecting the rural, resource-based economy and limited large-scale industrial development. New Augusta itself functions primarily as a government services center rather than a commercial hub, with limited retail and service businesses concentrated near the courthouse square. Economic development in recent years has focused on improved infrastructure, including broadband internet expansion to rural areas, and efforts to attract light manufacturing and distribution facilities to the region. The county's proximity to U.S. Highway 98 and State Highway 15 provides transportation connections, though New Augusta remains a small, rural community serving primarily as the administrative center for Perry County's dispersed population. Tourism is minimal, with economic activity centered on government services, natural resource extraction, and agriculture rather than visitor-based industries.

Law enforcement services for New Augusta are provided by the Perry County Sheriff's Office, as the community is unincorporated and does not maintain its own municipal police department. The Perry County Sheriff's Office is located at 100 Main Street, New Augusta, MS 39462, and can be reached at (601) 964-8388. The Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction over all unincorporated areas of Perry County, including New Augusta, and handles patrol, criminal investigations, court security, and operation of the county detention facility. The department responds to calls for service, investigates crimes, and maintains incident reports and arrest records for the area. To request police reports or incident records, citizens must submit a written request to the Sheriff's Office either in person at the Main Street office or by mail, specifying the date and nature of the incident. Mississippi's Public Records Act, Miss. Code Ann. § 25-61-1 through § 25-61-17, governs access to law enforcement records, allowing citizens to inspect and copy public records unless they fall under specific exemptions such as ongoing investigations or confidential informant information. Arrest records and jail bookings for Perry County can be searched through the Mississippi Department of Corrections online offender search at https://www.ms.gov/mdoc or by contacting the Perry County Detention Center directly at (601) 964-8388. Jail booking information typically includes the inmate's name, booking date, charges filed, bond amount, and booking photograph. Current inmates can be located through the county jail roster, while historical arrest records may require a formal records request submitted to the Sheriff's Office with a valid ID and statement of purpose for the request.

Birth certificates cost $15 for the first copy and $7 for each additional copy ordered at the same time, with online ordering available through VitalChek at https://www.msdh.ms.gov/vitalrecords for an additional convenience fee. Processing typically takes 4-6 weeks by mail or 2-3 weeks for expedited service. Mississippi maintains birth records from 1912 to present, with earlier records held by county Chancery Clerks. Death certificates are also issued by the Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Records Office at the same address and phone number, with the same fee structure ($15 first copy, $7 additional copies). Death records are available from 1912 forward at the state level. Only immediate family members, legal representatives, or individuals with a direct and tangible interest may request certified copies, and valid government-issued photo identification is required. Marriage licenses in Perry County are issued by the Perry County Chancery Clerk's Office at 100 Main Street, New Augusta, MS 39462, phone (601) 964-8398. The marriage license fee in Mississippi is approximately $21, and there is no waiting period or blood test required. Both parties must appear in person to apply, and the license is valid for 30 days from issuance. Marriage records dating back to the county's founding in 1820 are maintained by the Chancery Clerk. Divorce records are court records maintained by the Perry County Chancery Court at the same courthouse location, as chancery court has jurisdiction over all divorce proceedings. Certified copies of divorce decrees can be obtained from the Chancery Clerk for a per-page fee plus certification.

Fictitious business name registrations (Doing Business As or DBA filings) in Mississippi are filed with the Perry County Chancery Clerk's Office at 100 Main Street, New Augusta, MS 39462, phone (601) 964-8398. DBA registrations must be filed if a business operates under a name other than the owner's legal name, and the filing creates a public record searchable in the Chancery Clerk's records. State-level business entity formation and registration is handled by the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division, located at 125 South Congress Street, Jackson, MS 39201, phone (601) 359-1333. The Secretary of State maintains the official registry of corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and other business entities authorized to conduct business in Mississippi. Business entity searches can be conducted free of charge through the Secretary of State's online business database at https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corp/portal/c/page/corpBusinessIdSearch/portal.aspx, where users can search by business name, registered agent name, or file number to verify entity status, view filing history, identify officers and directors, and find the registered agent for service of process. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) lien filings, which secure interests in personal property and business assets, are also filed with and searchable through the Mississippi Secretary of State's office. Business personal property taxes are assessed and collected by the Perry County Tax Assessor at (601) 964-8356, and commercial real property assessments can be researched through the same office to determine property tax obligations for business owners in New Augusta.

New Augusta residents participate in elections administered by the Perry County Circuit Clerk's Office, which serves as the county's election authority. The Perry County Circuit Clerk and Elections Office is located at 100 Main Street, New Augusta, MS 39462, and can be reached at (601) 964-8398 for voter registration information, polling place locations, and absentee ballot requests. Mississippi voter registration can be completed online through the Mississippi Secretary of State's website at https://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/Voter-Registration-Information.aspx, by mail using a downloadable registration form, or in person at the Circuit Clerk's office. Voters must register at least 30 days before an election to be eligible to vote in that election, and Mississippi requires registrants to provide their Mississippi driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. As an unincorporated community, New Augusta does not hold separate municipal elections for mayor or city council; instead, residents vote in county, state, and federal elections. Perry County voters elect members of the Perry County Board of Supervisors (five districts), as well as county officials including Sheriff, Circuit Clerk, Chancery Clerk, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Coroner, and Surveyor. New Augusta residents are assigned to specific polling locations based on their residential address and precinct, which can be verified 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/PollingPlace/Pages/default.aspx. Mississippi election records that are public include voter registration rolls (available with restrictions to protect privacy), campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political committees (searchable at https://www.sos.ms.gov), certified election results by precinct, and candidate qualification documents. In the November 2024 presidential election, Perry County recorded approximately 3,200 votes cast, with turnout around 55-60% of registered voters, reflecting typical rural Mississippi participation rates. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature critical races for Perry County and Mississippi voters, though 2026 is an off-year for Mississippi's major statewide offices. Mississippi's U.S. Senate seats are not scheduled for election in 2026 (next U.S. Senate races in Mississippi are in 2026 for the Class II seat currently held by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith). Mississippi's gubernatorial election was held in 2023, with the next governor's race in 2027. However, 2026 will feature all four of Mississippi's U.S. House of Representatives seats (including Mississippi's 4th Congressional District, which includes Perry County), all 52 Mississippi House of Representatives seats, and approximately half of the 52 Mississippi State Senate seats (those in even-numbered districts). Perry County voters will also decide county offices such as Tax Assessor and potentially Board of Supervisors seats depending on term schedules. Absentee voting in Mississippi is available for voters who meet specific criteria including being away from their county of residence on election day, having a temporary or permanent physical disability, being 65 years or older, being a parent or caretaker of a dependent person with a disability, or working as an election official on election day. Absentee ballot applications must be submitted to the Perry County Circuit Clerk's office by mail or in person, with mail-in ballot return deadlines strictly enforced. Mississippi does not offer universal no-excuse absentee voting or early voting periods as some other states do. For the most current election information, candidate lists, and sample ballots, New Augusta residents should contact the Perry County Circuit Clerk at (601) 964-8398 or visit the Mississippi Secretary of State's elections division website at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting.