Pulaski, Mississippi Public Records

The Scott County Justice Court, located at the same courthouse address, handles misdemeanor criminal cases, initial appearances for felonies, small claims cases up to $3,500, and traffic violations. Municipal court does not exist for Pulaski since it is unincorporated, though residents may appear in Forest Municipal Court if cited within that city's limits. Mississippi court records can be searched online through the Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) system, though access levels vary by court and case type. Many case indexes and basic information are available at https://courts.ms.gov/ and through county-specific portals. For complete case files, certified copies, or older records not yet digitized, in-person or written requests to the appropriate Clerk's office are necessary. The Circuit Clerk's Office maintains criminal and higher-value civil case records, while the Chancery Clerk maintains land, probate, and domestic relations files. Fees for certified copies are established by Mississippi statute: typically $1.50 per page for non-certified copies and $5.00 for certification, plus a $1.00 base fee per document. Extensive copy requests may incur additional per-page charges. The Justice Court Clerk sets fees for justice court records. Public access to court records is governed by Mississippi Code Section 9-1-47 and individual court rules, with most civil and criminal records open to public inspection unless sealed by court order.

While some Mississippi counties offer online property search databases through third-party vendors or GIS systems, Scott County's online accessibility may be limited; residents should contact the Assessor's office directly at (601) 469-2457 to inquire about current online search capabilities or to request property record information by parcel number, address, or owner name. The Scott County Chancery Clerk, located at 100 East Main Street, Forest, MS 39074, phone (601) 469-1922, serves as the official Recorder of Deeds for Scott County, maintaining all recorded land documents including warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, mortgage releases, easements, rights-of-way, liens (tax liens, mechanics liens, judgment liens), plats, and subdivision maps. Mississippi is a race-notice recording state, meaning properly recorded documents provide constructive notice and establish priority. The Chancery Clerk indexes these records by grantor (seller), grantee (buyer), and sometimes by legal description or book and page number. Recording fees are set by state statute, currently $15.00 for the first page and $3.00 for each additional page for most documents. Online access to recorded land records varies by county; prospective searchers should contact the Chancery Clerk at (601) 469-1922 to determine if Scott County offers online document images or indexes, or whether in-person research at the courthouse is required. Certified copies of recorded documents cost $5.00 for certification plus per-page copying fees. Title companies and abstractors regularly search these records for real estate transactions affecting Pulaski properties.

Major employers for Pulaski residents are typically located in nearby Forest, the Scott County seat approximately 10 miles southwest, where the largest employers include Scott Regional Hospital, Scott County School District, Viking Range Corporation (premium kitchen appliances manufacturer), and various manufacturing facilities that have located in the Forest industrial parks. Some Pulaski residents also commute to Jackson, Mississippi, approximately 40 miles southwest, for employment in state government, healthcare, education, and service industries. Scott County's median household income was estimated at approximately $40,000-$45,000 in recent census data, somewhat below the Mississippi state median, reflecting the rural and agricultural character of the area. The Pulaski community itself remains sparsely populated with limited commercial development, functioning primarily as a residential and farming area. Economic development in recent years has focused on Forest and the county's highway corridors rather than unincorporated communities like Pulaski. The lumber and wood products industry remains significant, with several sawmills and forestry operations in the county. Poultry processing and related agricultural support businesses also provide employment. The region has faced economic challenges common to rural Mississippi, including population decline among younger residents, limited broadband infrastructure in some areas, and dependence on industries vulnerable to commodity price fluctuations. However, the lower cost of living and land availability continue to attract residents seeking a rural lifestyle within reasonable commuting distance of Jackson and Meridian employment centers.

Pulaski, Mississippi does not maintain its own municipal police department due to its unincorporated status. Law enforcement services for the Pulaski community are provided exclusively by the Scott County Sheriff's Department, headquartered at 100 East First Street, Forest, MS 39074, phone (601) 469-1511. The Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction throughout Scott County, including all unincorporated areas like Pulaski, and handles patrol, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, and civil process service. Residents seeking police reports, incident records, or accident reports should contact the Sheriff's Department directly during business hours or submit written requests for copies of reports. Mississippi's Public Records Act, codified in Mississippi Code Title 25, Chapter 61, Sections 25-61-1 through 25-61-17, governs access to law enforcement records. Under this statute, most incident reports and arrest records are public, though active investigation files may be temporarily exempt. To request records, citizens should provide as much identifying information as possible, including case numbers, dates, names of involved parties, and locations. There may be copying fees for extensive requests, typically charged per page as allowed under state law.

For arrest and jail booking information, the Scott County Sheriff's Department operates the Scott County Detention Center. Current inmate information can be searched through the Mississippi Department of Corrections Offender Search system at https://www.ms.gov/mdoc/inmate-search/ for state inmates, while county-level bookings may require direct contact with the Sheriff's Department at (601) 469-1511. Jail rosters typically include inmate names, booking dates, charges filed, bond amounts set by the court, and projected release dates. Mugshots may be available upon request. The Sheriff's Department updates booking information regularly, though there may be a delay of several hours between arrest and appearance in searchable databases. For historical arrest records or detailed criminal history information, requests should be made in writing to the Scott County Sheriff's Department, and processing times vary depending on the age and complexity of records sought.

Certified copies can be ordered online through VitalChek at https://www.vitalchek.com for an additional service fee, by mail with completed application forms available on the MSDH website, or in person at the Jackson office. Processing times are typically 4-6 weeks by mail, faster for in-person requests, and 7-10 business days for online orders. Mississippi law restricts access to birth and death certificates to the registrant (if of legal age), immediate family members, legal representatives, and others with tangible interest and proper identification. Birth records in Mississippi are available from 1912 forward, with older records sometimes available through county records; death records are available from 1912 forward. Marriage licenses in Mississippi are issued by the Circuit Clerk in the county where the ceremony will take place. For Pulaski residents, the Scott County Circuit Clerk's Office at 100 East Main Street, Forest, MS 39074, phone (601) 469-1922, issues marriage licenses. As of 2024, Mississippi requires a marriage license application, identification for both parties, and payment of the license fee (typically $21.00, though fees may vary). There is no waiting period or blood test requirement in Mississippi. Marriage records, including the recorded marriage license and certificate, are maintained by the Circuit Clerk and are public records. Certified copies cost $10.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for additional copies. Divorce records are court records maintained by the Chancery Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted; for divorces involving Pulaski residents filed in Scott County, records are at the Scott County Chancery Clerk, 100 East Main Street, Forest, MS 39074, phone (601) 469-1922. Divorce decrees and related pleadings are public unless sealed by court order. Certified copies of divorce decrees cost $5.00 plus per-page copying fees.

For questions about county-level permits, contact the Scott County Board of Supervisors at 100 East Main Street, Forest, MS 39074, phone (601) 469-2842. Fictitious business name registrations (Doing Business As or DBA filings) in Mississippi are filed with the Chancery Clerk in the county where the business operates. For businesses operating in Pulaski, the Scott County Chancery Clerk at 100 East Main Street, Forest, MS 39074, phone (601) 469-1922, handles DBA registrations. Mississippi Code Section 75-25-1 requires that any person conducting business under an assumed name must register that name with the Chancery Clerk. The filing fee is typically $25.00, and the registration must be renewed periodically. The Chancery Clerk maintains an index of registered trade names available for public search. For formal business entity formation (corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships), businesses must register with the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division. The Secretary of State maintains a free online business entity search database at https://www.sos.ms.gov/business-services where anyone can search for registered corporations, LLCs, and other entities by name, registered agent, or file number. The database shows entity status (active, dissolved, revoked), formation date, registered agent name and address, principal office address, and officer/member names for some entity types. Business formation documents and annual reports can be filed online through the Secretary of State's website. UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) financing statements, which create secured interests in personal property and business assets, are also filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State and searchable through their online UCC search system at https://www.sos.ms.gov/business-services/ucc. For business property tax information, commercial property owners in Pulaski should contact the Scott County Tax Assessor at (601) 469-2457 to research assessed values and tax obligations for commercial parcels.

Pulaski voters are served by the Scott County Circuit Clerk, who functions as the county's election authority, located at 100 East Main Street, Forest, MS 39074, phone (601) 469-1922. The Circuit Clerk's office manages voter registration, maintains voter rolls, processes absentee ballot applications, and certifies election results for Scott County. Mississippi voters can register online through the Mississippi Online Voter Registration system at https://www.ms.gov/sos/voter_registration or by submitting a paper voter registration application available from the Circuit Clerk's office, public libraries, or downloadable from the Mississippi Secretary of State website at https://www.sos.ms.gov. The voter registration deadline in Mississippi is 30 days before any election. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, Mississippi residents, at least 18 years old by the election date, and not disqualified by felony conviction (voting rights are restored in Mississippi upon completion of sentence and payment of fines for most offenses). Acceptable identification for registration includes a Mississippi driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number.

Because Pulaski is unincorporated, there are no municipal elections for mayor or city council. Pulaski residents vote in Scott County elections for county officials including Sheriff, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Chancery Clerk, Circuit Clerk, Coroner, Surveyor, and the five-member Board of Supervisors (each representing a district). County elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years, with party primaries typically in August. Mississippi state elections include Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer, and other statewide constitutional officers, all elected to four-year terms in odd-numbered years (most recently 2023, next in 2027). The Mississippi Legislature, consisting of 52 Senators and 122 House members, is also elected in these cycles. Pulaski voters participate in elections for their Mississippi House and Senate district representatives.

Pulaski residents can find their assigned polling place by contacting the Scott County Circuit Clerk at (601) 469-1922, visiting the Mississippi Secretary of State's polling place lookup tool at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/voter-information-and-polling-locations, or checking their voter registration card mailed before each election. Mississippi does not offer early in-person voting; voters must cast ballots on Election Day at their assigned precinct or request an absentee ballot. Absentee voting in Mississippi is available for voters who will be away from their county on Election Day, are 65 or older, have a temporary or permanent physical disability, are the parent or caregiver of a person with a disability, are required to work on Election Day during polling hours, or are election workers assigned outside their precinct. Absentee ballot applications must be submitted to the Circuit Clerk's office, with deadlines varying by delivery method (in-person, mail, or email). Applications and detailed instructions are available at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/absentee-voting.

In the November 2024 presidential election, Scott County reported approximately 8,200 registered voters with turnout of approximately 60-65%, consistent with typical presidential election participation in rural Mississippi counties. Voters in Pulaski and throughout Scott County supported Republican candidates by substantial margins, continuing long-standing voting patterns. For the November 3, 2026 general election, Mississippi voters will not elect a U.S. Senator (Mississippi's Senate seats are next up in 2024 and 2026, with Senator Roger Wicker's seat potentially on the ballot depending on the cycle), but will elect all 122 members of the Mississippi House of Representatives and approximately half of the 52 Mississippi Senate seats (senators serve four-year staggered terms). Scott County voters will also elect countywide officials if their terms expire in 2026; county election cycles should be verified with the Circuit Clerk. No statewide constitutional offices are on the ballot in 2026 as Mississippi elects governors and other statewide officials in odd-numbered years.

Election records that are public in Mississippi include voter registration lists (available for purchase from the Secretary of State for legitimate purposes), election results by precinct (published by the Secretary of State at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/election-results), candidate filings and qualifying information (available from the Circuit Clerk for county races and the Secretary of State for state and federal races), and campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political committees (searchable at https://cfportal.sos.ms.gov/online/portal/cf/page/cf-search/Portal.aspx). Individual voter history (whether a person voted in specific elections, but not how they voted) is part of the voter registration file. Actual ballot choices are secret and not public record. Election transparency is governed by Mississippi election code Title 23 and the Mississippi Public Records Act.