Star, Mississippi Public Records

The Rankin County Chancery Court, also at 211 East Government Street, Brandon, MS 39042, phone (601) 825-1469, handles family law matters including divorce, child custody and support, adoptions, guardianships, estate probate, property disputes, and civil cases under $200,000. The Rankin County Justice Court, with multiple district locations, handles misdemeanor criminal cases, preliminary hearings for felonies, civil matters up to $3,500, landlord-tenant disputes, and small claims; the main Justice Court office can be reached at (601) 825-1476. Mississippi operates a statewide electronic court records system called the Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) system, accessible through individual county portals and offering limited online case search capabilities, though full document access typically requires in-person requests or accounts for attorneys and registered users. The Rankin County Chancery Clerk's office maintains searchable indexes of court cases, and certified copies of court documents are available for a fee of $1.50 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee. Land records, estate files, and marriage licenses maintained by the Chancery Clerk are also public records subject to inspection and copying. Business hours for court offices are typically Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding county holidays.

The sex offender registry is accessible to the public, providing information on registered offenders residing in Rankin County. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation assists in maintaining statewide criminal records, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information for residents.

The Assessor's office provides a free online property search tool on the county website where residents can search by owner name, address, or parcel number to view current assessment information, property tax amounts, legal descriptions, and valuation history. The Rankin County Chancery Clerk's office, located at the Rankin County Courthouse, 211 East Government Street, Brandon, MS 39042, phone (601) 825-1469, website https://www.rankincountyms.com/chancery-clerk, serves as the official recorder of deeds and maintains the land records system. This office records and indexes all documents affecting real property titles, including warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, mortgage releases, liens (mechanic's liens, tax liens, judgment liens), easements, plats and surveys, and other encumbrances. Rankin County provides free online access to land records through a searchable database on the Chancery Clerk's website, allowing users to search by grantor/grantee name, book and page number, or instrument number, and view scanned images of recorded documents dating back several decades. The county also maintains a Geographic Information System (GIS) parcel viewer accessible through the county website, displaying interactive maps with property boundaries, ownership information, zoning, flood zones, and aerial imagery—this tool is particularly useful for researching properties in the Star area by location.

Star Elementary School, part of the Rankin County School District, serves as a significant employer and community anchor, providing education for local children and employment for teachers, administrators, and support staff. Many Star residents commute to employment centers in nearby Brandon, Pearl, Florence, and Jackson, taking advantage of the community's relatively affordable housing and rural character while accessing job opportunities in retail, healthcare, manufacturing, government, and professional services in the larger metro area. The median household income in Star's census area is estimated to be lower than the Rankin County median of approximately $62,000, reflecting the community's rural and agricultural character. Small businesses serving local needs—including convenience stores, auto repair shops, lawn care services, and home-based businesses—provide employment and services to residents. The nearby intersection of Highway 469 and Highway 468 provides regional connectivity, though Star lacks the commercial corridors found in northern Rankin County. Rankin County overall has experienced significant population growth over the past three decades, becoming one of Mississippi's most populous counties, though much of this growth has concentrated in the northern areas near Jackson; Star has remained relatively stable in population, maintaining its rural small-community character. The community's economy benefits from its proximity to larger employment centers while preserving a lower cost of living and agricultural heritage that appeals to families seeking a quieter lifestyle.

Star, Mississippi is an unincorporated community without its own municipal police department, meaning all law enforcement services are provided by the Rankin County Sheriff's Department, located at 2465 Old Brandon Road, Pearl, MS 39208, phone (601) 825-1481, website https://www.rankincountyms.com/sheriff. The Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction over all unincorporated areas of Rankin County, including Star, and handles patrol, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, and emergency response. Residents of Star can request copies of incident reports, accident reports, and offense reports by visiting the Sheriff's Department in person or submitting a written request; some reports may require identification and a small processing fee. The department maintains records of all calls for service, arrests, and investigations conducted in the Star area. For arrest and jail booking information, the Rankin County Detention Center operates an online inmate roster accessible through the Sheriff's Department website, showing current inmates, their booking photos (mugshots), charges filed, bond amounts, booking dates, and expected release dates. This searchable database is updated regularly and provides transparency regarding who is currently held in county custody. Under Mississippi's Public Records Act, codified in Mississippi Code § 25-61-1 through § 25-61-17, law enforcement records are generally considered public unless they involve ongoing investigations, juvenile offenders, or information that would compromise law enforcement techniques or endanger individuals. Citizens have the right to inspect and copy public records during regular business hours, though the agency may charge reasonable fees for duplication and staff time. Requests should be made in writing, clearly describing the records sought, and the agency must respond within a reasonable time, typically within seven business days, either providing the records, denying access with legal justification, or explaining any delay.

Applicants must complete an application form, provide valid photo identification, and demonstrate a direct and tangible interest in the record (immediate family members, legal representatives, or individuals with a court order). Online ordering is available through VitalChek at an additional convenience fee, with processing times of approximately 2-3 weeks for mail requests and 3-5 business days for expedited online orders. Birth records are restricted for 100 years and death records for 50 years, with access limited to authorized individuals. Marriage licenses for Star residents are issued by the Rankin County Chancery Clerk's office at the Rankin County Courthouse, 211 East Government Street, Brandon, MS 39042, phone (601) 825-1469. The marriage license fee is $21.00, and both parties must appear in person with valid photo identification and social security numbers; there is no waiting period or blood test required, and the license is valid for 30 days from issuance. Marriage records are public documents maintained permanently by the Chancery Clerk and searchable by name and date. Divorce records are court records maintained by the Rankin County Chancery Court at the same address; certified copies of divorce decrees can be obtained from the Chancery Clerk for $1.50 per page plus $5.00 certification fee. Mississippi has maintained centralized vital records since November 1, 1912, though some earlier records exist at the county level.

Business owners in Star should contact the Rankin County Board of Supervisors office at 211 East Government Street, Brandon, MS 39042, phone (601) 825-1476, to determine if any county-specific permits apply to their business type. Fictitious business name (DBA - "Doing Business As") registrations in Mississippi are filed at the county level with the Rankin County Chancery Clerk's office, 211 East Government Street, Brandon, MS 39042, phone (601) 825-1469; the filing fee is approximately $25, and registrations must be renewed every five years. The Chancery Clerk maintains an index of registered trade names searchable by business name. For formal business entity formation, the Mississippi Secretary of State's office administers all corporation, limited liability company (LLC), limited partnership, and other business entity filings. The Secretary of State's Business Services Division, located at 401 Mississippi Street, Jackson, MS 39201, phone (601) 359-1333, website https://www.sos.ms.gov/business-services, maintains a free online database where anyone can search registered business entities by name, registered agent, or filing number, viewing corporate status, formation date, registered agent information, and annual report compliance. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements, used to perfect security interests in personal property and business assets, are also filed with and searchable through the Mississippi Secretary of State's office. Property tax assessments for commercial properties in Star are managed by the Rankin County Tax Assessor's office at 221 East Government Street, Brandon, MS 39042, phone (601) 825-1457, with searchable records available online showing assessed values for business real estate and personal property.

Star residents vote in Rankin County elections administered by the Rankin County Circuit Clerk/Election Commission, located at the Rankin County Courthouse, 211 East Government Street, Brandon, MS 39042, phone (601) 825-2235, website https://www.rankincountyms.com/circuit-clerk. Mississippi voters can register online through the Mississippi Secretary of State's website at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/voter-registration, or by submitting a paper application to the Circuit Clerk's office; registration must be completed at least 30 days before an election. To register, applicants must be U.S. citizens, residents of Mississippi and Rankin County, at least 18 years old by the election date, and not disqualified by a felony conviction (unless rights have been restored) or adjudication of mental incapacity. Because Star is unincorporated without municipal government, residents do not vote in city elections but participate in county, state, and federal elections. Rankin County holds elections for the Board of Supervisors (five districts), county officers including Sheriff, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Circuit Clerk, Chancery Clerk, Coroner, and Surveyor, all serving four-year terms with county elections typically held in off-years from federal elections. Star residents can find their assigned polling location by using the polling place locator on the Mississippi Secretary of State's website at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/am-i-registered, entering their name and date of birth or county and precinct information; polling places are typically located at schools, community centers, or public buildings. Mississippi election records that are publicly accessible include voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes), campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political committees (searchable through the Secretary of State's website), candidate qualifying information, and precinct-level election results published after each election. In the November 2024 presidential election, Rankin County reported approximately 65% voter turnout with over 90,000 ballots cast, continuing the county's trend of strong Republican performance in federal races. Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, Star and Rankin County voters will decide several important races: all of Mississippi's four U.S. House of Representatives seats will be on the ballot (Star is in Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District), all 52 Mississippi State Senate seats and all 122 Mississippi House of Representatives seats will be contested (Star is in State Senate District 48 and House District 88), and various county offices may be up for election depending on the election cycle. Mississippi does not hold gubernatorial elections in 2026 (the next Governor's race is in 2027), and neither of Mississippi's U.S. Senate seats are scheduled for election in 2026. Absentee voting in Mississippi is available to voters who meet specific criteria: those who will be away from their county of residence on election day, persons with temporary or permanent physical disabilities, persons 65 years or older, parent/spouse/dependent of a person with a temporary or permanent physical disability, or persons required to work on election day during polling hours; applications for absentee ballots must be submitted to the Circuit Clerk's office no later than noon on the Saturday before the election, and voted ballots must be received by 7:00 PM on election day. Mississippi does not offer no-excuse absentee voting or early voting for most elections.