Stennis Space Center, Mississippi Public Records

For misdemeanor criminal cases and small civil claims, the Hancock County Justice Court, located at 152 Main Street, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520, phone (228) 466-0660, has jurisdiction over misdemeanors punishable by up to six months in jail and civil claims up to $3,500. Justice Court also handles preliminary hearings for felony cases, traffic violations, and issues search warrants and arrest warrants. Mississippi provides a statewide electronic court records system through the Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) portal, accessible at courts.ms.gov, where users can search case information by party name, case number, or attorney for participating courts in Hancock County. Some case documents may be viewable online, though full records often require in-person inspection at the courthouse. Certified copies of court documents can be obtained from the Circuit Clerk's office for a fee of $1.50 per page plus a $1.00 certification fee. Marriage license copies cost $10, and certified copies of divorce decrees cost $10. The Hancock County Circuit Clerk's office, phone (228) 467-5404, maintains all court records and can provide information about filing fees and document retrieval procedures. Case files are generally public record unless sealed by court order, and access is governed by Mississippi Code § 25-61-1 et seq. and local court rules.

The searchable database includes current and historical assessment information, though detailed tax payment history may require contacting the office directly or the Hancock County Tax Collector at (228) 467-5516. The Hancock County Chancery Clerk serves as the Register of Deeds and maintains recorded land documents at 152 Main Street, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520, phone (228) 467-5278. This office records deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, releases, easements, plats, liens (including UCC filings and judgment liens), and other instruments affecting real property. Hancock County offers free online access to recorded land records through the county's Land Records Search system at www.hancockcountychancery.com, allowing users to search by grantor/grantee name, document type, book and page number, or date range. Digital images of recorded documents are typically available online for instruments recorded since the mid-1990s, with older records requiring in-person research at the Chancery Clerk's office. Recording fees vary by document type but typically start at $17 for the first page and $2 for each additional page. The county also maintains a GIS (Geographic Information System) parcel viewer accessible through the county website, providing interactive maps showing property boundaries, ownership, zoning designations, and flood zones. Users can search by address or parcel ID and view aerial imagery, property lines, and basic assessment data integrated with the mapping interface.

Navy Special Boat Team 22, and the U.S. Navy's Oceanographer of the Navy. Private aerospace contractors such as Aerojet Rocketdyne, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing maintain significant operations at Stennis. The facility's economic impact extends throughout Hancock County and the Mississippi Gulf Coast region, with high-paying technical, engineering, and scientific positions supporting a skilled workforce. Beyond aerospace, the surrounding Hancock County economy includes commercial fishing, seafood processing, shipbuilding at nearby facilities, tourism along the Gulf Coast beaches, and gaming at coastal casinos approximately 20 miles south in Bay St. Louis and Waveland. The median household income for Hancock County is approximately $59,000, slightly above the Mississippi state average, with income levels in the immediate Stennis area generally higher due to federal and contractor employment. Recent developments include NASA's ongoing testing of the Space Launch System (SLS) engines for the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon, securing Stennis's role in America's space exploration future. The Stennis International Airport, adjacent to the space center, provides potential for aerospace industry expansion. The COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ida in 2021 temporarily impacted operations, but federal investment in space programs has driven continued growth. Stennis Space Center represents a critical nexus of federal investment, high-technology employment, and economic opportunity in a largely rural coastal region of Mississippi.

Stennis Space Center does not have its own municipal police department; law enforcement services for the unincorporated community are provided by the Hancock County Sheriff's Office, located at 152 Main Street, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520, phone (228) 466-3385. The Sheriff's Office website is www.hancocksheriff.com, where residents can find information about patrol operations, investigations, and public safety services. On the NASA Stennis Space Center facility itself, security and law enforcement are handled by the NASA Protective Services Division and federal security personnel, with serious criminal matters referred to federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. For incidents occurring outside the federal facility but within the Stennis Space Center community area, residents can request police reports and incident records by contacting the Hancock County Sheriff's Office directly during normal business hours, typically requiring a written request form and valid identification. Arrest records and jail bookings for Hancock County are maintained at the Hancock County Adult Detention Center, located at 3672 Highway 43 North, Kiln, MS 39556. The Hancock County Sheriff's Office provides an online inmate roster at www.hancocksheriff.com/inmates, where users can search current detainees by name, booking date, or charges. The roster typically displays mugshots, booking dates, charges filed, bond amounts, and projected release dates. Mississippi's public records law, codified in Mississippi Code § 25-61-1 through § 25-61-17, establishes the framework for accessing government records, including law enforcement documents. Under this statute, citizens have the right to inspect and copy public records during regular business hours, though certain law enforcement investigative records may be exempt while investigations are active. To request records under Mississippi's Public Records Act, individuals should submit a written request to the custodian of records at the relevant agency, specifying the documents sought with reasonable particularity. The agency has up to 14 business days to respond, though many routine requests are fulfilled more quickly. Fees may apply for copying and certification of documents.

Certified copies can be requested in person at the state office, by mail with a completed application form and notarized signature, or online through VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com with additional processing fees. Processing time is typically 4-6 weeks for mail requests and 2-3 weeks for online orders, with expedited service available for higher fees. Birth records in Mississippi are available from 1912 to present, and death records from 1912 to present. Only eligible individuals can request vital records: the registrant (if of legal age), immediate family members, legal guardians, legal representatives, or individuals with a direct and tangible interest as demonstrated by documentation. Valid government-issued photo identification is required for all requests. Marriage licenses are issued by the Hancock County Circuit Clerk's office at 152 Main Street, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520, phone (228) 467-5404. The marriage license fee in Mississippi is $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. Certified copies of marriage certificates cost $10. Divorce records are maintained by the Hancock County Chancery Clerk at 152 Main Street, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520, phone (228) 467-5278, as part of the court record for divorce proceedings. Certified copies of divorce decrees cost $10 and can be requested from the Chancery Clerk's office. Mississippi vital records are confidential and not subject to general public records requests; only authorized individuals with proper identification and legal standing can obtain certified copies.

Many business activities in Mississippi require state-level licensing through specific regulatory agencies depending on the profession or industry. Fictitious business name registrations (Doing Business As or DBA filings) in Mississippi are filed with the Hancock County Chancery Clerk at 152 Main Street, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520, phone (228) 467-5278. The filing fee is approximately $25, and the registration must be published in a local newspaper for three consecutive weeks. DBAs are valid indefinitely but must be renewed if the business structure or ownership changes. Mississippi business entity formation and registration are handled by the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office, Business Services Division, located at 401 Mississippi Street, Jackson, MS 39201, phone (601) 359-1333. The Secretary of State maintains a searchable online database at www.sos.ms.gov/business-services where users can search for corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, trademarks, and other business entities by name or registration number. The database provides information on entity status (active, dissolved, revoked), formation date, registered agent name and address, principal office address, and sometimes officer or member names. Annual reports are required for most entities and can be filed online. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements, which create security interests in personal property and business assets, are filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State's UCC Division. UCC searches can be conducted online through the Secretary of State's website to identify liens on business equipment, inventory, or accounts receivable. Business personal property is assessed by the Hancock County Tax Assessor's Office at (228) 467-5242, and commercial real estate assessments can be searched through the same property tax database used for residential properties at www.hancockcounty-ms.com.

Stennis Space Center voters are served by the Hancock County Circuit Clerk's Office, which administers elections from the Hancock County Courthouse at 152 Main Street, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520, phone (228) 467-5404. The Circuit Clerk serves as the County Registrar and handles voter registration, absentee voting, and election administration for all Hancock County precincts. Mississippi voters can register online through the Mississippi Secretary of State's website at www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/voter-registration, or by submitting a paper application to the Circuit Clerk's office. Voter registration deadlines in Mississippi require registration at least 30 days before an election. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old by the election date, residents of Mississippi and Hancock County for 30 days, and not disqualified by a felony conviction or court order. A driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number is required for registration. Because Stennis Space Center is an unincorporated community without its own municipal government, residents do not vote in city or mayoral elections; instead, they participate in Hancock County Board of Supervisors elections, state legislative races, statewide offices, and federal elections. Hancock County is divided into five supervisor districts, with Stennis Space Center falling within one of these districts for county representation. Supervisor elections are held in general elections during odd-numbered years, with the next scheduled for November 2027. Mississippi holds state elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and other statewide offices in off-years (2023, 2027, etc.), separate from presidential election years. Stennis Space Center residents can find their assigned polling location by visiting the Mississippi Secretary of State's Polling Place Locator at www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/polling-place or by contacting the Hancock County Circuit Clerk at (228) 467-5404. Polling places are assigned based on residential address and precinct boundaries. In the November 2024 presidential election, Hancock County reported approximately 12,500 total votes cast, representing roughly 58% turnout of registered voters, with results showing strong support consistent with the county's voting patterns. Looking ahead to the November 3, 2026 general election, Stennis Space Center and Hancock County voters will decide several important races. Mississippi will elect one U.S. Senate seat, as Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith's term expires in January 2027. All four Mississippi U.S. House seats will be on the ballot, with Stennis Space Center located in Mississippi's 4th Congressional District. The entire Mississippi State Legislature—52 Senate seats and 122 House seats—will be up for election in 2027, not 2026. However, county-level offices including Circuit Clerk, Chancery Clerk, Sheriff, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, and Coroner are elected in 2023 and 2027. State and local ballot initiatives or referendums may also appear depending on qualification and certification. Mississippi does not have early voting in the traditional sense, but absentee voting is available for qualified voters. Absentee ballot applications can be submitted to the Circuit Clerk's office beginning 45 days before an election. Mississippi requires an excuse for absentee voting, including being away from the county on election day, having a temporary or permanent physical disability, being 65 years or older, being a parent/guardian/caretaker of a dependent person with a disability, or being required to work during polling hours. Absentee ballot requests and information are available at the Circuit Clerk's office or online at www.sos.ms.gov. Public election records in Mississippi include voter registration lists (available to candidates and political parties with restrictions), campaign finance reports filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State and viewable at www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/campaign-finance, candidate qualifying documents, and precinct-level election results. The Hancock County Circuit Clerk maintains records of local election results, and statewide results are published by the Secretary of State. Voter registration information is not fully public; while registration numbers and general statistics are available, individual voter data is protected except for authorized political purposes.