Stewart, Mississippi Public Records

For felony criminal cases and major civil matters exceeding Justice Court jurisdiction, the Montgomery County Circuit Court sits in Winona at the Montgomery County Courthouse, 102 West Court Street, Winona, MS 38967, phone (662) 283-2333. The Circuit Clerk's office maintains criminal court records, civil case files over $200,000, and appeals from lower courts. The Montgomery County Chancery Court, also located at 102 West Court Street, phone (662) 283-2422, handles family law matters including divorces, child custody, adoptions, estate probate, guardianships, real property disputes, and civil cases under $200,000. Mississippi does not currently offer a comprehensive statewide online court records search portal accessible to the public. Court records must generally be searched in person at the respective clerk's offices in Winona, though some case information may be available by calling the clerk's office. Certified copies of court documents typically cost $1.50 per page plus a $2.00 certification fee. The Chancery Clerk charges filing fees that vary by case type: divorce filings start around $150-$200, while probate matters may range from $50-$150 depending on estate size. Circuit Court civil filing fees begin around $150-$200 depending on the claim amount. These courts follow Mississippi Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure, with case files considered public records unless sealed by court order or involving juvenile matters, which are confidential under Mississippi law.

Montgomery County offers online property search through the Mississippi Automated Property Information System (MAPIS) at https://www.maris.state.ms.us/, which provides free public access to tax assessor data for all Mississippi counties. Searches can be conducted by owner name, parcel number, or physical address, displaying current assessed values, property characteristics, and tax information. For official land records including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, plats, and other recorded instruments, the Montgomery County Chancery Clerk serves as the land records office at 102 West Court Street, Winona, MS 38967, phone (662) 283-2422. The Chancery Clerk maintains the official land records indexed by grantor/grantee names and legal descriptions going back to Montgomery County's formation. While assessment data is free online through MAPIS, official recorded land documents typically require in-person research at the Chancery Clerk's office in Winona, or requests can be made by phone or mail. Copy fees are generally $1.00 per page for standard documents. Certified copies carry an additional certification fee of approximately $2.00. Montgomery County does not currently offer a comprehensive GIS parcel viewer with aerial imagery, though basic parcel data is available through MAPIS. Property tax bills and payment history can be accessed through the Tax Collector's office. Title companies and attorneys frequently conduct property searches through the Chancery Clerk's indexing system for real estate transactions in the Stewart area.

Major employers for Stewart residents are located outside the immediate community, primarily in Winona (the county seat approximately 10 miles southeast) and include the Montgomery County School District, Montgomery County government offices, Dollar General distribution operations, and various small manufacturers. Many residents commute to Grenada (about 20 miles west) where larger employers include Viking Range Corporation, various automotive suppliers, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Grenada campus. Some Stewart area residents travel to the Golden Triangle region (Columbus, Starkville, West Point) approximately 50-60 miles east for employment in aerospace manufacturing, Mississippi State University, and other regional industries. The median household income for Montgomery County was approximately $34,000-$38,000 according to recent Census estimates, with Stewart's unincorporated area likely falling within or below that range. The community has experienced minimal recent development, maintaining its low-density rural character. Broadband internet access remains limited in parts of the area, impacting economic development potential. The local economy is supplemented by retirees receiving Social Security and pension income, and the area attracts some residents seeking affordable rural property. Stewart's economic identity is intrinsically tied to Montgomery County's rural agricultural heritage, with limited commercial or industrial activity within the community itself.

Stewart, Mississippi, as an unincorporated community, does not maintain its own police department. Primary law enforcement services for Stewart and surrounding unincorporated areas of Montgomery County are provided by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, located at 111 Highway 35 South, Winona, MS 38967, phone (662) 283-1321. The Sheriff's Office handles patrol, criminal investigations, civil process service, and operates the Montgomery County Detention Center. Residents can request incident reports, accident reports, and other law enforcement records by visiting the Sheriff's Office in person or submitting written requests; there is typically a small copying fee. Under Mississippi's Public Records Act (Mississippi Code §§ 25-61-1 et seq.), law enforcement records are generally public unless they pertain to ongoing investigations or are specifically exempted. Arrest records and jail bookings for Montgomery County can be searched through the Mississippi Department of Corrections Offender Search at https://www.ms.gov/mdoc/ for state inmates, while county jail bookings may require direct contact with the detention facility at (662) 283-1321. Booking information typically includes the arrestee's name, age, booking date, charges filed, bond amount, and booking photograph when available. For arrests handled by Mississippi Highway Patrol on state highways near Stewart, records can be requested from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. The Montgomery County E911 District also maintains emergency call records. Mississippi law requires law enforcement agencies to provide access to public portions of incident reports within seven business days unless an exemption applies, though fees for copying may be charged at rates not to exceed $1.00 per page for standard copies.

Certified copies can be ordered online through VitalChek at https://www.vitalchek.com (with additional processing fees), by mail with completed application and proper identification, or in person at the Jackson office. Processing times are typically 4-6 weeks by mail, faster for online orders with expedited service, and same-day for in-person requests. Only eligible applicants can request certified copies: for birth certificates, the person named on the certificate (if 18 or older), parents, legal guardian, legal representative, or someone with a court order; for death certificates, immediate family members, legal representatives, or those with legal interest. Marriage licenses are issued by the Montgomery County Chancery Clerk's Office at 102 West Court Street, Winona, MS 38967, phone (662) 283-2422. Mississippi has no waiting period, and licenses are valid for 30 days from issuance. The marriage license fee is approximately $21.00. Marriage records are maintained permanently by the Chancery Clerk where the license was issued. Divorce decrees are filed with the Chancery Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted, accessible through Montgomery County Chancery Court records at the same Winona address. Certified copies of divorce decrees cost approximately $1.50 per page plus $2.00 certification fee. Mississippi law requires valid government-issued photo identification for all vital records requests, and applicants must demonstrate direct and tangible interest in the record.

Fictitious business name registrations (doing business as or DBA filings) in Mississippi are handled at the county level through the Montgomery County Chancery Clerk's Office at 102 West Court Street, Winona, MS 38967, phone (662) 283-2422, with filing fees typically around $25. For formal business entity formation and registration, the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division, maintains the statewide business registry. Corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and other business entities must register with the Secretary of State, P.O. Box 136, Jackson, MS 39205, phone (601) 359-1633. The Mississippi Secretary of State provides a free online business entity search at https://www.sos.ms.gov/business-services/pages/default.aspx, where users can search by business name, registered agent, or filing number to verify corporate status, view registration dates, check good standing, identify registered agents and officers, and access annual report information. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements for secured transactions and liens on business assets are also filed with and searchable through the Mississippi Secretary of State's UCC division. Property tax assessments for commercial properties in Stewart are managed by the Montgomery County Tax Assessor's Office and can be searched through MAPIS at https://www.maris.state.ms.us/. Business personal property must be declared annually to the Tax Assessor by April 1st. Specific occupational licenses for professions like contractors, cosmetologists, and healthcare providers are issued by respective Mississippi state licensing boards.

Voters residing in Stewart, Mississippi, are served by the Montgomery County Election Commission, located at the Montgomery County Courthouse, 102 West Court Street, Winona, MS 38967, phone (662) 283-2333. This office administers all federal, state, county, and local elections for Montgomery County residents, including voter registration, absentee voting, and polling place management. Mississippi residents can register to vote online through the Mississippi Online Voter Registration system at https://www.ms.gov/sos/voter_registration/pages/default.aspx, administered by the Mississippi Secretary of State. Voter registration applications must be received or postmarked at least 30 days before an election; online registration is available to citizens with a valid Mississippi driver's license or ID card issued by the Department of Public Safety. Registration requires proof of residency in Montgomery County. As an unincorporated community, Stewart has no municipal elections for mayor or city council. Stewart residents vote in Montgomery County elections for the five-member Board of Supervisors (elected from single-member districts), Sheriff, Tax Assessor-Collector, Chancery Clerk, Circuit Clerk, Coroner, Surveyor, and other county constitutional offices, typically held in November of odd-numbered years with party primaries in August. To find their assigned polling place, Stewart voters can contact the Montgomery County Election Commission at (662) 283-2333 or check the Mississippi Secretary of State's polling place lookup tool. Mississippi law makes certain election records public: voter registration lists are available for inspection (though personal information like Social Security numbers is protected), campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political committees are public through the Secretary of State's office, candidate qualifying information is public, and precinct-level election results are published after certification. In the November 2024 presidential election, Montgomery County reported voter turnout of approximately 50-55% of registered voters, with results showing typical patterns for this rural Mississippi county. Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, Stewart and Montgomery County voters will decide several significant races: Mississippi does not have a U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2026 (Senator Roger Wicker's term expires in 2025 and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith's in 2027, though special circumstances could change this), but voters will elect one U.S. Representative for Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District, all 122 members of the Mississippi House of Representatives (Stewart falls within a specific district that should be verified), 13 Mississippi State Senate seats (approximately one-quarter of the 52-member Senate on a rotating basis), and potentially county offices depending on Montgomery County's election cycle. Voters should verify which state legislative district includes Stewart through the Mississippi Secretary of State. Mississippi allows absentee voting for voters who will be away from their county on election day, have a temporary or permanent physical disability, are 65 years or older, are a parent/guardian/caretaker of a dependent child or person with a disability, are required to work on election day during polling hours, are a member of the military or spouse/dependent living with them, or are a student or spouse living away temporarily. Absentee ballot applications must be requested from the Montgomery County Circuit Clerk's office and submitted by specific deadlines: mail-in absentee ballots must be requested by 12:00 noon on the Saturday before the election, and ballots must be postmarked by election day and received within five business days after the election to be counted.