Mississippi Criminal Records

This guide explains how to find Mississippi criminal records, arrest records, court records, inmate information, and the public sex offender registry, and how Mississippi's background-check and record-clearing laws work. It was last reviewed in June 2026 using official Mississippi sources, and it points you to the state and county agencies that hold each type of record. You can also start a name search using the tool on this page.

Are criminal records public in Mississippi?

Most adult criminal records in Mississippi are public under the Mississippi Public Records Act (Mississippi Code Section 25-61-1), which establishes a general right of public access to government records. Court case files, arrest records, inmate records, and the sex offender registry are all open to the public. The main exceptions are records that have been expunged, sealed juvenile records, ongoing-investigation materials that law enforcement withholds, and records specifically exempted by other statutes. Anyone can request records in person or submit a written request to the agency that holds them.

How do I look up a criminal record in Mississippi?

There are three main ways to search for a Mississippi criminal record:

• Mississippi DPS name-based background check. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal Information Center (CIC) offers a public online background check at ms.gov/dps/background_check. The fee is $32 per request, payable by credit or debit card, and results may take up to 30 days. This service is for individuals checking their own record only; using it to look up someone else without authorization is a criminal offense under Mississippi law.
• Court records at the county level. Criminal case files are held by the Circuit Clerk (for felonies and major crimes) or County Clerk (for misdemeanors) in the county where the case was filed. The Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) system provides public access to docket information for many courts. You can also search or visit the clerk in person.
• An online people-search tool like the one on this page, which compiles public-record data from many sources into one report. These tools are for personal knowledge only and may not be used for employment, housing, or credit decisions governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

A fingerprint-based search is the only way to confirm a record truly belongs to a specific person. A name-only search can return results that belong to someone else with a similar name.

Where can I look up arrest records in Mississippi?

Arrest records are maintained by the agency that made the arrest - typically a city police department or a county sheriff. Mississippi law treats law enforcement incident and arrest reports as public records under the Public Records Act, so you can request copies directly from the arresting agency. Many county sheriffs also maintain an online inmate roster showing current bookings. The Mississippi DPS also publishes annual arrest data files through its Public Arrest data portal, though that is a bulk data download rather than an individual search tool. Remember: an arrest record documents that a person was taken into custody - not that they were convicted of anything.

How do I find court records in Mississippi?

Mississippi does not have a single statewide criminal case search open to the public. Each county's Circuit Court (for felonies) and County Court (for misdemeanors) keeps its own records. The Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) system provides public docket access for many Circuit, Chancery, and County Courts through a subscriber-based public portal. Appellate court opinions from the Mississippi Supreme Court and Court of Appeals going back to 1996 are available free at courts.ms.gov. To pull a specific case file, contact the Circuit Clerk (felonies) or County Clerk (misdemeanors) in the county where the case was filed.

How do I look up warrants in Mississippi?

Warrants are issued by the courts but are most easily checked through the county sheriff or the Circuit Court clerk in the county where the charges would be filed. Some Mississippi county sheriffs post outstanding-warrant lists online. You can also call or visit the clerk's office directly. Active warrants can appear on third-party background reports, but the issuing court or county law enforcement agency is the authoritative source.

Do arrests show up on background checks in Mississippi?

For employment, tenant, and credit screening done through a consumer reporting agency, the federal FCRA controls what can be reported. Mississippi has no state law that adds stricter limits, so the federal FCRA rules apply. Under the FCRA, non-conviction arrests older than seven years generally cannot be reported for positions paying under $75,000 per year. Conviction records can be reported indefinitely under federal law, with no seven-year cap. Mississippi permits expungement and record-sealing for certain offenses (see below); once a record is expunged, it should not appear on standard background checks.

How far back does a background check go in Mississippi?

Mississippi does not have a state law limiting how far back a background check can go beyond the federal FCRA rules. Key points:

• Non-conviction arrests (cases that were dropped, dismissed, or resulted in acquittal) generally cannot be reported by a consumer reporting agency once they are more than seven years old, for jobs paying under $75,000 per year.
• Actual criminal convictions can be reported indefinitely under federal law - there is no Mississippi state cap on conviction history.
• The $75,000 salary threshold removes FCRA's seven-year limit on non-conviction records for higher-paying positions.
• Expunged records should not be reported; see the expungement section below for which records qualify.

How do I find someone in jail or prison in Mississippi?

It depends on where the person is held:

• State prison. Use the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) Inmate Search to find a person in state custody by name or MDOC ID number. The tool shows the facility where the person is held and conviction details.
• Parolees. MDOC also maintains a separate Parolee Search where you can search by name, ID number, city, or county.
• County jail. People awaiting trial or serving short sentences are usually held in a county jail. Check the county sheriff's website or call the jail directly for a current roster.
• Federal custody. For federal cases, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator rather than MDOC.

How do I find out if someone is on probation or parole in Mississippi?

State parole is supervised by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, and a parolee's general status may be searchable through the MDOC Parolee Search. Probation (serving a sentence in the community under court-ordered conditions) is handled locally by the court that imposed it and by county supervision officers. The best source for probation status is the sentencing court's records or the court clerk's office in the county where the case was heard.

What crimes are felonies in Mississippi?

Mississippi does not use a lettered or numbered felony class system like some states. Instead, each felony offense in the Mississippi Code carries its own penalty range set by statute. A crime is a felony when it is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary (more than one year). Common felony offenses and their general penalties include:

• Capital murder (Miss. Code 97-3-19): punishable by death or life without parole.
• Second-degree murder (Miss. Code 97-3-19): punishable by 20 to 40 years in prison.
• Armed robbery (Miss. Code 97-3-79): three years to life in prison.
• Rape / sexual battery (Miss. Code 97-3-95): five years to life, depending on facts.
• Burglary of a dwelling (Miss. Code 97-17-23): up to 25 years in prison.

Mississippi also imposes a mandatory maximum sentence and bars probation and parole for third felony convictions, and a mandatory life sentence without parole when any of those prior felonies was a crime of violence. Exact penalties depend on the statute, the facts, and the defendant's criminal history.

What crimes are misdemeanors in Mississippi?

A misdemeanor in Mississippi is any crime punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year, rather than in the state penitentiary. Common misdemeanor examples include simple assault, first-offense shoplifting below the felony threshold, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and most first-offense traffic violations that carry possible jail time (such as reckless driving). Mississippi also recognizes petty misdemeanors and infractions, which carry smaller fines and typically no jail time.

Are traffic violations crimes in Mississippi?

Routine traffic violations (speeding, running a red light) are generally civil infractions in Mississippi, punishable by fine only with no jail time, and they do not appear on a criminal background check. More serious driving offenses are charged as misdemeanors or felonies. A first-offense driving under the influence (DUI) under Miss. Code 63-11-30 is a misdemeanor carrying up to 48 hours in jail and fines; subsequent offenses escalate to felonies. Reckless driving is a misdemeanor. Only criminal-level traffic offenses create an entry in the criminal history system.

Is the Mississippi sex offender registry public?

Yes. The Mississippi DPS maintains a free, searchable public registry at state.sor.dps.ms.gov. You can search by name, address, or ZIP code. Each registrant's listing shows a photo, aliases, primary residence, conviction date, and offense. Registered sex offenders in Mississippi must personally re-register every 90 days at a DPS driver's license station, and failure to comply is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine under Miss. Code 45-33-33.

Can a sex offender be removed from the Mississippi registry?

Under Mississippi Code Section 45-33-47, the state uses a tiered registration system. Tier One offenders must register for a minimum of 15 years and may then petition the circuit court for relief. Tier Two offenders must register for a minimum of 25 years before petitioning. Some offenders are subject to lifetime registration with no removal option, including anyone convicted twice for a registrable offense (if at least one conviction was on or after July 1, 1995) and anyone 21 or older convicted of a sex offense against a victim age 14 or younger. Note that any period of incarceration for any offense resets the minimum registration clock.

How do I clear or expunge my record in Mississippi?

Mississippi's primary record-clearing remedy is governed by Mississippi Code Section 99-19-71. Key provisions:

• Non-conviction arrests. If you were arrested but not convicted - because charges were dropped, the case was dismissed, or you were found not guilty at trial - you may petition the court to expunge the arrest record.
• First-offense misdemeanor convictions. A first-time misdemeanor offender (excluding traffic violations) may petition the court that heard the case to expunge the conviction.
• Certain felony convictions. A person convicted of one eligible felony may petition to expunge that conviction five years after successfully completing all terms of the sentence (including probation, parole, and fines). Felonies that are never eligible for expungement include crimes of violence (Miss. Code 97-3-2), first-degree arson, drug trafficking, third or subsequent DUI, felon in possession of a firearm, and failure to register as a sex offender.

To start the process, file a petition in the court that handled your case and notify the district attorney. The court holds a hearing and may grant or deny the petition in its discretion. An expunged record is destroyed, not merely sealed, and should no longer appear on standard background checks.

Do I need a lawyer to expunge my record in Mississippi?

You are not legally required to hire an attorney to file an expungement petition, but it is strongly recommended. The eligibility rules under Miss. Code 99-19-71 are detailed, the district attorney can oppose the petition, and a procedural error can cost you the opportunity. Many attorneys and some legal-aid organizations in Mississippi offer expungement assistance. For general information, the Mississippi Judiciary website and local bar referral services are good starting points.

How long does a felony stay on your record in Mississippi?

A Mississippi felony conviction stays on your record permanently unless you obtain court-ordered expungement under Miss. Code 99-19-71, and only one felony conviction is eligible per person, subject to the ineligibility list above. There is no automatic time limit that erases a felony from your underlying criminal history. The FCRA seven-year rule discussed above limits only what a consumer reporting agency may report about non-conviction records; it does not delete the record itself. Convictions remain visible to law enforcement, courts, and licensing boards regardless of age.

Are juvenile records private in Mississippi?

Records of youth court proceedings in Mississippi are confidential under Miss. Code 43-21-261 and are generally not available to the public or ordinary background checks. They can still be accessed by law enforcement, prosecutors, and youth court officials. The youth court may order records sealed at any time. There are narrow exceptions: the names and addresses of juveniles adjudicated delinquent twice for a felony-equivalent offense, or adjudicated for serious crimes including murder, arson, armed robbery, or a registered sex offense, may be made public. A juvenile tried as an adult in circuit court is treated the same as an adult, and those records are public.

Hinds County criminal records

Hinds County - home to Jackson, the state capital - is the most populous county in Mississippi, with approximately 212,000 residents, and it handles a large share of the state's criminal caseload. The Hinds County Circuit Clerk's office at 407 E. Pascagoula Street, Jackson (phone: 601-968-6628) files all Circuit Court criminal indictments, motions, and case records. Basic civil-case databases are searchable online through the Hinds County online databases portal. For criminal case files, you can request records in person at the clerk's office or through the Mississippi Electronic Courts public access portal. The county also operates a separate inmate search through the Sheriff's Office for people currently held in the Hinds County Detention Center.

Official Mississippi criminal record sources

• Mississippi DPS Name-Based Background Check - request your own state criminal history online ($32 fee, up to 30 days processing).
• Mississippi DPS Criminal Information Center (CIC) - the state repository for criminal history records; information on fingerprint-based checks for authorized agencies.
• MDOC Inmate Search - find a person in Mississippi state custody by name or MDOC ID.
• MDOC Parolee Search - search for individuals under state parole supervision by name, ID, city, or county.
• Mississippi Public Sex Offender Registry - free DPS registry search by name, address, or ZIP code.
• Mississippi Judiciary (courts.ms.gov) - appellate court opinions, court directory, and links to the Mississippi Electronic Courts public portal.
• Mississippi DPS Public Arrest Data - annual statewide arrest data files from the Criminal Information Center.

Disclosure: criminal.com may earn a commission when you use the people-search tool on this page, which is powered by a third-party background-check service. Results from such tools are for your personal knowledge only and may not be used to make decisions about employment, housing, credit, tenant screening, or any other purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). A mugshot or arrest record is not proof of guilt. This page is general information about Mississippi public records, not legal advice; for advice about your situation, consult an attorney. Information was last reviewed in June 2026 and laws may change.