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Jackson County, MS Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Jackson County Chancery Court (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159) |
| Probate filings go to | Jackson County Chancery Clerk, Chancery Court Department, 228-769-3124 |
| Courthouse address | 3104 Magnolia Street, Jackson County Courts Building, Pascagoula, MS 39567-4127 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 998, Pascagoula, MS 39568-0998. Call the Chancery Court Department before mailing a petition. |
| Phone | 228-769-3124 for the Chancery Court Department. The chancery clerk's main office at 2915 Canty Street is 228-769-3131. |
| Fax | 228-769-3397 |
| No office email is published. Jackson County provides a Contact the Chancery Clerk's Office web form. | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. County offices close on the published county holidays, and Jackson County says extra closings around New Year's Eve, the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve are typical. |
| Filing fee | $184.00 for an estate, testate or intestate, on Jackson County's Chancery Court Fees page, with fees effective as of January 1, 2020. The county says the total includes a $26.00 recording fee in the land records, also effective January 1, 2020. Muniment of title is $174.00 on the same page, effective January 1, 2020. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, sets the chancery clerk's fee for opening an estate at $85.00, plus $10.00 to the Comprehensive Electronic Court Systems Fund, $40.00 to the Judicial System Operation Fund and $5.00 to the Civil Legal Assistance Fund. Confirm the current amount with the clerk. |
| Attorney required | Yes for a full estate. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires an executor or administrator, as fiduciary, to retain an attorney unless the fiduciary is a Mississippi-licensed lawyer. The $75,000 small estate affidavit, effective July 1, 2020, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 needs no court filing and no attorney. |
| Local forms | Jackson County publishes no local estate petition form, small estate affidavit form or probate instruction sheet. Ask whether the statewide chancery clerk cover sheet must accompany the filing. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through Mississippi Electronic Courts. A person filing without counsel may hold a read-only public access account and may not file electronically. Every case, including an estate, is opened with a paper filing at the counter. See https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php. |
| Case search | Mississippi Electronic Courts and PAMEC are reached through https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php. Remote access needs a registered account. Filed civil documents may be viewed at the chancery clerk's office during business hours, with copy charges. Jackson County also links a chancery case index run by an outside records vendor. |
| Remote appearance | Set by the chancellor and by the practice of Mississippi's 16th Chancery Court District. Ask the chancery clerk at 228-769-3124. The district's annual term order is posted in the chancery clerk's office (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(2)). |
| Chancery court district | Mississippi's 16th Chancery Court District, with George and Greene counties. The case is filed at Jackson County's own courthouse in Pascagoula. |
| Website | https://www.co.jackson.ms.us/288/Chancery-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before anything is filed, identify the assets, debts, heirs, beneficiaries and how each account and parcel is titled. In Mississippi, that decides the estate settlement route: personal property of $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, can use the affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 after 30 days, effective July 1, 2020, a will plus Mississippi real property with all known debts paid may fit muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35, and most other estates need full administration in the Jackson County Chancery Court (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159).
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps build that picture before the first trip to Pascagoula. The local practical points are simple: the court filing counter is at 3104 Magnolia Street, not the Canty Street land records office, Jackson County's estate total is $184.00 on the county schedule effective January 1, 2020, and the county states that personal process and publication are paid by the filing party, separate from the filing fee under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Jackson County is filed with the Jackson County Chancery Clerk's Chancery Court Department at the Jackson County Courts Building, 3104 Magnolia Street in Pascagoula. Mississippi chancery court has jurisdiction over matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159), and a chancery court is held in each county (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1)). Jackson County shares Mississippi's 16th Chancery Court District with George and Greene counties, which is how chancellors are assigned, but the filing counter for a Jackson County estate is in Pascagoula.
The venue rules use the county of the decedent's fixed place of residence, and the two ladders differ. A will is proved and letters testamentary are granted by the chancery court of the county in which the testator had a fixed place of residence (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1). Letters of administration are granted by the chancery court of the county in which the intestate had a fixed place of residence at death, or if there was none, by the county where the intestate owned land, or if neither, by the county where the intestate died (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63). Communities served through the same Pascagoula counter include Pascagoula, Gautier, Moss Point, Ocean Springs, Vancleave and Escatawpa.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, asset information, debts, addresses for heirs and beneficiaries, and title information for any real property. If the whole probate estate is personal property of $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, and 30 days have passed, the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, is presented to the holder and needs no court filing. If there is a will and Mississippi real property, ask counsel about muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35.
- Retain a Mississippi attorney unless the executor or administrator is personally licensed to practice law in Mississippi. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires a fiduciary to retain an attorney for the appointment.
- The attorney prepares the petition. A petition to probate a will must attach a copy of the will as an exhibit (UCCR 6.15), and pleadings, accounts, inventories and reports filed by a fiduciary must be personally signed and sworn by the fiduciary (UCCR 6.14).
- File the paper petition at the Jackson County Chancery Clerk's Chancery Court Department, 3104 Magnolia Street, Jackson County Courts Building, Pascagoula. Ask whether the chancery clerk cover sheet must accompany the filing. The original will stays with the clerk (UCCR 9.03).
- Pay the court cost deposit with the filing (UCCR 9.01). Jackson County lists $184.00 for an estate, testate or intestate, with fees effective as of January 1, 2020, and says that amount includes a $26.00 land records recording charge, effective January 1, 2020. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for $140.00 in statutory lines, so call 228-769-3124 before filing to confirm the current amount.
- The chancery court, or the chancery clerk between terms subject to court approval, admits the will to probate and grants letters testamentary or letters of administration. The clerk's authority is in Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-141, and the clerk's act is not final until approved by the court under Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-147.
- Address bond if required (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-41), then administer the estate. The executor or administrator makes reasonably diligent efforts to identify creditors, mails notice, files the diligent-search affidavit, and then publishes the notice to creditors for three consecutive weeks (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-145). Jackson County states that personal process and publication are paid by the filing party.
- Creditors probate and register claims with the clerk. Claims not registered within 90 days after the first publication are barred (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-151).
- After assets are collected, debts and taxes are addressed, and any required accounting is complete, the attorney asks the chancellor for the final decree of distribution and discharge. Jackson County's term opens the first Monday of every month, so ask the clerk how a particular estate matter is set.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Jackson County
The Mississippi Judiciary links a statewide chancery clerk cover sheet and the Uniform Chancery Court Rules, but the petition itself is drafted by the attorney that Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires for a fiduciary. Jackson County does not publish a local estate petition form, small estate affidavit form or probate instruction sheet.
For a Jackson County filing, ask the Chancery Court Department at 228-769-3124 whether the cover sheet must accompany the paper filing and what payment form is accepted. If the case uses the $75,000 small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, remember that the affidavit is presented to the bank, employer or other holder of personal property, not filed with the Jackson County Chancery Clerk.
Fees
Jackson County publishes its own chancery fee table. It lists an estate, testate or intestate, at $184.00, with fees effective as of January 1, 2020, and says that total includes a $26.00 recording fee in the land records, also effective January 1, 2020. The same table lists muniment of title at $174.00, effective January 1, 2020.
The statutory anchor is different from the county's total. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, sets the chancery clerk's estate filing lines at $85.00, plus $10.00 to the Comprehensive Electronic Court Systems Fund, $40.00 to the Judicial System Operation Fund and $5.00 to the Civil Legal Assistance Fund, for $140.00 under that text. Jackson County's $184.00 total includes the $26.00 recording charge the county names, and the remaining $18.00 difference appears on the county schedule effective January 1, 2020, but the county does not itemize it. Call 228-769-3124 to confirm the current amount before filing.
Jackson County also states that all personal process and publication are paid by the attorney or party. That matches Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9(4), which allows the clerk to demand the actual charges for service and publication at the time of filing. The newspaper charge for publishing the notice to creditors is the newspaper's charge, not a court charge (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-145).
Timeline
- Jackson County chancery court term opens on the first Monday of every month. January through November terms run three weeks, and the December term runs two weeks.
- The annual term order is the place to check current term dates. Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(2) requires that order for a multi-county chancery court district and requires notice to be posted in the chancery clerk's office.
- Jackson County posts a standing chancery hearing schedule naming Courtroom D and recurring settings for two other types of matters during term. Estates are not listed on that standing schedule, so ask the chancery clerk how an estate matter is set.
- No local filing-to-hearing window or typical time to receive letters is published for Jackson County. Ask the Chancery Court Department at 228-769-3124 before making travel plans.
Local nuance
Jackson County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Two Pascagoula addresses | The chancery clerk's land records and administrative side are at 2915 Canty Street, Suite R. Estate filings go to the Chancery Court Department at 3104 Magnolia Street in the Jackson County Courts Building. Go to Magnolia Street with a petition. |
| Same building, different counter | The circuit clerk is also in the 3104 Magnolia Street building. Mississippi circuit courts do not hear probate; a will is proved and letters are granted in chancery court (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159; Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1; Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63). Ask for the Chancery Court Department. |
| Local fee structure | Jackson County's $184.00 estate total, effective January 1, 2020, includes a $26.00 land records recording charge, effective January 1, 2020. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for $140.00 in statutory lines, so confirm the current amount with the clerk. |
| Local scheduling information | Jackson County term opens the first Monday of every month. The county posts a standing hearing schedule for some chancery matters, but not a standing estate setting. The hearing date comes from the chancellor and the clerk. |
| Electronic access shortcut | Jackson County links the sign-in page for Mississippi's 16th Chancery Court District from its Chancery Court page. Public read-only access is PAMEC through https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php, and remote access needs a registered account. |
| Older estate files | The Jackson County Archives Department holds chancery court cases from 1875 to 1980 at 2915 Canty Street, Suite S, Pascagoula. For a recent file, call the Chancery Court Department. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Mississippi Electronic Courts | All chancery courts have been in Mississippi Electronic Courts since June 19, 2023, and the statewide rollout across trial courts finished on June 30, 2025. Attorneys file through MEC, public access is through PAMEC, and the hub is https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php. |
| Small estate affidavit and muniment of title | The small estate affidavit amount became $75,000, and the muniment of title procedure was rewritten, effective July 1, 2020 (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322; Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35). |
| Uniform Chancery Court Rules | The Uniform Chancery Court Rules were revised and amended effective April 18, 2024. Rule 6.02 is the rule requiring a fiduciary to retain an attorney unless the fiduciary is a Mississippi-licensed lawyer. |
| Legal aid intake | Mississippi's two legal aid providers took separate intake hotline numbers on January 1, 2026. Jackson County is served by Mississippi Center for Legal Services through the Gulfport office, and its intake number is 1-800-519-2915. Directory: mslegalservices.org. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Jackson County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with the deed. If survivorship keeps the home outside the estate and the remaining probate estate is personal property of $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, may settle the rest after 30 days with no court filing. If there is a will devising the home and all known debts are paid, muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35 may be the route, and the house itself does not count against the ceiling. Jackson County lists muniment of title at $174.00, effective January 1, 2020. | Sunset finds accounts, policies and property information before the family chooses the estate settlement path. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If 30 days have passed and the whole probate estate is personal property of $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, the Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 affidavit is handed to the bank or other holder, so no trip to Pascagoula is needed. If letters are needed, a Mississippi attorney is required by UCCR 6.02, and the petition is filed on paper at 3104 Magnolia Street. | Sunset helps identify whether letters are really needed, builds the packet and connects the family to a local probate attorney for the estate settlement. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | The § 91-7-322 affidavit cannot transfer the house. Depending on whether there is a will and whether all known debts are already paid, the path is muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35 or full administration in the Jackson County Chancery Court. Counsel is required for a fiduciary under UCCR 6.02. The chancellor fixes fiduciary compensation and attorney fees (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-299), and fees may not be based on the value of real property (UCCR 6.12(B)). Jackson County lists a full estate at $184.00, effective January 1, 2020, before separate process and publication charges. | Sunset assembles the asset and debt picture, helps generate the probate packet and connects the family with a vetted local probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson County Chancery Clerk, Chancery Court Department | Filing counter for Jackson County estate cases. Ask about the cover sheet, current amount due and how a matter is set. The office cannot give legal advice. | 3104 Magnolia Street, Pascagoula. 228-769-3124. https://www.co.jackson.ms.us/548/Chancery-Court-Department |
| Jackson County Chancery Court page | Explains what chancery court hears, lists the standing hearing schedule and links to the county fee page, case index and electronic access sign-in. | https://www.co.jackson.ms.us/288/Chancery-Court |
| Jackson County Chancery Court Fees | Lists local chancery filing charges, including the $184.00 estate line and $174.00 muniment of title line, each effective January 1, 2020, and says personal process and publication are paid by the filing party (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9). | https://www.co.jackson.ms.us/292/Chancery-Court-Fees |
| Mississippi Center for Legal Services, Gulfport office | The legal aid provider whose directory page names Jackson County. Check eligibility here first if counsel is unaffordable, understanding that it may not take estate administration matters. Intake hotline 1-800-519-2915. Directory: mslegalservices.org. | 520 E. Pass Rd Ste. J, Gulfport. 1-228-896-9148. https://www.mslegalservices.org/organization/mississippi-center-for-legal-services-gulfpor |
| mslegalservices.org | Statewide legal information site maintained by Mississippi's two legal aid providers, with a legal topic library, online legal forms and a directory searchable by service area. | https://www.mslegalservices.org/find-legal-help/directory/area |
| Mississippi Judiciary, Chancery Court page | Lists chancery court districts and links the statewide Chancery Clerk Cover Sheet. Do not rely on it as a completed estate petition. | https://courts.ms.gov/trialcourts/chancerycourt/chancerycourt.php |
| Mississippi Electronic Courts | Statewide case system. Attorneys file through MEC, and public read-only access is through PAMEC. Filed civil documents may be viewed at the clerk's office during business hours, with copy charges. Helpdesk 601-576-4650. | https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php |
| Electronic Court Public Access for Mississippi's 16th Chancery Court District | Sign-in page Jackson County links for district electronic access. Read-only registration is at pamecapps.mec.ms.gov/onlinereg. | https://sixteenth.chancery.mec.ms.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl |
| Jackson County Archives Department | Holds Jackson County chancery court cases from 1875 to 1980. Use this for a decades-old will or estate file. | 2915 Canty Street, Suite S, Pascagoula. 228-769-3415. https://www.co.jackson.ms.us/282/Archives |
When to hire an attorney
In a Jackson County full estate, counsel is a rule, not a preference. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02(A) requires every fiduciary, unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi, to retain an attorney or firm of attorneys for representation, advice and assistance during the entire appointment, and the chancellor fixes and approves the attorney's compensation under UCCR 6.02(B). The counterweight is the $75,000 small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020: it is presented to the holder of personal property, is not a court filing and needs no attorney. A family that cannot afford counsel should check eligibility with Mississippi Center for Legal Services at 1-800-519-2915 and mslegalservices.org, understanding that it may not take estate administration matters. Sunset connects the family to a vetted local probate attorney, which in Mississippi is the step the rules require.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify bank accounts, investments, insurance and other assets before the Jackson County estate settlement path is chosen.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset and family information into an organized probate packet that a Mississippi attorney can use to prepare the petition, cover sheet materials and supporting documents for the Jackson County Chancery Clerk.
Find a local probate attorney. Because Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires a fiduciary to retain an attorney unless the fiduciary is a Mississippi-licensed lawyer, Sunset's attorney connection is central to a Jackson County estate settlement.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the work, understand the next step and connect with help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Jackson County, Mississippi?
File with the Jackson County Chancery Clerk's Chancery Court Department at the Jackson County Courts Building, 3104 Magnolia Street, Pascagoula, MS 39567-4127. The phone number is 228-769-3124. Mail goes to P.O. Box 998, Pascagoula, MS 39568-0998, but call before mailing a petition. Jackson County is the Gulf Coast county seated in Pascagoula. Venue depends on the decedent's fixed place of residence under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1 for a will and Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63 for an intestate estate.
Is the Jackson County Chancery Clerk's office the same place as the land records office?
It is the same elected office, but two different Pascagoula buildings. Land records and the clerk's administrative office are at 2915 Canty Street, Suite R. Chancery court filings, including an estate, go to the Chancery Court Department at 3104 Magnolia Street. The circuit clerk is also in the Magnolia Street building, so ask for the Chancery Court Department. Mississippi circuit courts do not hear probate; a will is proved and letters are granted in chancery court (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159).
How much does it cost to open an estate in Jackson County?
Jackson County lists $184.00 for an estate, testate or intestate, effective January 1, 2020, and says that total includes a $26.00 recording fee in the land records, effective January 1, 2020. Muniment of title is $174.00, effective January 1, 2020. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for $140.00 through the $85.00 clerk fee plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 statutory assessments. Confirm the current amount with the chancery clerk before filing.
Do I need a lawyer to be executor in Jackson County?
Yes, for a full estate. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires an executor or administrator, as fiduciary, to retain an attorney unless the fiduciary is licensed to practice law in Mississippi. The exception that matters is the $75,000 small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, which is presented to the bank or other holder rather than filed with any court.
Can I file probate online in Jackson County?
A paper filing opens the estate at the chancery clerk's counter. Attorneys file later documents through Mississippi Electronic Courts, and a person filing without counsel may have read-only PAMEC access but may not file electronically. Jackson County links the sign-in page for Mississippi's 16th Chancery Court District, and the statewide hub is https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php.
Can I look up a Jackson County chancery court case?
Jackson County links a chancery case index, run by an outside records vendor rather than the court system, that can be searched by party name or case number. For a current case, use the electronic access sign-in for Mississippi's 16th Chancery Court District with a registered PAMEC account, or view filed civil documents at the chancery clerk's office during business hours. Start at https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php.
When does chancery court sit in Jackson County?
Chancery court term in Jackson County opens on the first Monday of every month. Terms run three weeks from January through November and two weeks in December. The county posts a standing schedule naming Courtroom D for certain chancery matters during term, but estates are not on that standing schedule. Ask the chancery clerk at 228-769-3124 how an estate matter is set. The annual term order is posted in the chancery clerk's office (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(2)).
Can I attend a Jackson County chancery hearing by phone or video?
Ask the chancery clerk. Whether phone or video attendance is allowed is set by the chancellor and by the practice of Mississippi's 16th Chancery Court District. Jackson County publishes no local rule on remote attendance. Call 228-769-3124 before making travel plans.
Does Jackson County have its own probate forms?
Jackson County publishes no local estate petition form, small estate affidavit form or probate instruction sheet. The Mississippi Judiciary links a chancery clerk cover sheet, and the Uniform Chancery Court Rules state filing requirements. Ask the chancery clerk whether the cover sheet must accompany your filing. The petition is drafted by the attorney required under UCCR 6.02.
I live out of state. Do I have to travel to Pascagoula?
Not always. If the whole probate estate is personal property of $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, and 30 days have passed, the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, is handed to the holder and does not require a courthouse trip. If letters testamentary or letters of administration are needed, the Mississippi attorney required by UCCR 6.02 files the paper petition in Pascagoula, and you should ask the clerk what your attendance will require (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-141; Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-147).
Where are old Jackson County wills and estate files?
The Jackson County Archives Department holds chancery court cases from 1875 to 1980 at 2915 Canty Street, Suite S, Pascagoula, phone 228-769-3415. For a more recent file, call the Chancery Court Department at 228-769-3124.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.