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Rankin County, MS Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Rankin County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Rankin County Chancery Court. Mississippi chancery courts handle matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). |
| Probate filings go to | Rankin County Chancery Clerk, Chancery Court Records Office, phone (601) 825-1649. |
| Chancery court district | Mississippi's 20th Chancery Court District covers Rankin County alone. Three chancellors sit for the district, and a Rankin County estate is filed in Brandon. |
| Courthouse address | Rankin County Chancery-Justice Center, 201 North Street, 2nd floor, Brandon, MS 39042. |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 700, Brandon, MS 39043. |
| Phone | (601) 825-1649 for the Chancery Court Records Office. The chancery clerk's land records and general office line is (601) 825-1469 at 211 East Government Street, Suite D. |
| Fax | (601) 824-7116 is published for the chancery clerk. Do not assume a filing can be sent by fax. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, as posted for the chancery clerk. Rankin County does not post separate hours for the Chancery Court Records Office, so call (601) 825-1649 before traveling, especially near a deadline. |
| Filing fee | Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for a $140.00 statutory floor: $85.00 for the chancery clerk, 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. Rankin County posts its own court records filing fee schedule effective January 1, 2020, and Mississippi counties publish totals above the floor, so call (601) 825-1649 for the current amount before writing the check. |
| Attorney required | Yes for a full estate. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires a fiduciary, unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi, to retain an attorney for the appointment. The $75,000 small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, needs no court filing and no attorney. |
| Local forms | Rankin County posts a small estate affidavit, a probate of claim form, a notice of change of address and a civil cover sheet on its chancery court page. The Mississippi Judiciary also links a statewide chancery clerk cover sheet. Ask the office which cover sheet it wants and whether any posted form is current. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through Mississippi Electronic Courts. A person without counsel may have read-only public access, but may not file electronically. Every estate is opened with a paper filing at the counter. Start at https://courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| Case search | Use Mississippi Electronic Courts and its public access component through https://courts.ms.gov/mec. Filed civil documents may be viewed at no charge at the chancery clerk's office during business hours, with copy charges if copies are needed. Remote access requires a public access account. Rankin County's own online database is for land records, not estate cases. |
| Remote appearance | Set by the chancellor and the practice of the 20th Chancery Court District. Ask the Chancery Court Records Office at (601) 825-1649 before assuming a phone or video appearance will be allowed. |
| Website | Rankin County chancery court page on rankincounty.org. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before choosing a Rankin County estate settlement path, identify the assets, debts, heirs, beneficiaries and how each account or parcel is titled. The Chancery Court Records Office in Brandon takes the filing and keeps the court file, but the office says its clerks cannot give legal advice, so the petition needs to arrive complete with the correct cover sheet and court cost deposit.
Sunset helps families start with a clearer asset picture by searching across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then organizes what is found so the attorney and family can choose the right estate settlement path for Rankin County.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Rankin County is filed with the Rankin County Chancery Clerk at the Chancery Court Records Office, 201 North Street, on the second floor of the Rankin County Chancery-Justice Center in Brandon. Mail goes to P.O. Box 700, Brandon, MS 39043.
The Brandon courthouse serves Rankin County, including communities such as Pearl, Flowood, Richland, Florence, Pelahatchie, Puckett and Star. Mississippi's 20th Chancery Court District covers Rankin County alone, which is how the chancellors are assigned; the case is still filed at this county's own courthouse in Brandon.
For venue, a will is proved and letters testamentary are granted by the chancery court of the county where the testator had a fixed place of residence (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1). Letters of administration for an intestate estate follow the separate venue ladder in Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63. Chancery court is held in every county (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1)). Mississippi circuit courts do not hear probate; a will is proved and letters are granted in the chancery court.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, asset information, debt information, names of heirs and beneficiaries, and title documents for real property before beginning the Rankin County estate settlement process.
- Choose the path. If the whole probate estate is $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, consists of personal property, and 30 days have passed, the small estate affidavit is presented to the bank, employer or other holder and is not filed with the court (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020). If there is a will, Mississippi real property, all known debts are paid, and the non-real, non-exempt probate estate is within the Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 sum, ask the attorney about muniment of title (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35). Otherwise, plan for full administration.
- Retain an attorney unless the executor or administrator is licensed to practice law in Mississippi. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires the fiduciary to retain an attorney during 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 fiduciary filings must be personally signed and sworn by the fiduciary (UCCR 6.14).
- File on paper with the Rankin County Chancery Clerk's Chancery Court Records Office at 201 North Street, 2nd floor, Brandon, MS 39042, or use P.O. Box 700, Brandon, MS 39043 for mail. Include the civil cover sheet the office wants and the court cost deposit required at filing (UCCR 9.01; Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027). The original will stays with the clerk (UCCR 9.03).
- The chancery court, or the chancery clerk in vacation, meaning between terms of court, subject to court approval, may take the proof of the will, admit it to probate in common form and grant letters testamentary or letters of administration (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 91-7-1, 91-7-63, 9-5-141). Nothing the clerk does is final until approved by the court (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-147).
- Address bond if the court or clerk requires it under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-41. Do not assume a waiver, amount or surety rule without advice from the attorney.
- After letters are granted, the executor or administrator makes reasonably diligent efforts to identify creditors, mails notice to known creditors, files the diligent-search affidavit, and then publishes the notice to creditors for three consecutive weeks (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-145).
- Creditors probate and register claims with the clerk, meaning they present and enter the claim in the estate file. Claims not registered within 90 days after the first publication are barred (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-151). Rankin County posts a probate of claim form for creditor use.
- The fiduciary, through counsel, administers assets, pays allowed debts and taxes, accounts as required, and seeks the final decree of distribution and discharge from the chancery court.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Rankin County
Mississippi does not provide a single statewide packet of petition templates for estates. The Mississippi Judiciary links a statewide chancery clerk cover sheet, and the Uniform Chancery Court Rules prescribe content requirements such as attaching a copy of the will to a petition to probate a will (UCCR 6.15) and having fiduciary filings personally signed and sworn (UCCR 6.14). In a full estate, the petition is drafted by the attorney required by Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02.
Rankin County posts several chancery court forms of its own: a small estate affidavit, a probate of claim form, a notice of change of address and a civil cover sheet. The posted civil cover sheet is an Administrative Office of Courts civil case filing form with a chancery court identifier and a probate nature-of-suit option. The small estate affidavit should be checked with the Chancery Court Records Office before use because the statutory ceiling is $75,000 under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, and the county's posted form should match current law.
The small estate affidavit is not filed with the chancery clerk. It is presented to the bank, employer, transfer agent or other holder of personal property under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020. Court petitions, including full administration and muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35, go to the Chancery Court Records Office at 201 North Street in Brandon.
Fees
Rankin County posts a court records filing fee schedule effective January 1, 2020, on its chancery court page, but the amount for opening an estate should be confirmed with the Chancery Court Records Office at (601) 825-1649 before payment.
The statutory anchor is Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027. It accounts for a $140.00 floor for opening an estate: $85.00 for the chancery clerk, $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. Mississippi counties publish totals above that floor, so do not rely on another county's number for Rankin County.
Uniform Chancery Court Rule 9.01 requires the court cost deposit to be made with the petition. Publication and service are separate: Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9(4), text effective until December 31, 2027, allows the clerk to demand actual publication or service charges at filing if the filer wants the clerk to pay those costs. The newspaper charge belongs to the newspaper, not to the court.
Local nuance
Rankin County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Rankin County estate |
|---|---|
| Two counters | The Rankin County Chancery Clerk keeps land records at the Courthouse Annex, 211 East Government Street, Suite D, phone (601) 825-1469. Estate filings go to the Chancery Court Records Office at 201 North Street, 2nd floor, phone (601) 825-1649. |
| Transposed phone numbers | The land records and court records numbers differ only by a transposition in the last four digits. For anything involving an estate filing, use (601) 825-1649. |
| One mailing address | Both chancery clerk counters use P.O. Box 700, Brandon, MS 39043 for mail. The walk-in estate counter is at 201 North Street, Brandon, MS 39042. |
| Different office from the circuit clerk | The circuit clerk in Brandon handles items such as juries, marriage licenses, voter registration and that office's own court files. Estates are handled in the chancery court, not through the circuit clerk. |
| County-posted forms | Rankin County posts a small estate affidavit, probate of claim form, notice of change of address and civil cover sheet. Ask the Chancery Court Records Office which cover sheet it wants and whether the form version you plan to use is current. |
| Single-county court calendar rule | The 20th Chancery Court District consists of Rankin County alone. Chancery court in a single-county district is held on the same dates state agencies and political subdivisions are open for business, excluding legal holidays (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1)). That does not set a hearing date for a particular estate. |
| Land records database | Rankin County's online database is for deeds and land records. To follow an estate case, use https://courts.ms.gov/mec or view filed civil documents at the chancery clerk's office during business hours. |
| Older case numbers | The county links a legacy case-number cross-reference tool and tells users to call (601) 825-1649 if an identifier is not found. For older Rankin County chancery case numbers, call the Chancery Court Records Office. |
| Clerks cannot advise | The Chancery Court Records Office takes filings and keeps the file, but it cannot provide legal advice. For a full estate, Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires the fiduciary to retain an attorney. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| June 19, 2023 | All Mississippi chancery courts, including the Rankin County Chancery Court, were on Mississippi Electronic Courts. The statewide rollout across Mississippi trial courts was completed June 30, 2025. Start at https://courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| July 1, 2020 | The small estate affidavit ceiling became $75,000 under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, and the muniment of title procedure was revised under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. |
| April 18, 2024 | The Uniform Chancery Court Rules were revised and amended effective April 18, 2024, including rules that govern fiduciary matters. |
| January 1, 2026 | Mississippi's two civil legal services providers began using separate intake hotline numbers. Mississippi Center for Legal Services, which serves Rankin County, uses 1-800-519-2915. The statewide legal information site is mslegalservices.org. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Rankin County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with the deed. If the home passes outside the estate and the remaining probate assets are personal property within the $75,000 ceiling under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, and 30 days have passed, the affidavit may settle the rest without a court filing. If a will devises the home and all known debts are paid, ask counsel about muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35; the house itself does not count against that route's ceiling. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title questions before the family pays to open a court estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the entire probate estate is $75,000 or less in personal property, excluding liens and encumbrances, and 30 days have passed, the affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, is handed to the bank, employer or other holder and is not filed in Brandon. If letters are needed, a Mississippi attorney is required under Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02, and the paper filing goes to 201 North Street or P.O. Box 700 in Brandon. | Sunset can organize asset information for the affidavit decision and, if court authority is needed, help prepare the packet for attorney review. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate when a home must be sold | The Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 affidavit cannot transfer the house. If there is a will and all known debts are paid, muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35 may be the path. Otherwise, full administration is usually needed through the Rankin County Chancery Court, with counsel required under Uniform Chancery Court Rule 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)). | Sunset helps locate financial accounts, organize real property information and connect the family with a local probate attorney for the required court filing. |
Self-help resources
Rankin County does not publish a probate clinic or self-help center for estate filings. Use the Chancery Court Records Office for filing logistics, not legal advice, and use an attorney for a full estate because Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires a fiduciary to retain counsel.
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Rankin County Chancery Court Records Office | 201 North Street, 2nd floor, Brandon, MS 39042. Mail to P.O. Box 700, Brandon, MS 39043. Phone (601) 825-1649. This is the counter that takes estate filings and keeps chancery court files. |
| Rankin County Chancery Clerk | Courthouse Annex, 211 East Government Street, Suite D, Brandon, MS 39042. Phone (601) 825-1469. Fax (601) 824-7116. This is the same elected office, but this counter is the land records and general office counter. |
| Rankin County chancery court forms | The chancery court page on rankincounty.org posts the county's small estate affidavit, probate of claim form, notice of change of address, civil cover sheet and court records filing fee schedule. Call (601) 825-1649 to confirm the current version and current amount. |
| Mississippi Judiciary chancery court page | https://courts.ms.gov/trialcourts/chancerycourt/chancerycourt.php lists Mississippi chancery court districts and links the statewide chancery clerk cover sheet. |
| Uniform Chancery Court Rules | These rules govern Mississippi fiduciary matters. They include the attorney requirement in UCCR 6.02, the will exhibit rule in UCCR 6.15, sworn fiduciary filings in UCCR 6.14, the court cost deposit rule in UCCR 9.01 and original wills in the clerk's custody under UCCR 9.03. |
| Mississippi Electronic Courts and public access | Start at https://courts.ms.gov/mec. Attorneys file through MEC. Public read-only access is through PAMEC, and remote access requires an account. Filed civil documents may be viewed at the chancery clerk's office during business hours, with copy charges for copies. Helpdesk: [email protected] or 601-576-4650. |
| mslegalservices.org | The statewide public legal information site maintained by Mississippi's two civil legal services providers. It includes a legal topic library, online legal forms and a directory by service area at https://www.mslegalservices.org/find-legal-help/directory/area. |
| Mississippi Center for Legal Services | The provider serving Rankin County. Intake hotline: 1-800-519-2915. The Jackson office is at 414 South State Street, The Dixie Building, Third Floor, Jackson, MS 39205, phone 601-948-6752. It is a place to check eligibility, not a promise that an estate matter will be accepted. |
When to hire an attorney
In Mississippi, attorney involvement in a full estate is a rule, not a suggestion. 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 appointment, and the chancellor fixes the attorney's fee. The counterweight is the $75,000 small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020: it is not a court filing, creates no fiduciary appointment and needs no attorney. A Rankin County family that cannot afford counsel should check eligibility with Mississippi Center for Legal Services at 1-800-519-2915 and mslegalservices.org first, while understanding that it may not take estate matters. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps organize what is found, so the family and attorney can see whether Rankin County estate settlement requires court authority or can use a non-court affidavit path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps assemble asset details, debts, family information, court contacts and local filing notes into an organized packet for the Mississippi attorney who prepares the petition and files it with the Rankin County Chancery Clerk.
Find a local probate attorney. Because Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires a fiduciary to retain counsel for a full estate, Sunset helps families connect with a vetted attorney familiar with Mississippi chancery practice and Rankin County filing logistics.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset gives families a central place to start estate settlement, understand what has to be gathered and decide what professional help is needed, without charging families for the platform.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Rankin County?
File a court estate with the Rankin County Chancery Clerk's Chancery Court Records Office at the Rankin County Chancery-Justice Center, 201 North Street, 2nd floor, Brandon, MS 39042. Mississippi chancery courts handle matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159).
Is the estate filed at East Government Street or at the Chancery-Justice Center?
Use the Chancery-Justice Center at 201 North Street for estate filings. The East Government Street address is the chancery clerk's land records and general office counter. The estate filing phone is (601) 825-1649.
Do I file with the chancery clerk or the circuit clerk in Rankin County?
Use the chancery clerk. Mississippi circuit courts do not hear probate; a will is proved and letters are granted in the chancery court. The chancery clerk may take proof of a will, admit it in common form and grant letters, subject to court approval (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 9-5-141, 9-5-147).
What does it cost to open an estate in Rankin County?
Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for a $140.00 floor: $85.00 for the chancery clerk plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 statutory assessments. Rankin County posts its own court records filing fee schedule effective January 1, 2020, and county totals can be above the floor, so call (601) 825-1649 for the current amount.
When is the chancery clerk's office in Brandon open?
The chancery clerk posts Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Rankin County does not post separate hours for the Chancery Court Records Office at 201 North Street, so call (601) 825-1649 before traveling.
Do I need a lawyer to settle an estate in Mississippi?
For a full estate, yes, unless the fiduciary is licensed to practice law in Mississippi. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires the fiduciary to retain an attorney. The $75,000 small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, is different because it is not filed in court and needs no attorney.
Can I file the estate paperwork online in Rankin County?
No for a person without counsel. Attorneys file through Mississippi Electronic Courts, but every estate starts with a paper filing at the chancery clerk's counter, and a person without counsel may not file electronically. Public access information starts at https://courts.ms.gov/mec.
How do I look up a Rankin County estate case?
Use Mississippi Electronic Courts and public access through https://courts.ms.gov/mec, or view filed civil documents at the chancery clerk's office during business hours. Remote access requires an account and may involve fees. Rankin County's own online database is for land records, not estate cases.
Does Rankin County have its own probate forms?
Rankin County posts a small estate affidavit, probate of claim form, notice of change of address and civil cover sheet on its chancery court page. The petition for a full estate is prepared by the attorney required under Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02. Check with the Chancery Court Records Office before relying on any posted form.
Will I have to travel to Brandon?
The small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, is presented to the holder of personal property and is not filed at the courthouse. If a court estate is needed, the paper filing goes to Brandon, and your attorney can ask the Chancery Court Records Office how a hearing appearance is handled in the 20th Chancery Court District.
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.