How to Search Lowndes County Court Records
There is no single free search that covers every Lowndes County court at once. Lowndes County records are split by court and by record type. The Circuit Clerk holds Circuit, County, and Youth court files, plus the judgment roll and marriage licenses. The Chancery Clerk holds divorce, estate, land, and board records. Justice Court and Columbus Municipal Court keep their own citation and misdemeanor files. So the search starts with one question. Which court would have heard the case?
Gather a few details before you begin. A full party name helps. A case number helps more. The filing year and the type of case narrow the field fast. Remember one rule above all. The paper file at the courthouse is the official record, and any online index is only a starting point.
- Identify the court. Felonies and large civil suits go to Circuit Court. Divorce, custody, and estates go to Chancery Court. Mid-size civil and lower-court appeals go to County Court. Small claims, county misdemeanors, and citations go to Justice Court.
- Use the Circuit Clerk online portal for Circuit, County, judgment, and marriage records through Delta Computer Systems.
- Use the Chancery Clerk channels for divorce, probate, and land records, including the DuProcess land index.
- Check Mississippi Electronic Courts and its public side, PAMEC, for e-filed cases from recent years.
- Call or visit the clerk to confirm a result and to buy a certified copy when you need one for legal use.
The county government website ties these offices together in one place, as shown on the official Lowndes County home page.
From that hub a researcher can reach the Circuit Clerk, the Chancery Clerk, and each court page within a few clicks.
The Lowndes County Judicial System
Mississippi places the Supreme Court at the top. The Court of Appeals decides cases the Supreme Court assigns to it. Below those sit the trial courts that serve Lowndes County every day. Circuit Court and Chancery Court are courts of record. County Court, Justice Court, Youth Court, and Columbus Municipal Court handle the high volume of local matters. Lowndes County falls in the 16th Circuit Court District and the 14th Chancery Court District.
Circuit Court tries felony criminal cases and civil suits of $200,000 and above. It also reviews appeals from the lower courts and county boards. Chancery Court is a separate court of equity, and chancellors usually hear those cases without a jury. County Court takes mid-range civil cases and appeals from Justice and Municipal courts. Cases move up a clear ladder when a party appeals.
Case flow: Justice Court › County Court › Circuit Court › Court of Appeals
| Court | Local Office | Judges or Officials | Handles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court, 16th District | 505 2nd Ave. N, Columbus; 662-329-5900 | James T. Kitchens, Lee "Jay" Howard, Michelle Easterling | Felonies, civil over $200,000, appeals from lower courts |
| Chancery Court, 14th District | 505 2nd Ave. N, Columbus; 662-329-5844 | Paula Drungole-Ellis, Joseph N. Studdard, Rodney P. Faver | Divorce, custody, estates, land title, commitments |
| County Court | 505 2nd Ave. N, Columbus; 662-329-5900 | Allison Kizer | Civil $3,500 to $200,000, appeals, eminent domain, Youth Court |
| Justice Court | 309 S MLK Jr. Dr., Columbus; 662-329-5929 | Chris Hemphill, Ron Cooke, Peggy Phillips | Civil up to $3,500, county misdemeanors, citations, warrants |
| Youth Court | 1602 College St., Columbus; 662-245-4610 | Allison Kizer | Delinquency, neglect, and abuse cases; records are confidential |
| Columbus Municipal Court | City of Columbus Court Division; 662-370-2399 | City municipal judge | City traffic, ordinances, and city misdemeanors |
Comparing Lowndes County Court Types
The law courts in Lowndes County split civil cases by dollar amount. Lowndes County courts also split criminal cases by severity. A small debt claim, a mid-size contract dispute, and a felony each land in a different court. The table below lines up the three main trial courts on the law side. Chancery Court runs on a separate equity track for family, estate, and property cases.
| Feature | Circuit Court | County Court | Justice Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil amount | Over $200,000 | $3,500 to $200,000 | Up to $3,500 |
| Criminal role | Tries felonies | Hears criminal appeals from lower courts | County misdemeanors and felony preliminaries |
| Appeals from | County, Justice, Municipal courts and boards | Justice and Municipal courts | None; it is a court of first instance |
| Jury | Yes | Yes | Yes for many cases |
| Clerk | Circuit Clerk | Circuit Clerk | Justice Court Clerk |
The county groups all of these offices on a single overview page, linked here at the Lowndes County Courts directory.
That directory points to each court page so a user can confirm the right venue before filing or searching.
Lowndes County Courthouses and Court Offices
The Lowndes County Courthouse stands at 505 2nd Avenue North in downtown Columbus. It houses the Circuit Clerk, the Chancery Clerk, and the courtrooms for Circuit, Chancery, and County court. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Two other courts sit nearby but not in the main building. Justice Court is on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Youth Court is on College Street. Each office keeps its own phone line and record set.
The Circuit Clerk, Teresa Barksdale, also serves as voter registrar and issues marriage licenses. The Chancery Clerk, Cindy Goode, records deeds and land instruments and serves as Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. A photo and address detail for the building appear on the county courthouse facility page.
That same building has held county court records and clerk files for generations of Columbus residents.
Types of Court Records Available in Lowndes County
Lowndes County courts create many kinds of records. The court that hears a case is the court that keeps the file. Civil files split across Circuit, County, and Justice court by dollar amount. Criminal files run from city tickets up to felony trials. Family and estate matters live in Chancery Court. Some files, such as youth and adoption records, stay closed by law.
The list below groups the main Lowndes County record types and points to the court behind each one.
- Criminal records - Felony files in Circuit Court; misdemeanors in Justice and Municipal court; charges, pleas, and sentencing entries.
- Civil records - Complaints, answers, motions, orders, and judgments across Circuit, County, and Justice court.
- Family and divorce records - Divorce, custody, support, and alimony files in Chancery Court.
- Probate and estate records - Wills, estates, guardianships, and conservatorships in Chancery Court.
- Traffic records - Citations and city traffic cases in Justice Court and Columbus Municipal Court.
The Circuit Clerk also maintains the judgment roll, the running record of civil judgments in the county. Land instruments, liens, and UCC filings belong to the Chancery Clerk. Note: Youth Court delinquency files are confidential and are not part of the public criminal record set.
What Lowndes County Court Records Show
A Lowndes County court record tells the story of a case from start to finish. The exact fields change by court and by record type. Most files share a common backbone, though. They name the court and case number. They list the parties and their lawyers. They track each filing and hearing through to the final order. The table below maps the fields a searcher meets most often.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The unique court file number used to pull the record |
| Filing Date | The date the clerk accepted the first document or charge |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or petitioner and respondent, plus attorneys |
| Nature of Action or Charge | The case category, such as divorce, debt, or a named criminal charge |
| Docket Entries | The list of motions, orders, hearings, and continuances |
| Disposition | The final outcome, such as dismissed, settled, plea, or judgment |
| Sentence or Judgment | The penalty, money owed, or relief the court ordered |
Online indexes do not always show every field. The county systems redact sensitive items in many record types, such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, and account numbers. For the full and certified file, the clerk at the courthouse remains the source.
Searching the Circuit Clerk Online Portal
The Lowndes County Circuit Clerk posts records through Delta Computer Systems. The portal groups records into four sets. Civil Court, Criminal Court, Judgment Roll, and Marriage License each open from the main menu. Access is subscription based. The cost is $30 per month or $360 per year, and that price includes a small monthly Delta processing fee. The portal is an index tool. Official copies still come from the courthouse.
| Field or Control | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription login | Yes, for record access | Create an account, pay by card, then log in |
| Civil Court | Choose a group | Cases 1993 to present; images 2008 to present |
| Criminal Court | Choose a group | Cases 1993 to present; images September 2010 to present |
| Judgment Roll | Choose a group | 1993 to present; images 2008 to present |
| Marriage License | Choose a group | 1991 to present; no images |
The county Circuit Clerk page links straight to the Delta Circuit Clerk search portal. For chancery cases and land records, the Chancery Clerk runs separate channels, including the DuProcess land records inquiry. Statewide e-filed cases route through Mississippi Electronic Courts, where Lowndes Circuit and County courts went live on July 24, 2023.
Public Access Laws for Lowndes County Court Records
Mississippi treats government records as open by default. The Public Records Act sets that rule, and the Mississippi Ethics Commission handles complaints about denied access. Court records follow the open-records baseline, but several court rules and statutes pull specific files out of public view. Youth files stay closed. Adoption and mental-health files stay closed. Sealed and expunged records drop out of public access by court order. The practical rule in Lowndes County is simple. Ask the office that keeps the record.
Key Statutes and Authorities:
Mississippi Code § 25-61-1 - Mississippi public records are open for inspection unless a specific law makes them exempt.
Mississippi Code § 99-19-71 - Eligible criminal charges or convictions may be expunged by petition to the court where the case was decided.
Mississippi Code § 43-21-251 - Youth Court records stay confidential except where the youth-court statutes allow release.
For a formal request, the county runs a public records request page, and the Ethics Commission public records resource explains the access framework. Court records in the state e-filing system can also be viewed through PAMEC registration, which charges a small annual fee and a per-page charge for search results.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every Lowndes County court file is open. Youth Court records cover children in need of supervision, delinquent children, and abused or neglected children. State law keeps those files confidential. Adoption files in Chancery Court are a closed family-law category. Mental-health and commitment cases can hold medical detail and are not a normal public lookup. Public systems also redact personal identifiers across many record types.
A person can sometimes gain access to a restricted record, but only through the right path. That usually means a court order or a statutory right to the file. Expunction is the formal way to remove an eligible record from public view. The petition goes to the court that decided the case, such as Circuit Court for a felony or Municipal Court for a city charge. After a judge signs an expunction order, the order is sent to the clerk, the sheriff, and the agencies that hold the record so each one can clear it.
Specialty Courts in Lowndes County
Lowndes County criminal cases do not always run straight from charge to sentence. The 16th Circuit District operates a structured Drug Court, also called an intervention court. It serves drug-using offenders through close supervision, drug testing, treatment, and a mix of sanctions and incentives. The program covers Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay, and Noxubee counties. A case routed into drug court may show review hearings, sanctions, and graduation events instead of a simple conviction timeline.
The 16th District Attorney also runs a Pretrial Intervention Program. Some offenders may qualify and must submit an application for review. A defendant who completes the program may earn dismissal or record relief. Youth Court is a third specialized function, run as a division of County Court. It was established in 1996 and deals with persons under 18, and Mississippi law requires minors to have an attorney in formal proceedings. Details on these programs appear on the 16th District Drug Court page and the District Attorney forms page.
Lowndes County Sheriff and Jail Records
The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office and the Adult Detention Center share a campus at 527 South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Columbus. The main phone line is 662-328-6788. Sheriff Hawkins leads the agency. The office publishes a current inmate roster and a Most Wanted list through its mobile app and website, which pull from VINE custody data. The app also carries Submit A Tip, sex-offender search, and visitation and canteen links.
The roster shows names, booking dates, and demographics, though it does not always display charges or bond in every listing. For the full booking detail and search steps, see the Lowndes County inmate records page, and for active warrants and the Most Wanted feed, see the warrant records page. Sentenced state prisoners are tracked separately through the Mississippi Department of Corrections, not the county roster.
Cities, Towns, and Court Jurisdiction in Lowndes County
Where a violation happens decides which court hears it. Columbus is the county seat and largest city. The county also includes the towns of Artesia, Caledonia, and Crawford, plus the communities of Columbus Air Force Base and New Hope. A case inside Columbus city limits often goes to Columbus Municipal Court. A county matter outside the city, or a highway patrol or wildlife citation, goes to Justice Court.
The county lists its municipalities and communities on the Cities, Towns, and Communities page.
Knowing the city or community of a case helps a searcher pick the correct court and clerk on the first try.
Lowndes County was created on January 30, 1830 from Monroe County, and it remains a center of the Golden Triangle region. Population and demographic context for the county appears in the Census QuickFacts profile.
That population base drives the steady flow of civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases through the county courts.
Marriage, Divorce, and Chancery Court Records
Marriage licenses come from the Circuit Clerk, not the Chancery Clerk. Both applicants must appear in person at Room 260. The fee is $37, cash only, in correct change, and applications are taken from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Divorce is different. Divorce, custody, and support cases all run through Chancery Court and the Chancery Clerk. Estate and guardianship cases run there too. For a deeper walkthrough, see the marriage and divorce records page and the Chancery Court probate records page.
- Testator
- A person who leaves a valid will at death.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out the terms of a will.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will, so state law sets the heirs.
- Conservator
- A person appointed to manage the finances of someone unable to do so.
- Guardian
- A person appointed to make decisions for a minor or incapacitated person.
Lowndes County Court Records Fees
Lowndes County court fees vary by office and by the kind of access a person needs. Online subscriptions cost the same at both the Circuit and Chancery clerk through Delta. A marriage license carries a flat cash fee. The state e-filing system charges a small registration fee and a per-page charge. The table below lists the fees the research confirms for Lowndes County and the connected state systems.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Circuit Clerk online subscription (Delta) | $30 per month or $360 per year |
| Chancery and land records subscription (Delta) | $30 per month or $360 per year |
| Marriage license | $37, cash only, correct change |
| PAMEC annual registration | $10 per year |
| PAMEC per-page search charge | $0.20 per page |
| State certified driving record (online) | $14.31 |
Certified copies of court files come from the clerk at the courthouse. Note: online index access does not include a certified copy, which must be ordered from the office that holds the record.
Legal Terms Used in Lowndes County Court Records
Lowndes County court files use words that carry exact meanings. A reader who knows the terms can scan a Lowndes County docket with ease. The short glossary below defines the terms that show up most across civil and criminal files. Each one points to a real event or party in the record.
- Plaintiff
- The person or entity that brings a civil claim.
- Defendant
- The person sued in a civil case or accused in a criminal case.
- Disposition
- The final outcome of a case or a single charge.
- Judgment roll
- The Circuit Clerk record of civil judgments in the county.
- Capias or bench warrant
- A warrant a court issues, often for a missed hearing.
- Nature of action
- The chancery case category, such as divorce, estate, or injunction.
- Expunction
- The court process that removes an eligible record from public access.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online Lowndes County court indexes can lag behind the courthouse. The Delta and DuProcess systems both warn that their data is informational and may not match the official file. The DuProcess land index updates daily, except on weekends and holidays. Indexing errors happen too, in names, dates, and legal descriptions. So a clean online search does not always mean a clean record, and a missing online entry does not always mean no case exists.
Note: Always confirm a court result with the clerk that holds the file before you rely on it, since the courthouse record controls over any online index.
History of the Lowndes County Courts
The present Lowndes County Courthouse dates to 1847. Its story runs through the Civil War. After Jackson fell to Union forces, the Mississippi Legislature met in this very building. Local architect James Lull is credited with the original design, and R.H. Hunt led an early-1900s remodel. Sources place that remodel at 1903 and 1905. The building still serves Circuit, Chancery, and County court today, which ties modern records to files more than a century old.
Visit Columbus treats the courthouse as a historic landmark in the city's downtown, as shown on the Visit Columbus courthouse page.
The county court system has kept growing in the modern era. Youth Court was established in 1996, and Mississippi Electronic Courts reached Lowndes Circuit and County courts in 2023.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History documents the building's construction and remodel dates in its property file, available on the MDAH courthouse property facts page.
For older files, the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library keeps court and probate indexes that reach back to the early 1800s, with original case files held in the Billups-Garth Archives.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Lowndes County court records online?
Start by naming the court. The Circuit Clerk posts Circuit, County, judgment, and marriage records through the Delta Computer Systems portal, which is subscription based. Chancery, divorce, and land records run through the Chancery Clerk channels, including DuProcess. Statewide e-filed cases appear in Mississippi Electronic Courts and its public side, PAMEC. Each system is an index, so confirm any result with the clerk before you rely on it.
Is the Lowndes County online court search free?
No. The Circuit Clerk and Chancery Clerk portals run through Delta Computer Systems on a subscription. The cost is $30 per month or $360 per year. PAMEC charges a $10 yearly registration and $0.20 per page returned in a search. Viewing records in person at the clerk office during business hours is free, though copies carry a fee.
Where is the Lowndes County Courthouse?
The courthouse sits at 505 2nd Avenue North in downtown Columbus, MS 39701. It is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The building holds the Circuit Clerk, the Chancery Clerk, and courtrooms for Circuit, Chancery, and County court. Justice Court and Youth Court sit at separate addresses in Columbus.
How do I get a marriage license in Lowndes County?
Both applicants apply in person at the Circuit Clerk, Room 260. Each must bring official proof of age. The fee is $37 in cash, with correct change. Applications are accepted from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Applicants under 21 need parent or guardian consent, and a court order applies in limited younger-age cases.
Which court handles divorce in Lowndes County?
Chancery Court handles divorce, along with custody, support, alimony, and property division. The Chancery Clerk keeps those files. Some divorce records may carry redactions to protect minor children, financial identifiers, or abuse details. For official or certified copies, contact the Chancery Clerk at 662-329-5800.
Are Lowndes County criminal records public?
Most adult criminal records are open under the Mississippi Public Records Act. Felony files sit in Circuit Court, while misdemeanors sit in Justice and Municipal court. Youth Court files are confidential by law. Sealed and expunged records drop out of public access by court order. A certified copy comes from the clerk that holds the case.
How do I find out if someone is in the Lowndes County jail?
The Sheriff's Office publishes an inmate roster through its mobile app and website, drawn from VINE custody data. You can also call the Adult Detention Center at 662-328-6788. State prisoners are tracked through the Mississippi Department of Corrections inmate search instead. The inmate records page covers the roster and booking detail in full.