About the Rankin County Chancery Clerk
Mark S. Scarborough serves as the Rankin County Chancery Clerk. The county runs two clerk offices, not one. The Circuit Clerk keeps Circuit Court and County Court files along with marriage records. The Chancery Clerk keeps Chancery Court records, land records, and the official records index. Each office holds its own files. A request sent to the wrong office gets routed back. Three chief deputies lead the busiest work areas. Amie Mondello leads Senior Services. David Morrow III leads Court Records. Jessica Flood leads Land Records. The staff records new documents, builds the index, collects delinquent taxes, and helps the public pull recorded instruments.
The office works from the Courthouse Annex in downtown Brandon. Walk-in visitors come for copies, searches, recording, and passports. Mail reaches the office at a separate post office box.
Rankin County Chancery Clerk
Chancery Clerk: Mark S. Scarborough
Courthouse Annex, 211 E Government St, Suite D
Brandon, MS 39042
Mailing: P.O. Box 700, Brandon, MS 39043
601-825-1469
Fax: 601-824-7116
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What the Rankin County Chancery Clerk Handles
The Chancery Clerk wears several hats. Most of the work centers on land and official records. Anyone recording a deed or mortgage in Rankin County files it here. The office stamps each document, gives it a place in the index, and stores the image. It also backs the Chancery Court, where chancellors hear equity cases. Estates, divorces, guardianships, and land disputes all move through that court, and the clerk keeps the paperwork. The full case files for those Chancery Court matters trace back to this office.
Core duties include the following.
- Recording deeds, deeds of trust, liens, releases, and plats
- Maintaining the official records index for the public
- Supporting Chancery Court estate, divorce, and guardianship files
- Collecting delinquent property taxes and handling land redemption
- Processing United States passport applications
- Answering public information requests for records it controls
Marriage licenses and Circuit Court case files are not kept here. Those go to the Rankin County Circuit Clerk instead.
Note: Each Rankin County clerk covers only its own records, so confirm which office holds a file before you call or visit.
Rankin County Land and Official Records
Land and official records sit at the heart of this office. Deeds show who owns property. Deeds of trust show who holds a mortgage. Liens, releases, easements, and plats round out the file. The Chancery Clerk records each instrument and lists it in the official records index. Title searchers, lenders, heirs, and buyers all lean on that index. The office opens a free online window into it through the Official Records Inquiry.
The online system lets you search by party name or by instrument data. After you run a search, a grid of matches appears. Click a row to open the detail screen. That screen shows the parties and the instrument data. Associated record images display to the right of the data. You can step back to your criteria or your result set from the side column. The system covers a broad span of recorded documents and their scanned pages.
The index reaches well beyond plain deeds. Deeds of trust, assignments, releases, powers of attorney, judgments, oil and gas leases, and subdivision plats all appear in it. A grantor and grantee name marks each side of a transfer. That naming convention lets a searcher trace a chain of title across many years. The same database also feeds the public-facing land-record link on the office page.
Important. The online inquiry is offered for convenience, but only the Official Records Index inside the Chancery Clerk's office is the official index. For Oil and Gas Books dated 1974 to 2003, add "011" after the book number when you search, so Book 117 becomes 117011.
How to Search Rankin County Official Records
A search runs much the same way for most users. Start with a name if you do not have an instrument number. Switch to instrument or book and page if you do. The portal accepts both paths.
- Open the Official Records Inquiry in a web browser.
- Pick a search mode: Search All, Grantor, Grantee, or Matched Name.
- Type a full name, or enter an instrument number, book, and page.
- Add a date range or a legal description to narrow broad results.
- Click Search and review the grid of matches.
- Select a row to open party data, instrument data, and document images.
For a certified copy, note the book and page or the instrument number, then contact the office. A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and stands up in legal matters. An uncertified printout from the online index does not.
Rankin County Official Records Search Fields
The inquiry form offers many fields, and most are optional. You can search on a name alone or stack several criteria for a tighter result. The table below lists the main search fields and how they behave.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search All / Grantor / Grantee / Matched Name | Mode toggle | Optional | Primary person-name search mode |
| Full Name | Text | Optional | Named person to match |
| Begin Date | Date | Optional | Date-range lower limit |
| End Date | Date | Optional | Date-range upper limit |
| Recently Filed | Quick filter | Optional | Last 7, Last 30, or Last 90 days |
| Instrument # | Text | Optional | Recorded instrument number |
| Volume | Dropdown | Optional | Defaults to All Books |
| Recording Location | Dropdown | Optional | Defaults to All Locations |
| Instrument Type | Dropdown | Optional | Defaults to All Types |
| Book | Text | Optional | Oil and Gas Books 1974 to 2003 add "011" after the number |
| Page | Text | Optional | Page number, with a greater-than option |
| Legal Desc. | Text | Optional | Legal description keyword |
| Parcel ID | Text | Optional | Parcel identifier |
| Consideration Value | Number | Optional | Consideration amount filter |
| Plat / Subdivision | Dropdown | Optional | Defaults to All Plats |
| Block / Lot / Section / Township / Range | Text | Optional | Legal location criteria |
| Street / Number / PPIN / Patent Number | Text | Optional | Address and parcel criteria |
Recording Requirements in Rankin County
Recording puts a document on the public record. The Chancery Clerk handles that step for Rankin County. The county's recording page sets a clear timeline. Documents are recorded when they are received. They become available for public viewing the next day. So a deed filed today shows up in the index tomorrow.
The office also supports e-recording. Submitters send documents electronically through approved vendors rather than mailing paper. E-recording speeds the process for title companies and frequent filers. It also cuts the wait that comes with mail.
Note: Because a recorded document appears in the public index the next day, allow a short gap before a fresh deed or release shows up in an online search.
Rankin County Chancery Clerk Fees
Several services carry a fee. Recording, copies, and certified copies each have a set charge. The Chancery Court also publishes a schedule titled "Filing Fees for Court Records - Effective January 1, 2020." The exact dollar amounts for these items were not captured here, so confirm each one with the office before you pay.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Recording a land instrument | Confirm current amount with the Chancery Clerk |
| Certified copy of a recorded instrument | Confirm current amount with the Chancery Clerk |
| Plain copy per page | Confirm current amount with the Chancery Clerk |
| Official records search | Confirm current amount with the Chancery Clerk |
| E-recording | Confirm current amount with the Chancery Clerk |
| Chancery Court filing fee for court records | Confirm current amount with the Chancery Clerk |
| Passport application execution | Confirm current amount with the Chancery Clerk |
Call ahead for the current figures and accepted payment methods. Fees can change, and the 2020 court-records schedule may have been revised since.
Delinquent Taxes in Rankin County
The Chancery Clerk handles delinquent property taxes. When taxes go unpaid, the parcel can be sold at a tax sale. The buyer holds a tax lien, not the land itself. The owner can still redeem the property within the time the law allows. Redemption means paying the back taxes, interest, and costs to clear the lien. The Chancery Clerk's office collects those redemption payments and keeps the records.
The office page links current delinquent tax amounts and a land redemption tool. Owners, heirs, and lienholders use these to check status and pay what is owed. Acting early keeps interest and costs from piling up.
Passports and Public Records Requests
The Chancery Clerk doubles as a passport acceptance site. Applicants bring proof of citizenship, proof of identity, and a passport photo, then submit the federal application through the office. Call ahead to confirm hours and the documents you need.
Public information requests follow the county's standard route. The requester contacts the elected official who controls the data. For records this office holds, that means the Chancery Clerk. The Mississippi Public Records Act, found in Title 25, Chapter 61 of the state code, sets the general right to inspect public records. Some files stay closed, such as adoption and youth-court matters.
Note: Plan a passport visit during business hours and arrive with time to spare, since the office must review and submit the federal forms in person.