Mississippi Background Checks

Mississippi Criminal Records

Mississippi criminal records are maintained by MDH (Mississippi Department of Health) and are only available to certified agencies, including law enforcement, government agencies and businesses which require background checks prior to hiring. These businesses include hospitals, home health agencies, long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities and hospices.

Mississippi criminal records checks are performed by submitting an individual’s fingerprints. MDH mails packets of fingerprint cards that each contains a unique ID number. Mississippi law requires anyone who will provide direct patient care or services after July 2003 to have a Mississippi background check.

You can submit fingerprint cards via mail or electronically. If you choose to submit electronically, you will need FingerPro FTS Remote Workstation software purchased from AD&S, Inc. The software requires a PC with Windows 2000, 2003 or XP operating system. You can also purchase a desktop scanner or livescan device to help expedite the process and make it less burdensome on potential employees.

For healthcare facilities who do not purchase the software, they must send potential employees to the local police or sheriff department to have fingerprints taken there. This involves “rolling” the fingerprints, and if not done correctly by trained personnel, could result in returned cards and additional fees. This makes obtaining a Mississippi criminal record history a difficult and lengthy process. It costs $50 for a background check, but if the fingerprints are returned, an additional fee of $50 will be charged.

For additional information on obtaining Mississippi criminal records, please contact the office at the address or phone number below:

Mississippi Department of Health
Criminal History Record Check Unit
P.O. Box 1700
Jackson, MS 39215
(601) 992-4121 ext. 201

Resource Links
Mississippi Criminal History Record Checks

Mississippi Court Records

The State of Mississippi Judiciary and Appellate Courts maintain Mississippi court records. Online, you may gain access to general dockets by searching via case sequence number and year, involved party’s full name, or by attorney name. You may also search decisions and docket calendars. You may also visit the court and view and obtain copies of court records. Copies of orders from minute books cost $5, regular paper copying is $.50 per page, copies from bound volumes cost $2 per page and copies of mandates costs $3.

To search for court records online do the following:

Step 1: Visit the Mississippi General Docket search webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Search by Case Year and Sequence Number, Party Name or Attorney and then fill out all required information fields.
Step 3: Click “Submit” to view all available results.

For additional information on obtaining Mississippi court records, please contact the office at the address or phone number below:

Clerk of Appellate Courts
P.O. Box 249
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 359-3694

Resource Links
Mississippi Appellate Docket Search

Mississippi Jail Records

Mississippi jail records are provided by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, which maintains an inmate locator on its site where you type in the inmate’s first and last name to check on his status. Mississippi Department of Corrections also offers an online parolee search, where you enter the last name of the offender, as well as the city and county where he or she resides, for status updates.

If you are the victim of a crime, you are entitled to know the status of your offender at all times. You must register through the Mississippi Department of Corrections Victims Services Division and update them if your contact information changes. You will be notified if the offender is released, dies, escapes and where the offender is incarcerated. In most cases, Victims Services will notify victims 15 days prior to the end of an offender’s sentence or pending a release. You may also speak at a parole hearing or submit an audio or written statement to be read as a result of your notification.

To search for jail records online do the following:

Step 1: Visit the Mississippi Inmate Search webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Enter the inmate’s first and last name.
Step 3: Click “Find” to search for available results.

For additional information on locating Mississippi jail records, please contact the Mississippi Department of Corrections at the address or phone number below:

Mississippi Department of Corrections
Central Office
723 North President St.
Jackson, MS 39202
(601) 933-2889

Mississippi Department of Corrections
Division of Victim Services
723 North President St.
Jackson, MS 39202
(866) 522-4087

Resource Links
Mississippi Inmate Locator

Mississippi Driving Records

You may obtain your Mississippi driving records online. This MVR (Motor Vehicle Report) will detail the current status of your driver’s license and list any speeding tickets or moving violations on your record. Although you cannot obtain a certified copy of Mississippi driving records online, a detailed report can be accessed directly through the Department of Public Safety. You will need your Mississippi driver’s license and a major credit card to access your uncertified information online. The fee to access your online records is $11, and you may print your Mississippi driving record.

For additional information on obtaining Mississippi driving records, please contact the office at the address or phone number below:

Department of Public Safety
Motor Carrier Safety Division
1900 Woodrow Wilson Dr.
Jackson, MS 39216
(601) 987-1275

Resource Links
Mississippi Driving Record Information

Additional Resources

Mississippi Sexual Offender Registry
Mississippi Attorney General