About the Winston County Circuit Clerk
Gwenita Mays serves as the Winston County Circuit Clerk, an elected office that runs the records side of the Circuit Court. The clerk is supported by a small staff, including Deputy Clerk Sarah Hughes and Chief Deputy Clerk Barbara Gladney. Together they handle marriage licenses, court filings, voter rolls, passports, and the day to day public requests that come across the counter in Louisville.
In Mississippi, the Circuit Clerk and the Chancery Clerk hold different court files. The Circuit Clerk owns the felony, civil at law, judgment, and marriage license records. Divorce, probate, and land records belong to the Chancery Clerk. Sending a request to the wrong office is one of the most common reasons a Winston County records search stalls, so it helps to match the record to the right clerk before you call or visit.
Winston County Circuit Clerk
Clerk: Gwenita Mays
P.O. Box 785
Louisville, MS 39339
662-773-3581
Fax: 662-773-7192
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
What the Circuit Clerk Does in Winston County
The Circuit Clerk is the official record keeper for the Circuit Court and carries several county wide duties beyond the courtroom. The office receives and files lawsuits, indictments, motions, and related papers in both civil and criminal cases, then issues the process that moves those cases forward. It also records judgments and executions, registers professional licenses, and manages elections and voter registration for the county.
- Files civil lawsuits, felony indictments, motions, and trial papers, and issues summonses and subpoenas.
- Maintains the court docket books, including the Judge's Docket, Grand Jury Docket, Civil Docket, and Criminal Docket.
- Enrolls and cancels judgments and keeps a record of judgments and executions.
- Issues marriage licenses and files the Statistical Record of Marriage with the State Board of Health.
- Records medical and professional licenses and handles record searches under the county's public request policy.
- Runs voter registration and election management, accepts candidate filing fees, and draws, summons, and qualifies jurors.
- Processes passport applications with no appointment required and provides notary public service.
Winston County Circuit Court Terms and Dockets
As Clerk of the Circuit Court, Gwenita Mays attends court during the regular trial terms. Winston County Circuit Court holds two fourth week terms each year, the fourth week in April and the fourth week in October. Knowing the term schedule helps when you are tracking a hearing date or expecting a case to be set for trial.
The clerk keeps separate docket books for different kinds of business, and each one tells a different part of the story. The Judge's Docket tracks what the court takes up. The Grand Jury Docket follows felony charging activity. The Civil Docket and the Criminal Docket index the lawsuits and prosecutions filed with the office. Newer Circuit Court filings also appear in Mississippi Electronic Courts, which Winston County Circuit Court joined on March 22, 2021.
Note: The April and October terms set the rhythm for trials, but routine filings, copies, and record searches are handled year round during regular office hours.
Marriage Licenses and the Statistical Record
Marriage licenses in Winston County are a Circuit Clerk service, not a Chancery Clerk one. The office issues the license, keeps the county marriage record, and files a Statistical Record of Marriage with the Mississippi State Board of Health. If your marriage was issued or recorded in Winston County, the certified local copy starts here.
The published license fee is $37.00, and a certified marriage license copy is $17.00. Couples should call ahead to confirm what identification, prior marriage documents, and payment methods are required, and whether both applicants must appear together. The Mississippi State Department of Health can also provide marriage record services, but the state warns that not every marriage is on file at the state level, so the county office remains the surest source for a local record. Divorce decrees are a different matter and are held by the Winston County Chancery Clerk, since divorce is a Chancery Court case.
Winston County Circuit Clerk Fees
The Circuit Clerk publishes a short fee list for its most requested services. The amounts below come directly from the office. Fees for certified copies tied to other case types, or for services not listed here, should be confirmed with the office by phone before you mail a payment.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $37.00 |
| Certified marriage license | $17.00 |
| Abstracts | $3.00 |
| Certified judgment | $3.00 |
| Record search | $10.00 |
Mississippi's public records law lets a public body charge the actual cost of searching, reviewing, copying, and mailing records, so a larger or older request may carry additional handling costs. Ask for an estimate when you submit a request that goes beyond a single document.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and is the version courts, agencies, and other states accept as official. An uncertified printout is fine for personal reference but is often rejected for legal use. The steps below outline how to obtain a certified Circuit Court record or marriage record in Winston County.
- Identify the record and the parties. Have the case number if you know it, plus the full names involved and the approximate filing or marriage date.
- Contact the Circuit Clerk at 662-773-3581 to confirm the record is held in this office and to ask what identification or eligibility proof a certified copy may require.
- Submit your request in person, by mail to P.O. Box 785, Louisville, MS 39339, or through the office's email link, stating that you need a certified copy and how many you want.
- Pay the fee. A certified marriage license is $17.00, a certified judgment is $3.00, and a record search is $10.00.
- Pick up the certified copy at the office or wait for it to arrive by mail, depending on how you submitted the request.
Winston County Records Request Form Fields
Winston County does not post a standalone fillable records request form for the Circuit Clerk online. The county pages expose an "Email Our Office" link rather than a public web form, so a request is usually a written note, an email, or an in person ask. Whatever channel you use, including the details below helps the staff find the file quickly and prevents back and forth.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Party names | Yes | Full names of the people or businesses in the case or on the marriage record. |
| Case number | Helpful | Speeds the search; the office can still look up a file by name and date. |
| Record or document type | Yes | For example a judgment, a marriage license, an indictment, or a full case file. |
| Approximate date | Helpful | Filing year or marriage date narrows older, non digitized records. |
| Certified or plain copy | Yes | Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and a separate fee. |
| Number of copies | Yes | Affects the total fee due. |
| Requester contact | Yes | Name, mailing address, phone, or email for return and questions. |
Note: Sealed, expunged, juvenile, and similar protected records may be withheld or redacted, so a certified copy of a restricted file can require proof that you are entitled to it.
Forms, Voter Registration, and Passports
The Circuit Clerk publishes links and forms for voters, candidates, and other routine office business. Voter registration, candidate filing, jury qualification, and notary service all run through this office, alongside passport acceptance with no appointment needed. The forms page is the quickest way to see what the office offers without a trip downtown.
You can browse the current links and downloads on the Winston County Circuit Clerk forms and information page, which collects voter and candidate material in one place.
Because the office wears so many hats, the forms page mixes election material with general clerk services, so read each link's label to be sure you are pulling the right document for your need.
Older Records and the County Archives Index
Some Winston County records reach back well before the digital era, and genealogists often look for old marriage, judgment, or docket entries. When a record predates the clerk's electronic system, the office may need to pull an original book, which is why an approximate year matters so much for an older request.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History keeps a catalog of county government records that helps researchers see what historic Winston County material exists and where it sits. You can review the holdings through the MDAH Winston County government records catalog, which lists record series for the county.
The archive index reflects custody as of its inventory date and may not match today's exact shelf location, so use it as a research lead and then confirm current access with the clerk that holds the original.
Filing Online Through Mississippi Electronic Courts
Recent Circuit Court cases are filed and viewed through Mississippi Electronic Courts. Winston County Circuit Court went live on the system on March 22, 2021, and the state has since reported that electronic filing is complete statewide. The free court information page lists the Winston County Circuit Court at 113 West Main Street, Louisville, with phone 662-773-3581, while full document viewing runs through a Public Access to MEC account.
Even with electronic filing, the Circuit Clerk still holds the official paper records and issues the certified copies. For a felony case, a civil judgment, or a marriage record, the office in Louisville remains the source of record. If your matter is a trial court question rather than a clerk service, the Winston County Circuit Court page explains how cases move through the Fifth Circuit District.