How to Search Bolivar County Court Records
Bolivar County court records are searched by court level, not by one shared database. No single county portal covers every Circuit, County, Chancery, Justice, and Municipal case at once. The first task is to name the court that holds the file. The second task is to pick the right judicial district. Felony cases and large civil suits sit in Circuit Court. Divorce, probate, and land matters sit in Chancery Court. Small claims, evictions, and many tickets sit in Justice or Municipal Court. Once the court and the district are clear, the correct online tool or clerk counter follows.
The official county government site lists every court, office, and contact in one place. You can confirm a department and its district through the Bolivar County government website before you ever pick up the phone.
It is the best starting point when the court that holds a file is not yet known. From there, the search path stays the same for most case types.
- Identify the court level that handles the case type, such as Circuit, County, Chancery, Justice, or Municipal Court.
- Confirm the judicial district, the First in Rosedale or the Second in Cleveland.
- For Circuit and County cases, check Mississippi Electronic Courts, the statewide filing system.
- For Chancery, divorce, or probate files, contact the Chancery Clerk, because those files are not online.
- Call or visit the correct clerk for copies, certified documents, or sealed-status questions.
Note: Always confirm the judicial district before a trip, because a Rosedale file will not sit at the Cleveland counter and the reverse is just as true.
Bolivar County's Two Judicial Districts
Bolivar County is one of a small number of Mississippi counties that run two judicial districts. The First Judicial District is seated in Rosedale. The Second Judicial District is seated in Cleveland. Each district keeps its own courthouse, its own clerk counters, and its own case files. A case opened in one district is not stored in the other. This split shapes filing, travel, and every record request across the county.
The county history page explains how the two districts formed and how the county seat shifted over time. The official county history page traces the moves from the first frame courthouse to the present buildings.
Cleveland grew far from Rosedale, so the eastern county won its own court seat in 1900. The split still controls where a file lives more than a century later.
Important: Confirm whether a case belongs to the First District in Rosedale or the Second District in Cleveland before traveling, because the two courthouses hold separate files.
The Bolivar County Judicial System
Court level in Bolivar County is set by subject matter, not by building alone. Circuit Court hears felony crimes, large civil suits, and appeals from lower courts. Chancery Court hears equity matters such as divorce, custody, probate, guardianship, and land disputes. County Court shares some jurisdiction with Justice, Circuit, and Chancery Courts, and the County Court judge also serves as the Youth Court judge. Justice Court and Municipal Court handle many lower misdemeanors, small civil claims, and traffic matters. Appeals climb from the lower courts toward Circuit Court and then to the state appellate courts.
Case flow: Justice Court › County Court › Circuit Court › Mississippi Court of Appeals
The county Circuit Court page lists the Eleventh Circuit judges, court administrators, and staff who run the trial calendar. You can review those listings on the Bolivar County Circuit Court page.
Bolivar County is part of the Eleventh Circuit Court District. The table below sorts the main trial courts by what each one hears.
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | Felony and major civil | Felonies, civil lawsuits, appeals from lower courts |
| Chancery Court | Equity and family | Divorce, custody, probate, guardianship, land disputes |
| County Court | Shared and limited | Eviction, partition, youth matters, civil up to $200,000 |
| Justice Court | Lower civil and criminal | Misdemeanors, small claims, traffic, evictions |
| Municipal Court | City matters | City ordinances, city traffic, misdemeanors |
Bolivar County Courthouses
Bolivar County keeps two main courthouses, not one. The First Judicial District courthouse stands in Rosedale, and the Second Judicial District courthouse stands in downtown Cleveland. The Cleveland building dates to 1924 and was designed by the noted Jackson architect N. W. Overstreet. It is a three-story Italian Renaissance structure and a designated Mississippi Landmark.
The state archives keep a property record for the Cleveland courthouse with its construction and landmark details. The MDAH property record for the courthouse documents the 1924 build and the 1985 landmark listing.
Use the contact cards below to reach the correct district office before a visit. The Justice Court sits at a separate Cleveland address, away from the main courthouse square.
First Judicial District Courthouse
801 Main Street
Rosedale, MS 38769
662-759-3762
Second Judicial District Courthouse
200 South Court Street
Cleveland, MS 38732
662-846-5877
Bolivar County Justice Court
404 N Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Cleveland, MS 38732
662-843-4008
Types of Court Records in Bolivar County
Bolivar County court records come in several kinds, and each kind lives with a different court. Circuit Court holds felony case files and big civil suits. Chancery Court holds divorce, probate, and land-equity files. County and Justice Courts hold many smaller civil and criminal matters. The record type often points straight to the court and the clerk who keeps it.
The Justice Court page lists the clerk and judges who handle lower-level cases in the county. You can confirm those contacts on the Bolivar County Justice Court page.
The main record groups break down like this:
- Criminal records hold felony case files in Circuit Court, with the full case file and sentencing detail covered in the criminal court records.
- Civil records cover lawsuits, judgments, and appeals filed with the Circuit Clerk.
- Family and divorce records are Chancery Court files, shared with the marriage and divorce records.
- Probate records cover estates, wills, and guardianships kept by the Chancery Clerk.
- Traffic records may rest in Justice Court, Municipal Court, or a Circuit Clerk payment portal.
What Bolivar County Court Records Show
A Bolivar County court record is a running file of what happened in a case. It names the parties, lists each filing, and tracks every order the judge signs. Criminal files add charges, pleas, and the final sentence. Civil and family files add motions, judgments, and decrees. The fields below appear across most case types, though sealed files limit what the public can view.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The unique number the filing court assigns to the case |
| Court and District | The court level and whether it is First District Rosedale or Second District Cleveland |
| Filing Date | The date the case was opened with the clerk |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or petitioner and respondent |
| Charges or Cause | The criminal charges or the civil claim driving the case |
| Disposition | The outcome of a case or a single charge |
| Sentence or Judgment | The punishment or the final ruling entered by the court |
Docket entries between these fields show motions, hearings, continuances, and warrants in the order they occurred.
Searching MEC and PAMEC
Mississippi Electronic Courts is the statewide filing and case-management system for Chancery, Circuit, and County Courts. Bolivar County Circuit and County Courts went live on the system in 2020. The public-facing path, Public Access to Mississippi Electronic Courts, is account based. A login is needed before a full case search or document view will open.
The Eleventh Circuit court-information page shows court locations, hours, and case flags without a login. You can open the Eleventh Circuit MEC court information page to confirm where each Bolivar court sits.
The statewide system itself is explained on the Mississippi Judiciary site. The fields and contacts that the public pages expose are listed below, drawn from the Mississippi Electronic Courts landing page.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court | Court selection | Yes in account context | Bolivar Circuit and County Court, First and Second District |
| Login or Registration | Account | Yes for search access | PAMEC login is required to search or view documents |
| PAMEC Contact | Support | Not a search field | Helpdesk phone 601-576-4650 and email helpdesk@mec.ms.gov |
| Court Info Flags | Status codes | Not a search field | Open flags such as CLOSED, SEALED, EXPUNGED, Trial Pending |
Bolivar County Public Records Laws
Court records in Bolivar County are open to the public unless a statute, a court rule, or a judge's order closes them. The custodian still matters. Circuit and County files come from the Circuit Clerk and may be searched through the state system where access is granted. Chancery files come from the Chancery Clerk, and the county states plainly that those files are not online. The statutes below set the rules for access, fees, and the records that stay closed.
Key Statutes:
Miss. Code Title 25, Chapter 61 (Public Records Act) makes records held by public bodies open for inspection unless a statute or court order shields them.
Miss. Code Section 25-61-7 lets an office charge the lawful cost of searching, copying, and mailing the records you request.
Miss. Code Section 25-61-11 keeps records confidential when law, privilege, or a court order protects them.
Miss. Code Section 99-19-71 (expunction) lets eligible arrests, dismissals, and some convictions be cleared from public access after set conditions are met.
Miss. Code Section 43-21-255 keeps juvenile law-enforcement records confidential except as the law allows.
Restricted and Confidential Records
Some Bolivar County court files are closed to the public by law or by order. Youth Court and juvenile records are confidential in most cases. Adoption files and mental-health files are sealed unless the Chancellor orders otherwise. Expunged cases drop out of public view once the order takes effect. Sealed files stay closed until a judge reopens them. Public copies may also hide Social Security numbers, financial accounts, and details about minors.
A person who wants a sealed file opened usually must petition the court that holds it. The clerk can explain whether a Chancellor's order, a motion, or a statutory exception is required. A person clearing a record files in the court that handled the arrest, charge, or conviction, then follows the steps the statute sets.
Note: Do not treat an online absence as proof a record never existed, because sealed and non-digitized files often will not appear in any public search.
Court Types Compared in Bolivar County
Picking the right court is half of any record search. The three trial tracks most people deal with are Circuit, Chancery, and County Court. Each one holds a different kind of file and a different range of cases. The table sets them side by side so the correct clerk is easy to spot.
| Point | Circuit Court | Chancery Court | County Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main cases | Felonies and major civil suits | Divorce, probate, land equity | Eviction, partition, youth matters |
| Record keeper | Circuit Clerk | Chancery Clerk | Circuit Clerk |
| Online access | State system, account based | Not online, counter only | State system, account based |
| Appeals | To state appellate courts | To state appellate courts | Up to Circuit Court |
Bolivar County Court Fees
Filing and copy fees in Bolivar County depend on the case type and the clerk. The Chancery Clerk publishes a set list for divorces, estates, guardianships, and other equity matters. Copies of those files run a flat rate per page, with extra costs added for summons and publication. The most common items appear below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Divorce, uncontested | $30.00 |
| Divorce, contested | $75.00 |
| Estate of deceased, intestate | $75.00 |
| Guardianship or conservatorship | $75.00 |
| Adoptions | $75.00 |
| Copies of the above files | $0.50 per copy |
| Issuance of sheriff summons | $35.00 per summons |
Note: Confirm certified-copy and certification costs with the clerk who holds the file, since those charges sit apart from the basic per-page copy rate.
Bolivar County Sheriff and Jail
Sheriff Kelvin Williams Sr. leads the Bolivar County Sheriff's Office, which sits west of Cleveland on Highway 8. The office handles patrols, investigations, and arrests across the county. You can review its mission and senior staff on the Bolivar County Sheriff page. The county also runs the Regional Correctional Facility, a medium-security site that houses about 250 state inmates under Warden Brenda Cox.
The facility shares the Highway 8 West site with the Sheriff's Office but uses a separate phone line. Program details appear on the Regional Correctional Facility page. The county does not publish an official online jail roster, so a current custody check means a call or a visit. For sentenced state prisoners, the Mississippi Department of Corrections search is the official tool.
A current custody question is not the same as a court case search. The full roster details live in the Bolivar County inmate records, and active-warrant fallbacks are covered in the warrant records.
Marriage, Divorce, and Chancery Records
Marriage and divorce records split between two offices in Bolivar County. The Circuit Clerk issues marriage licenses and keeps the county marriage records. Divorce case files are Chancery Court records, and the Chancery Clerk states that all chancery files are not computerized or accessible by internet. That single fact shapes every probate and divorce search in the county. The full chancery details sit on the Bolivar County Chancery Clerk site.
For a certified marriage copy, the Mississippi State Department of Health can search by the county where the license was issued. See the MSDH marriage records page for the application and mail steps. Local copies and license questions stay with the Circuit Clerk, while divorce and estate files are pulled through the marriage and divorce records and the probate records.
- Testator
- A person who leaves a valid will at death.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out the terms of a will.
- Intestate
- An estate left without a valid will.
- Conservator
- A person the court appoints to manage another's property.
- Guardian
- A person the court appoints over a minor or an incapacitated person's care.
Note: Confirm the judicial district with the Chancery Clerk before requesting a divorce or estate file, since each district keeps its own chancery records by hand.
Specialty Courts in Bolivar County
Bolivar County takes part in the Eleventh Circuit Drug Court program, an intervention track tied to the circuit. The county Circuit Court page names a Drug Court coordinator who can route eligible defendants and their attorneys. The official pages do not publish program rules, phase length, or graduation numbers, so eligibility should be confirmed with the coordinator rather than assumed.
Youth Court is the second specialty track in the county. It exists because the County Court judge also serves as the Youth Court judge. Youth Court is not a public-records search page, and records that involve children stay confidential in most cases. Families with a youth matter should contact the court directly instead of looking for an online file.
History of Bolivar County Courts
Bolivar County was created on February 9, 1836, from land ceded by the Choctaw Nation, and it took its name from Simon Bolivar. The first courthouse was a frame building put up in 1841 for $595. The county seat moved several times before settling in Rosedale in the early 1870s. During the Civil War, Union troops burned much of Prentiss, then the county seat, including the county's first brick courthouse.
The county sits in the Mississippi Delta and spans a large rural area, which the U.S. Census Bureau measures at roughly 877 square miles. The Census QuickFacts for Bolivar County tracks its population, land area, and local employment.
That size is why the county built two court seats. The Second Judicial District formed in 1900 so eastern residents would not have to travel all the way to Rosedale. The present Cleveland courthouse rose in 1923 and 1924 and still anchors the downtown square today.
Note: The two-courthouse history is the reason older Bolivar County records can be split between districts, so a single file may not sit where you first expect.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Bolivar County court records?
Start by naming the court level and the judicial district. Circuit and County cases may be reached through Mississippi Electronic Courts, though search access needs an account. Chancery, divorce, and probate files are not online, so call or visit the Chancery Clerk. Justice and Municipal Court matters need direct contact, since no public county-wide search portal was located. The right clerk can confirm whether a file is open, sealed, or held in another district.
Are Bolivar County court records public?
Most are. Under the Mississippi Public Records Act, records held by public bodies stay open for inspection unless a statute, a court rule, or a judge's order closes them. Chancery files are public unless the Chancellor seals them. Adoption, mental-health, and juvenile records are closed in most cases. Expunged and sealed files drop out of public view once the order takes effect.
Why does Bolivar County have two courthouses?
The county runs two judicial districts. The First Judicial District is seated in Rosedale, and the Second Judicial District is seated in Cleveland. The split formed in 1900 because eastern residents found the trip to Rosedale too far. Each district keeps its own clerk counters and case files, so a record opened in one will not appear at the other.
Can I find Bolivar County court records online?
Only some. Circuit and County Court cases run through the statewide electronic system, but full search and document access require a registered account. Chancery Court files, which include divorce, probate, and land matters, are not computerized or available online, so those must be pulled at the clerk counter or by mail.
Which clerk keeps Bolivar County court records?
It depends on the court. The Circuit Clerk is the clerk for Circuit, County, and Youth Courts and the custodian for court and marriage records. The Chancery Clerk keeps divorce, probate, guardianship, conservatorship, and land-equity files. Justice and Municipal Courts keep their own lower-level case records through their own offices.
How do I get a certified copy of a court record?
Contact the clerk who holds the file and confirm the judicial district first. Provide the party names, an approximate filing year, and a case number if you have one. Ask whether the file is open, sealed, or archived, and confirm the copy and certification cost. Chancery copies run a flat per-page rate, with certification fees confirmed separately.
How do I check for an inmate or a warrant in Bolivar County?
The county does not publish an official online jail roster or warrant list. For a current custody check, call or visit the Regional Correctional Facility. For sentenced state prisoners, use the Mississippi Department of Corrections search. For a warrant, contact the Sheriff's Office or the court that issued it, since bench warrants connect to the court where a hearing was missed.