Mississippi (MS)
Automated Lookup
Operational
Research Mississippi notary commissions. NotaVeri can automatically cross-reference Mississippi notary details against the official state database.
Visit Mississippi Official Notary Database
How to Research a Mississippi Notary
1. Go to https://www.sos.ms.gov/notary-public-search
2. Enter the notary's name and optionally a county.
3. Click Search and review the results.
4. Verify the commission status, county, and expiration date.
Note: Expired notaries are removed after three months.
Contact: (601) 359-1615 or toll-free (800) 256-3494
2. Enter the notary's name and optionally a county.
3. Click Search and review the results.
4. Verify the commission status, county, and expiration date.
Note: Expired notaries are removed after three months.
Contact: (601) 359-1615 or toll-free (800) 256-3494
How to Verify a Mississippi Notary's Signature
Mississippi notaries take their oath of office before the Clerk of the Chancery Court in their county of residence. The oath and bond are filed with the Chancery Clerk.
To verify a notary's signature:
1. Contact the Chancery Clerk in the county where the notary filed their oath and bond.
2. The Chancery Clerk maintains the commission record and oath on file.
3. Alternatively, contact the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division at (601) 359-1615 to confirm commission status.
Reference: MCA ss. 25-34-9, 25-34-11
To verify a notary's signature:
1. Contact the Chancery Clerk in the county where the notary filed their oath and bond.
2. The Chancery Clerk maintains the commission record and oath on file.
3. Alternatively, contact the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division at (601) 359-1615 to confirm commission status.
Reference: MCA ss. 25-34-9, 25-34-11
Verifying Older Mississippi Documents
The Mississippi SOS online notary search only lists currently commissioned notaries (expired notaries are removed after three months).
1. Contact the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division at (601) 359-1615 or toll-free (800) 256-3494 for historical commission records.
2. Provide the notary's name and approximate date of notarization.
3. The Chancery Clerk in the notary's county of residence may also have historical oath and bond records.
Mailing: P.O. Box 136, Jackson, MS 39205
Commission term: 4 years.
1. Contact the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division at (601) 359-1615 or toll-free (800) 256-3494 for historical commission records.
2. Provide the notary's name and approximate date of notarization.
3. The Chancery Clerk in the notary's county of residence may also have historical oath and bond records.
Mailing: P.O. Box 136, Jackson, MS 39205
Commission term: 4 years.
Mississippi Notary Stamp/Seal Requirements
Mississippi requires every notary to use an official seal on notarized documents. An inked rubber stamp is required; an embosser alone is not sufficient.
Seal requirements (MCA ss. 25-34-33):
- Type: Inked rubber stamp (a non-inking embosser or crimper does not qualify as a stamping device)
- Must include: Notary's name, jurisdiction (county), commission expiration date, and other information required by the Secretary of State
- Must be capable of being copied together with the record to which it is affixed
- Mississippi notaries are commissioned at the county level; the county on the seal indicates the county of commission
Seal requirements (MCA ss. 25-34-33):
- Type: Inked rubber stamp (a non-inking embosser or crimper does not qualify as a stamping device)
- Must include: Notary's name, jurisdiction (county), commission expiration date, and other information required by the Secretary of State
- Must be capable of being copied together with the record to which it is affixed
- Mississippi notaries are commissioned at the county level; the county on the seal indicates the county of commission
Contacting a Mississippi Notary
The following is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
We make no warranty regarding its accuracy or completeness.
Consult a qualified attorney before taking action.
Mississippi — Contacting the Notary for Verification
Mississippi requires all notaries public to maintain a journal chronicling all notarial acts. This is a mandatory requirement under the Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts, effective July 1, 2021.
Journal requirement:
- A notary public must maintain a journal in which the notary public chronicles all notarial acts that the notary public performs (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-34-37).
- A journal must be created on a tangible or electronic medium.
- A notary public must maintain only one (1) journal at a time to chronicle all notarial acts, whether those notarial acts are performed regarding tangible or electronic records.
- If the journal is tangible, it must be a permanent, bound register with numbered pages.
- An electronic journal must conform to specifications set forth in rules by the Secretary of State.
Required journal entries:
- An entry in a journal must be made contemporaneously with performance of the notarial act and contain information about the notarial act, the document or proceeding, the signature of the signer, and identification methods used (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-34-37).
Inspection and access:
- A notary shall keep, maintain, protect, and provide for lawful inspection a chronological official journal (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-34-37).
- The statute requires the notary to provide for "lawful inspection" but does not specify who may inspect or under what circumstances. A subpoena or court order may be necessary to compel production if the notary is unwilling to cooperate voluntarily.
Retention period:
- Ten (10) years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in a tangible journal, the journal must be destroyed by shredding or other destruction.
- Similarly, ten (10) years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in an electronic journal, the journal must be destroyed by deleting any remaining records pertaining to the electronic journal.
Key considerations:
- Upon death or adjudication of incompetency, the journal must be transmitted to the circuit clerk of the county of residence of the notary public within thirty days (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-34-37).
- Contact: MS Secretary of State Notary Section — toll-free (800) 256-3494 or (601) 359-1615
Relevant statutes: Miss. Code Ann. §§ 25-34-1 to 25-34-57
This information is provided for general reference only, does not constitute legal advice, and may not reflect current law. Laws and procedures change frequently. We make no warranty regarding accuracy or completeness. Consult a qualified attorney in the relevant jurisdiction before taking action.
Mississippi requires all notaries public to maintain a journal chronicling all notarial acts. This is a mandatory requirement under the Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts, effective July 1, 2021.
Journal requirement:
- A notary public must maintain a journal in which the notary public chronicles all notarial acts that the notary public performs (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-34-37).
- A journal must be created on a tangible or electronic medium.
- A notary public must maintain only one (1) journal at a time to chronicle all notarial acts, whether those notarial acts are performed regarding tangible or electronic records.
- If the journal is tangible, it must be a permanent, bound register with numbered pages.
- An electronic journal must conform to specifications set forth in rules by the Secretary of State.
Required journal entries:
- An entry in a journal must be made contemporaneously with performance of the notarial act and contain information about the notarial act, the document or proceeding, the signature of the signer, and identification methods used (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-34-37).
Inspection and access:
- A notary shall keep, maintain, protect, and provide for lawful inspection a chronological official journal (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-34-37).
- The statute requires the notary to provide for "lawful inspection" but does not specify who may inspect or under what circumstances. A subpoena or court order may be necessary to compel production if the notary is unwilling to cooperate voluntarily.
Retention period:
- Ten (10) years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in a tangible journal, the journal must be destroyed by shredding or other destruction.
- Similarly, ten (10) years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in an electronic journal, the journal must be destroyed by deleting any remaining records pertaining to the electronic journal.
Key considerations:
- Upon death or adjudication of incompetency, the journal must be transmitted to the circuit clerk of the county of residence of the notary public within thirty days (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-34-37).
- Contact: MS Secretary of State Notary Section — toll-free (800) 256-3494 or (601) 359-1615
Relevant statutes: Miss. Code Ann. §§ 25-34-1 to 25-34-57
This information is provided for general reference only, does not constitute legal advice, and may not reflect current law. Laws and procedures change frequently. We make no warranty regarding accuracy or completeness. Consult a qualified attorney in the relevant jurisdiction before taking action.