About the Lafayette County Circuit Clerk
Jeff Busby serves as the Lafayette County Circuit Clerk. Voters elect the clerk at large to a four-year term. The post is one of the county's key elected offices. The clerk keeps the record side of the Circuit Court and the County Court. The same office acts as county voter registrar. That ties the role to elections, voting, and redistricting work. Court files, jury duty, and the record of funds moving through the court all sit under this office. The clerk works from Suite 101 inside the Lafayette County Courthouse on the Oxford Square.
The duties run wider than filing alone. The office issues marriage licenses, manages juries, and files marriage statistics with the state health board. Each task carries its own form, fee, or deadline.
Circuit Clerk's Office
Clerk: Jeff Busby
1 Courthouse Square, Suite 101
Oxford, MS 38655
(662) 234-4951
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
What the Circuit Clerk Handles in Lafayette County
The Circuit Clerk is the gatekeeper for law-side court records. Pleadings, motions, orders, and judgments enter the public record through this office. The clerk keeps an appearance docket for civil cases not triable in the first term, plus subpoena and execution dockets. Staff prepare lists for the Board of Supervisors of judgments rendered and cases disposed each term. The office also keeps a complete record of the final outcome of every case. Beyond the courtroom, the clerk serves as voter registrar and receives candidate filing fees during election cycles.
The county's own page lays out the core duties in plain terms. The Circuit Court page for the Third Circuit District shows how closely the clerk and the bench work together.
An official look at the court the clerk serves appears on the Lafayette County Circuit Court page.
That page lists the Third Circuit judges and the Suite 301 court offices that the clerk supports. The clerk's main court tasks include the following.
- Filing and docketing circuit and county court pleadings.
- Issuing process such as subpoenas and writs.
- Recording judgments, dispositions, and court costs.
- Issuing marriage licenses and filing marriage statistics.
- Running voter registration and supporting elections.
Which Clerk Holds Your Lafayette County Records
Lafayette County splits clerk work between two offices. The Circuit Clerk keeps circuit and county court files, marriage licenses, and jury and election records. Equity, family, probate, and land matters route to the Chancery Clerk instead. Picking the right office on the first try cuts down on wasted trips across Oxford. The table below shows where each record type lives.
| Record Type | Circuit Clerk | Chancery Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court civil and criminal | Yes | No |
| County Court cases | Yes | No |
| Marriage licenses | Yes | No |
| Divorce and custody | No | Yes |
| Probate, wills, and estates | No | Yes |
| Land and deed records | No | Yes |
| Board of Supervisors minutes | No | Yes |
Mike Roberts runs the Chancery Clerk's office at 300 N. Lamar Blvd. Anyone after a divorce file, an estate, or a deed should contact the Lafayette County Chancery Clerk rather than the Circuit Clerk. Both offices keep weekday hours and serve the same county seat.
Note: County Court paperwork must read "Lafayette County Court" in the heading and stays on the main floor of the Circuit Courthouse with the Circuit Clerk.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and proves a court record is genuine. Courts, lenders, and government agencies often demand certified copies rather than plain prints. Uncertified online printouts usually will not stand in for the sealed version. The steps below move a request through the Circuit Clerk's office.
- Identify the case. Gather the case number, party names, and filing year so staff can pull the right file.
- Reach the office. Call (662) 234-4951 or visit Suite 101 to confirm the document exists and is not sealed.
- Submit the request. Ask for a certified copy and name the exact document and number of copies needed.
- Pay the fee. Certified copies run $2.50 each, and a research fee applies if staff must search for an older file.
- Collect the copy. Pick the document up in person or arrange mailing, and confirm any postage before staff send it.
Public Records Request Form Fields
Records that sit outside a case portal can be requested in writing. Lafayette County publishes a Public Information Request Form for county records, and the City of Oxford uses a separate portal for municipal and police files. The county form is the right tool for copy, certification, or research requests that staff must fulfill by hand. Exact field labels on the county PDF were not fully confirmed during research, so the table lists the data a complete request should carry rather than reproducing the form line by line.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requester name | Yes | Person or entity asking for the record. |
| Contact details | Yes | Phone, mailing address, or email for the reply. |
| Record described | Yes | Case number, party names, dates, or document type. |
| Format requested | Yes | Plain copy, certified copy, or inspection only. |
| Number of copies | No | Drives the per-page and certification charge. |
| Date and signature | Varies | Field presence on the county PDF is unconfirmed. |
City records follow a different path. The City of Oxford runs a NextRequest portal for police reports and other municipal documents.
The municipal request system opens through the City of Oxford NextRequest portal.
That portal handles city and police records for a fee, while the county form and the Circuit Clerk cover court files. Mississippi's open-records framework sits under the Public Records Act, which the state Ethics Commission administers.
Marriage Licenses in Lafayette County
The Circuit Clerk issues marriage licenses for the county. Couples apply in person at Suite 101 and pay the license fee at the counter. The office then files a Statistical Record of Marriage with the Mississippi State Department of Health. A certified copy of the license can be ordered later for name changes, benefits, or proof of marriage.
Payment rules differ from other clerk services. The license fee may be paid by cash or major credit card, while certified copies take cash or money order. Certified vital records can also be ordered through the Mississippi State Department of Health for events recorded at the state level.
Lafayette County Circuit Clerk Fees
The Circuit and County Court fee schedule is published by the county and covers filing, copy, certification, and research charges. Copy and certified-copy fees are flat amounts, while filing fees vary by case type. Research and certified-copy charges take cash or money order in many cases, so call ahead to confirm payment before a mailed request. The figures below come from the county's posted civil fee schedule.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Circuit and County civil filing | $161.00 |
| Plain copy per page | $1.00 |
| Certified copy | $2.50 |
| Authentication of record | $5.00 |
| Research fee, civil or criminal | $10.00 |
| Marriage license | $37.00 |
| Marriage license certified copy | $17.00 |
| Expungement | $150.00 to $161.00 |
| Appeal to Supreme Court | $200.00 |
The full list appears on the county's posted Circuit and County Court fee schedule. Sheriff service, garnishment, and transfer fees also apply when a case calls for them.
Note: Research and certified-copy fees are often payable by cash or money order only, so confirm the accepted method before mailing any request.
Lafayette County Court Records Online
Online access depends on the court and the age of the record. Circuit and County Court cases were posted through the Delta Computer Systems search for Lafayette County. That interface charges per document and carries an important warning. A notice on the page states that Circuit and County Court record updates ended on February 26, 2024. The public search is useful for older or previously posted cases, yet it is not the place to confirm a current filing.
Current trial-court files now run through Mississippi Electronic Courts. The county opens cases and files documents in the e-filing system, and attorneys file pleadings there as well. For certified copies, complete files, or recent activity, the Circuit Clerk remains the direct source. Records not reflected online are best confirmed by phone or in person.
Two paths cover the bases. The legacy Delta Circuit and County case search handles historical lookups, while Mississippi Electronic Courts supports active e-filed cases. Chancery records sit elsewhere and run through the Chancery Clerk and the e-filing system after the office moved off Delta for court documents.
Federal Court Records in Oxford
The Circuit Clerk does not keep federal case files. Federal matters for the Oxford area route to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. Its Oxford courthouse handles federal civil and criminal cases that fall outside state court. Knowing this split helps anyone whose case is federal rather than county.
The federal courthouse keeps its own address, phone, and office hours.
Location details appear on the Northern District of Mississippi Oxford courthouse page.
That page lists the Oxford federal building and its weekday office hours. Federal case files are searched through the national PACER system rather than a county clerk.
Registration and case access run through PACER, the federal judiciary's record service.
PACER charges per page for documents and dockets, much like the county's online tools. For state circuit and county matters, though, the Lafayette County Circuit Clerk stays the proper office.
Visiting the Lafayette County Circuit Clerk
The Circuit Clerk's office sits in Suite 101 of the Lafayette County Courthouse at 1 Courthouse Square. The historic building stands at the center of the Oxford Square. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Paid and free parking ring the Square, though rates and enforcement shift with downtown and university events.
A short plan keeps any visit smooth. Bring the case number, party names, and exact document title before arriving. Confirm the fee and the accepted payment method by phone first, since some charges take cash or money order only. Callers who reach the office at (662) 234-4951 can check whether a file is open, sealed, or held by the Chancery Clerk instead. A quick call often saves a trip across town.