How Passport Services Are Organized in Mississippi

Mississippi has no state-run passport office. Every U.S. passport is issued by the U.S. Department of State, and no county or city can change that. What Mississippi offers is a network of local acceptance facilities. These offices are authorized by the federal government to take your application in person, check your identity, witness your signature and send the paperwork on for processing.

Many of these facilities sit inside county courthouses, often in the circuit clerk's office. Others are post offices, public libraries or city offices. Our database lists 100 passport offices across 78 Mississippi cities and 58 counties, so most residents can find one in their own county or the next county over.

The local setup matters because no single agency runs the offices. The State Department sets the forms, fees and eligibility rules. The host office decides its own hours, whether it takes walk-ins and how it handles payment. A courthouse office may close for court business or a county holiday. A post office follows USPS hours instead.

Because of this, always call before you drive. Ask whether the office takes walk-ins, whether it offers passport photos on site, and which payment methods it accepts. Courthouse offices often want a check or money order for the government fee, plus a separate payment for the local service fee.

Passport Offices Across Mississippi's Regions: Coast, Delta, Hills and Capital Area

Mississippi stretches roughly 340 miles from the Tennessee line to the Gulf, and passport access looks different in each region. Here is how the listings in our database fall out.

Gulf Coast

Harrison County has the most listings of any county in our data. They include the Biloxi Passport Office at 135 Main Street (228-374-6386) and the Downtown Gulfport Passport Office at 2421 13th Street (228-822-2779). Farther west, the Hancock County Passport Office at 3068 Longfellow Road in Bay Saint Louis (228-467-5404) serves a smaller population. Coastal residents are also within reach of the New Orleans area, which matters if you ever need an urgent appointment at a regional passport agency.

North Mississippi and the Memphis Suburbs

DeSoto County is the fastest-growing part of the state and part of the Memphis metro area. The Hernando Passport Office at 12 West Commerce Street (662-429-2481) is one of several options there. Further south, the Panola County Passport Office at 152 Public Square in Batesville (662-563-6210) and the Senatobia Passport Office at 100 West Main Street (662-562-8766) serve Panola and Tate counties. In the hill country, the Oxford Passport Office at 401 McElroy Drive (662-234-5615) is handy for University of Mississippi students and staff who need a passport before study abroad.

Northeast Mississippi

Tupelo is the regional hub. The Tupelo Passport Office at 362 South Thomas Street (662-791-8401) is one of three listings in the city. Smaller towns have their own offices, including the Corinth Passport Office at 500 North Madison Street (662-287-1411), the Fulton Passport Office at 103 East Main Street (662-862-4437), and the Monroe County Passport Office at 201 West Commerce Street in Aberdeen (662-369-8143). Columbus, in the east, has the Columbus Passport Office at 3202 Bluecutt Road (662-329-1092).

Capital Area, Pine Belt and the South

Brandon has three listings, led by the Rankin County Passport Office at 211 East Government Street (601-825-1469). That makes Rankin County a popular choice for people who live east of Jackson. Inside the capital itself, the Jackson Passport Office is at 401 East South Street (601-351-7096). In the Pine Belt, the Jones County Passport Office at 415 North 5th Avenue in Laurel (601-425-2556) serves Jones County and nearby towns. On the Mississippi River, the Natchez Passport Office is at 214 North Canal Street (601-442-4361). Brookhaven's Lincoln County Passport Office is at 301 S 1st St (601-835-3435).

Metro Versus Rural Counties

In metro counties such as Harrison, DeSoto and Rankin, you can compare several offices and choose one with evening or Saturday service. In rural counties, you may have only one option, often a courthouse office with short hours. Counties like Choctaw, Jasper and Prentiss each list a single office in our data, for example the Choctaw County Passport Office at 22 East Quinn Street in Ackerman (662-285-6329). In those places, plan ahead and expect to schedule by phone.

Documents, Fees and Eligibility Rules to Know Before You Go

Federal rules decide who must apply in person. You need to visit an acceptance facility with Form DS-11 if you are applying for your first passport, if you are under 16, if your previous passport was lost or stolen, or if your last passport was issued more than 15 years ago. Renewals are different. If your most recent passport was issued when you were 16 or older, is undamaged and was issued within the last 15 years, you can usually renew by mail with Form DS-82. The State Department has also opened online renewal to many eligible adults, so check there first before you spend a morning at a courthouse.

For an in-person application, bring the following:

Fees come in two parts. At the time of writing, the State Department's application fee for an adult passport book is $130. The fee for a passport card is $30, and the fee for a child's book under 16 is $100. On top of that, the acceptance facility charges a $35 execution fee for each in-person application. Expedited service adds $60. Fees change, so confirm the current amounts on the State Department's website before you go.

Adult passports last ten years. Passports for children under 16 last five years. Both parents or legal guardians normally need to appear with a child. If one parent cannot come, that parent can sign Form DS-3053, a notarized statement of consent, and you bring it with a copy of their ID.

Mississippi residents born in the state can order a certified birth certificate from the Vital Records office of the Mississippi State Department of Health in Jackson. Hospital keepsake certificates and photocopies are not accepted, so order the certified copy early if you cannot find the original.

Planning Your Visit: Timing, Travel and Next Steps

Start with the calendar. The State Department currently quotes about four to six weeks for routine service and two to three weeks for expedited service, not counting mailing time. Those estimates move up and down with demand, and spring and early summer are the busiest. Apply at least three months before an international trip, and longer if you need documents such as a birth certificate first.

If your trip is less than 14 days away and you can show proof of international travel, you may qualify for an appointment at a regional passport agency. The closest one to Mississippi is in New Orleans, Louisiana. Local acceptance facilities cannot book those appointments for you, so you need to arrange it through the State Department.

Next, pick your office. A good rule is to choose by county rather than by city name. A courthouse office in your own county seat is often easier than a larger city office with long lines. Use the county pages in this directory to compare options near you, then call to confirm hours, photo services and payment types.

On the day, arrive with every document in the original plus copies, and do not sign the form until the agent asks you to. Pay both fees as instructed. Keep your receipt, because it helps if you need to track the application later. Most applicants can follow their status online about a week or two after submission.

Finally, remember that Gulf Coast residents face a seasonal issue. After a hurricane or major flood, birth certificates and old passports can be lost or damaged. If that happens, treat the passport as a lost or stolen document and plan an in-person application with a new certified birth certificate.

Passport acceptance facilities in Mississippi are distributed across post offices, county clerks' offices, and public libraries, providing residents with accessible locations to submit passport applications without traveling to a regional agency. Mississippi residents with urgent travel needs may also have access to a regional passport agency for in-person expedited service.

Passport Offices locations are available in 78 cities across Mississippi. They are spread across 59 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of passport offices include Brandon, Tupelo, Senatobia, reflecting larger populations and greater volumes of international travelers requiring passport services.

Residents of Mississippi should verify that their chosen acceptance facility accepts walk-ins or requires an appointment, as policies vary by location. Processing times fluctuate with seasonal demand, so applying several months before planned international travel is strongly advised.

Passport Offices by Counties

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Residents of Mississippi applying for a passport should complete their application form in advance, gather all required documents including proof of citizenship and a compliant passport photo, and confirm whether their chosen facility requires an appointment. Many passport renewal applicants in Mississippi can mail their DS-82 form directly to a processing center, avoiding an in-person visit altogether.

Browse Passport Offices by county across Mississippi to find the nearest location.

Getting the Most From County Passport Offices in Mississippi

Mississippi's passport offices are mostly small, local and staffed by people who also handle other county business. A courthouse clerk may be recording land deeds and court filings in the morning and processing passport applications in the afternoon. That is why a short phone call saves so much time. Ask for the passport clerk by name if you can, and ask which days they take applications.

Courthouse offices usually have security screening, limited parking around the square and lunch-hour closures. In towns such as Batesville, Aberdeen and Ackerman, the office sits on or near the main square, so allow extra time to park and walk in. Other examples in our data include the Jasper County Passport Office at 27 West 8th Avenue in Bay Springs (601-764-2245) and the Prentiss County Passport Office at 100 N Main St in Booneville (662-728-8151).

If you live near a county line, you are not limited to your home county. Any acceptance facility in Mississippi can take your application, so a Decatur resident in Newton County can use a Philadelphia or Meridian-area office, and a Columbus resident can look at nearby counties. Pick the office whose hours fit your work schedule, not the one closest to home. The answers below cover the questions Mississippi applicants ask most often.

Only the U.S. Department of State issues passports. A local office such as the Rankin County Passport Office in Brandon or the Biloxi Passport Office accepts your application, verifies your identity, witnesses your signature and mails the package onward. It cannot approve, print or speed up your passport. For urgent travel within 14 days, with proof of an international trip, you can ask the State Department for an appointment at a regional passport agency. The nearest one to Mississippi is in New Orleans, Louisiana, so build in travel time for that option.

Bring an unsigned Form DS-11, a certified Mississippi birth certificate, a valid photo ID such as your Mississippi driver's license, photocopies of both, and one 2 by 2 inch passport photo. If you do not have a certified birth certificate, request one from the Vital Records office of the Mississippi State Department of Health in Jackson. A hospital souvenir certificate will not work. Bring payment for the federal fee and the separate local execution fee. Call the office first to confirm whether it accepts checks, money orders or cards.

There is no statewide rule, because each host office sets its own policy. The Tupelo Passport Office in Lee County and the Leflore County Passport Office in Greenwood, which serves Leflore County, may handle walk-ins one day and require appointments the next. Smaller courthouse offices often limit passport hours to certain days or times. Call ahead, ask whether the passport clerk is in, and confirm closing times. Arriving late in the day is the most common reason applicants get turned away.

The first payment goes to the U.S. Department of State. At the time of writing, that is $130 for an adult passport book, $30 for a passport card and $100 for a child's book, with $60 extra for expedited service. The second payment is the $35 execution fee, which stays with the local office for handling your application. Offices often want them as separate payments, usually a check or money order for the federal fee. Fees can change, so check the State Department's website before you go.

For a child under 16, both parents or legal guardians must normally consent. If one parent cannot attend, that parent can complete Form DS-3053, the statement of consent, and sign it in front of a notary. The attending parent brings the notarized form, a photocopy of the absent parent's photo ID, the child's certified birth certificate showing both parents, and the child, who must be present. A sole-custody court order can also replace the second parent's consent. Child passports last five years, so plan for renewals.

The State Department currently quotes about four to six weeks for routine processing and two to three weeks for expedited processing, plus mailing time. Those figures change with demand, and spring and early summer are the busiest. Allow at least three months before an international trip, especially if you must first order a certified birth certificate from Mississippi Vital Records. Gulf Coast and Delta residents who lost documents in a storm should build in even more time. Check the State Department website for current estimates before you book travel.