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Mississippi · Gulf Coast · Biloxi · #340 Most Populous County in the US
Harrison County, Mississippi
Gulfport, Biloxi, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast - the casino resort corridor, Keesler Air Force Base, and a coast that Hurricane Katrina virtually erased in August 2005 and that has rebuilt with remarkable resilience over the two decades since. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Harrison County residents.
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Office: Harrison County Emergency Management / Homeland Security – 1801 23rd Avenue, Gulfport, MS 39501 | (228) 865-4002 | Fax: (228) 865-4087; Director Rupert Lacy.
Sheriff: Harrison County Sheriff’s Office – 1801 23rd Ave, Gulfport, MS 39501 | Non-emergency (228) 865-7060 / (228) 865-5800; operates the Harrison County Adult Detention Center.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. The county sees significantly increased activity during Mardi Gras, summer tourism, and hurricane season.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-90 (Beach Boulevard) runs along the beach through Biloxi and Gulfport; I-10 crosses the county’s northern portion; I-110 branches south to US-90, serving as a key hurricane evacuation route. Harrison County has TWO county seats – Biloxi and Gulfport, part of the Gulfport-Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Notes: Harrison County was established in 1841, named for President William Henry Harrison. Roughly 208,600-217,100 residents across 574-976 square miles (41% water) – as of the most recent 2025 estimate, Harrison County has become Mississippi’s most populous county, surpassing Hinds County. Biloxi was founded by Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d’Iberville, in 1699, taking its name from the Biloxi Indians; incorporated as a village in 1838, city in 1896.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Harrison County Courthouse locations serve both the Biloxi and Gulfport districts.
Notes: Harrison County is home to Keesler Air Force Base, established 1941 and named for Mississippi native 2d Lt. Samuel Reeves Keesler Jr. (killed in WWI aerial combat in France) – now Biloxi’s largest employer with an annual economic impact exceeding a billion dollars, headquarters of the famed “Hurricane Hunters.” Beauvoir, the home of former Confederate president Jefferson Davis for the last 12 years of his life, sits just west of Biloxi. Legalized casino gaming arrived in 1992, transforming the coast; Biloxi alone hosts nine of the twelve casino resorts on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The historic Biloxi Lighthouse has survived both Hurricane Camille (1969, sustained winds of 190 mph) and Hurricane Katrina (2005). The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, designed in part by architect Frank Gehry, reopened in 2010 after Katrina damage.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Harrison County Veterans Service Office – confirm current contact via harrisoncountyms.gov.
Federal: Biloxi VA Medical Center – a major regional VA facility located directly in the county.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Pass Christian Public Library – 324 E 2nd St, Pass Christian, MS 39571; additional branches serve Biloxi and Gulfport – confirm current addresses/phone via harrisoncountyms.gov.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Biloxi Lighthouse, Beauvoir (Jefferson Davis home), the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, Keesler Federal Park (home of the Biloxi Shuckers minor league baseball team), and the Mississippi Gulf Coast casino district are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine presence of Keesler Air Force Base and the “Hurricane Hunters,” alongside the county’s status as Mississippi’s most populous, are among the most significant local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Harrison County Tax Assessor – confirm current contact via harrisoncountyms.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Humane Society of South Mississippi (HSSM) – 41,000-square-foot facility on Highway 49 near downtown Gulfport, MS; established 1952 as the Harrison County Humane Society; the only Open Admissions Animal Shelter in South Mississippi, accepting all animals regardless of age, breed, health, or temperament; houses roughly 10,000 homeless pets annually; Adoption hours: Tue-Fri 10 AM-5 PM, Sat 10 AM-4 PM, no appointment necessary.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Harrison County – confirm current contact via harrisoncountyms.gov.
NOTES: Harrison County is the third county in the fourth batch of the Mississippi v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine presence of Keesler Air Force Base and the county’s newly attained status as Mississippi’s most populous county are among the most significant local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Harrison County
Heritage | Gulfport is the county seat and Mississippi’s second-largest city on the Gulf of Mexico; Biloxi (the county’s largest community — the “Seafood Capital of the World” and the casino resort hub of the Gulf Coast; the Biloxi Lighthouse, one of the most iconic lighthouses in the South; the Historic Biloxi Visitors Center; Beauvoir — the beautifully preserved post-Civil War home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis on the Gulf of Mexico is an outstanding heritage site; the Jefferson Davis Library and Museum documents his presidency and post-war life with significant collections); the Gulf Coast casino corridor (a major gaming destination following Mississippi’s 1990 casino legalization; the casinos along the Biloxi waterfront are a significant economic driver); the Mississippi Gulf Coast has a vibrant Mardi Gras tradition; the Katrina legacy (Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Harrison County in August 2005 with catastrophic storm surges; the rebuilding has been remarkable) Outdoors | Gulf Islands National Seashore (accessible by ferry from Gulfport — the barrier islands of Horn Island, Ship Island, Cat Island, and Petit Bois Island are outstanding; the white sand beaches, the clear water, the camping, and the snorkeling are beautiful; Ship Island with its Civil War Fort Massachusetts is outstanding; an absolutely essential Gulf Coast outdoor destination); Gulf of Mexico fishing (world-class offshore fishing for tuna, marlin, wahoo, and amberjack; quality inshore fishing for redfish, speckled trout, and flounder; the charter fleet is extensive); Mississippi Sound (quality kayaking, paddleboarding, and wildlife viewing in the shallow coastal waters) Notable | Gulf Islands National Seashore (one of the finest national seashores in America — the pristine barrier islands accessible by ferry from Gulfport and Ocean Springs provide outstanding white sand beaches, clear water, camping, and snorkeling; Ship Island’s Civil War Fort Massachusetts is outstanding; the islands provide one of the finest Gulf of Mexico beach experiences accessible from the mainland; an absolutely essential Gulf Coast destination); Beauvoir (Biloxi — the beautifully preserved beachfront home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis is outstanding for its architecture, its setting on the Gulf, and its historical significance; the museum and library are quality); Memorial Hospital at Gulfport is a Level II Trauma Center; the county has a strong gaming, tourism, military, and port economy Library | Harrison County Library — (228) 539-0110 | harrison.lib.ms.us (multi-branch system)
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Website: courts.ms.gov | 15th Circuit Court District
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CHANCERY CLERK
1801 23rd Ave., Gulfport, MS 39501
(228) 865-4021
CIRCUIT CLERK
1801 23rd Ave., Gulfport, MS 39501
(228) 865-4079
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Harrison County Chancery Court, 1st District (Gulfport) and 2nd District (Biloxi) – probate case files split by district and not co-mingled; see Probate section above.
Local societies
No dedicated Harrison County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Harrison County Chancery Court – TWO JUDICIAL DISTRICTS
Harrison County is one of several Mississippi counties split into two judicial districts, each with its own courthouse and Chancery Clerk’s office. File in whichever district covers the area where the decedent lived.
1st District (Gulfport): 1801 23rd Avenue (P.O. Drawer CC), Gulfport, MS 39501/39502, (228) 865-4036
2nd District (Biloxi): 730 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (P.O. Box 544), Biloxi, MS 39530/39533, (228) 435-8220
Harrison County was founded 1841, named for William Henry Harrison, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, with dual county seats – Biloxi and Gulfport. It’s the state’s second-most populous county (recent estimates suggest it may have overtaken Hinds as the most populous).
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Mississippi has not adopted the Uniform Probate Code and instead follows its own statutory framework under Miss. Code Ann. Title 91, Chapter 7. Mississippi’s small-estate threshold, at $75,000, is one of the lowest in the country, so most estates end up needing at least some court involvement.
Small Estate Affidavit (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322) – personal property only, up to $75,000 (excluding liens and encumbrances). A 30-day waiting period after death applies. The affidavit is presented directly to whoever holds the property (a bank, for instance); that party is not required to investigate the truth of the affidavit and is protected from liability once it complies.
Muniment of Title (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35) – a limited proceeding to transfer real property named in a will, without full administration, when the estate’s non-real-estate assets are $75,000 or less and all debts (including taxes) have been paid. A petition is still filed with the Chancery Court to declare the will valid; the will and court order are then recorded in the land records.
Formal Administration – required for most estates with real property beyond the muniment-of-title threshold or significant liquid assets. The Chancery Judge reviews the petition, the will (if any), and supporting documents before issuing Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration appointing the personal representative.
Step 2: filing for probate
File a petition with the Chancery Court district covering the area where the decedent was domiciled.
The personal representative inventories assets and notifies creditors; Mississippi’s creditor claim period runs 90 days (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-145).
Claims and disputes are adjudicated by the Chancery Court if contested.
Once debts are settled and the creditor period closes, the estate can be distributed and closed.
What it costs
Costs are the Chancery Clerk’s per-county filing fee (built on the statewide base under Miss. Code § 25-7-9), plus recording fees and publication costs.
Mississippi has no state estate tax or inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax could separately apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
10451 Larkin Smith Dr., Gulfport, MS 39503
(228) 865-7060
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
1801 23rd Ave., Gulfport, MS 39501
(228) 865-4079
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MS Dept of Health — Gulf Coast Region
(228) 865-4200
Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
gulfportmemorial.com (Gulfport — major regional hospital; Level II Trauma)
Office: Harrison County Health Department (Mississippi State Department of Health) – confirm current phone via harrisoncountyms.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Gulfport
Population: 210,000
Area: 574 mi²
Established: 1841
Tier: 2
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Harrison County facilities via Amazon.
