Short answer: Mississippi eviction record sealing is not available under any law we found: the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Miss. Code Ann. §§ 89-8-1 to 89-8-45, contains no sealing or expungement provision, and we found no enacted bill adding one. Mississippi’s main protection instead comes earlier, at the hearing: in a nonpayment case, paying everything the judgment awards by the court-ordered move-out date stops the warrant of removal under § 89-8-39.
Because a Mississippi eviction judgment stays in the public justice court file, the record you end up with depends almost entirely on what happens between the three-day notice and the move-out date. After that, federal credit reporting law is the only limit on how long screeners can repeat it.
Mississippi Eviction Record Sealing at a Glance
| Rule | Mississippi | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Sealing or expungement of eviction records | No provision found in the landlord-tenant act | Miss. Code Ann. ch. 89-8 |
| Nonpayment notice before termination | Written notice; 3 days to pay | § 89-8-13(5)(a) |
| Time to move after judgment of possession | 7 days, unless the court finds an emergency or compelling circumstances | § 89-8-39(1) |
| Paying off a nonpayment judgment | No warrant of removal if paid in full by the move-out date, or if the landlord accepts later payment | § 89-8-39 |
| Landlord’s duty to accept full payment | Good-faith obligation if tendered by the move-out date | § 89-8-39 |
| Federal reporting limit | Civil judgments: 7 years from entry, or the limitations period if longer | 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a)(2) |
What We Checked, and What We Did Not Find
Mississippi’s landlord-tenant act is the statute that governs residential evictions, from notices through warrants of removal. We reviewed its full text as brought forward in 2024 House Bill 1580, which restates every section of chapter 89-8, and found no provision for sealing, expunging or restricting access to eviction records.
We also looked for later changes. A 2025 bill, HB 1369, would have shortened eviction timelines and removed the court’s power to extend the move-out date, but the Legislature’s history lists it as dead, and it contained nothing on sealing either. If Mississippi lawmakers create a sealing route in a future session, the rules in this guide would change.
The practical result: an eviction judgment entered in a Mississippi eviction case remains a public court record, and anyone can find it through the court that heard the case.
Why the Move-Out Date Is the Moment That Counts
Mississippi is unusual in how much it lets a tenant fix after losing at the hearing. Under § 89-8-39, if the court grants possession, it orders you to move in seven days from the judgment, unless it finds an emergency or other compelling circumstances that justify a shorter or longer period.
In a case based on unpaid rent, the statute adds a second chance. The court may not issue a warrant of removal if, by the move-out date, you have paid in full all unpaid rent and other sums awarded in the judgment, or if the landlord accepted those amounts after that date. The landlord also has a good-faith obligation to accept full payment of the money judgment if you tender it on or before the move-out date.
The required summons language in § 89-8-35 tells tenants the same thing in plain terms: in a nonpayment case, you do not have to move out if you pay all sums owed, either before the hearing or by the court-ordered move-out date afterward.
Paying after judgment keeps your home, but it does not erase the judgment. To keep a judgment out of the file entirely, you need to resolve the case before the hearing.
Strategies When Sealing Is Off the Table
- Pay within the three-day notice. Under § 89-8-13(5)(a), the nonpayment notice must say the rental agreement will end if rent is not paid within three days. Paying in that window means there is no case to record. The notice may come by email or text only if you agreed to that in writing.
- Settle before the hearing for a dismissal. If the landlord files, ask for a written agreement that it will dismiss the case once you pay or move by a set date, and get the dismissal filed.
- Read your lease before the hearing. Section 89-8-13(5)(b) directs any judge hearing a nonpayment eviction to abide by the rental agreement the parties signed, so late fees or charges the lease does not support are worth challenging.
- Get proof of payment. If you pay off a judgment by the move-out date, ask the clerk to note satisfaction, and keep receipts. That record is what you will show screeners and future landlords.
The eviction process by state guide lays out the full Mississippi timeline from notice to warrant, and our general guide to sealing an eviction record explains how other states handle this if you later move.
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Screening Reports and Your Federal Rights
With no state limit, the Fair Credit Reporting Act controls how long a Mississippi judgment can follow you. 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a)(2) bars a consumer reporting agency from including civil suits and judgments more than seven years after the date of entry, or until the limitations period expires if that is longer. The rule does not apply to reports for a credit transaction or life insurance policy of $150,000 or more, or a job paying $75,000 or more, under § 1681c(b), but ordinary tenant screening is not on that list.
Accuracy matters as much as age. A report that shows a judgment you paid off as unpaid, or misses a dismissal, can be disputed. Under § 1681i(a)(1), the agency must reinvestigate free of charge within 30 days of receiving your dispute. If a landlord rejects you because of a report, § 1681m(a) requires it to tell you and to identify the agency.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, tenant screening companies supply landlords with eviction information, rent payment history and criminal background data, and you should contact them to check and dispute what they hold. Our tenant screening report explainer shows how to read one.
Worked Example: Keisha in Hattiesburg
Keisha’s rent of $875 was due June 1, 2026. On June 5 her landlord delivered a written notice that the rental agreement would terminate unless she paid within three days. She could not, and the landlord filed in justice court. At the hearing on June 22, the judge granted possession and a money judgment of $915: the $875 rent plus a $40 late fee her lease required, which the act counts as rent.
Under § 89-8-39, the judge set her move-out date seven days out, June 29. Keisha paid the full $915 on June 26 by money order, which the landlord had a good-faith duty to accept, so no warrant of removal could issue and she stayed. The judgment, however, remains in the public court file. A screener may report it until June 2033, seven years after entry, but it should show it as satisfied. When a 2027 report listed the judgment as unpaid, Keisha disputed it with her receipt, and the agency had 30 days to reinvestigate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Mississippi justice court seal my eviction case?
We found no statute in chapter 89-8 authorizing it, and no enacted bill creating an eviction sealing procedure. If you have unusual circumstances, such as a case filed against the wrong person, a local legal aid lawyer can tell you whether any other remedy applies.
If I pay off the judgment, does the eviction disappear?
No. Paying by the move-out date stops the warrant of removal under § 89-8-39, so you keep the unit, but the judgment stays in the court file. You can use proof of payment to make sure screeners report it accurately.
Can my landlord refuse my payment before the move-out date?
Section 89-8-39 gives the landlord a good-faith obligation to accept full payment of all sums owed under the money judgment if you tender it on or before the court-ordered move-out date. Pay the full amount in a traceable form and keep the receipt.
Can a Mississippi judge give me more than seven days to move?
Yes, if the court finds an emergency or other compelling circumstances justify a longer period under § 89-8-39(1). The same section lets the judge shorten it for similar reasons.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. If you have an eviction hearing coming, contact legal aid before the court date through the LSC’s get legal help page, and bring your lease, your notice and any payment receipts. Compare Mississippi with other states on our eviction record sealing by state hub, and check Mississippi security deposit law before you move out.
Sources
- Miss. Code Ann. ch. 89-8 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), as brought forward in 2024 HB 1580
- Mississippi Legislature, 2025 HB 1369 history (dead)
- U.S. Code: 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, via Cornell
- U.S. Code: 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, via Cornell
- U.S. Code: 15 U.S.C. § 1681m, via Cornell
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, consumer reporting companies
- LSC, get legal help