Where can I find Mississippi's adoption statutes?

You can find Mississippi's adoption statutes in Mississippi Code Title 93, Chapter 17, which covers adoption in the state. Each section is searchable online by its citation, and the Chancery Court clerk in your county can also point you to the current text.

The sections to start with:

• Miss. Code § 93-17-3 covers who may petition and the residency requirement.
• Miss. Code § 93-17-5 covers consent, including when a child's own consent is needed.
• Miss. Code § 93-17-7 is the third section to read alongside them.

Related sections:

• Miss. Code § 93-17-11 covers the home study. Mississippi waives it for stepparent adoptions.
• Miss. Code § 93-15-103 is the section tied to the 12-month abandonment period, which matters if a biological parent's rights are at issue.

What these sections mean in practice:

• Court: Your petition is filed in Chancery Court. Mississippi has 82 counties, and you file in the county that applies to your family.
• Residency: The residency period is 6 months (Miss. Code § 93-17-3).
• Child's consent: A child who is 14 or older has a consent role (Miss. Code § 93-17-5).
• Home study: Waived for stepparents (Miss. Code § 93-17-11).
• Abandonment: The period is 12 months (Miss. Code § 93-15-103).
• Timeline: A stepparent adoption typically takes 3-6 months.
• Court costs: Chancery Court filing fees typically run $150-$300, and the total cost of a do-it-yourself stepparent adoption is typically under $1,000. Attorney representation commonly runs $3,000-$5,000+.

Adult adoption: Adult adoption is permitted in Mississippi, and the same chapter applies. Statutes that speak of a "child" are read to mean the person being adopted, even an adult. The rules for adults, such as residency, hearings and which procedural steps a chancellor may waive, can be more nuanced. Confirm those details with the Chancery Court clerk or an attorney.

A note on reading statutes: Statutes are written in legal language, and how they apply depends on your facts. This is especially true if a biological parent contests the adoption, cannot be found, or has not consented. For those questions, the Chancery Court clerk can explain local procedure, and an attorney can advise on your specific situation. Check the current text of each section, since legislatures amend statutes over time.

How we help: StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child (or one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. You receive court-ready documents within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 454 Mississippi families, and 34,000+ families nationally since 2001.