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HB1143 • 2026

Electronic signatures; authorize for any warrants and domestic abuse protection orders.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 99-3-47, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES FOR ANY WARRANT OR DOMESTIC ABUSE PROTECTION ORDERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Owen
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and therefore does not have any current legal effect.

Allowing Electronic Signatures for Warrants and Protection Orders

This bill allows the use of electronic signatures on warrants and domestic abuse protection orders in Mississippi.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the use of electronic signatures on any warrant or domestic abuse protection order except no-knock warrants.
  • Requires that applications using digital signatures have security measures to ensure authenticity and keep records of when signatures are added.
  • Specifies conditions under which an electronic record is considered received by a court system.
  • Ensures that affidavits submitted electronically meet the same legal requirements as those signed on paper.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Courts in Mississippi
  • People applying for warrants or protection orders

Terms To Know

Electronic signature
A digital method of signing documents that has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature.
Affidavit
A written statement made under oath, often used in court proceedings.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and therefore does not have any current legal effect.
  • It specifies that no-knock warrants cannot be issued using electronic signatures.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (H) Referred To Judiciary B

Official Summary Text

Electronic signatures; authorize for any warrants and domestic abuse protection orders.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 1143 *HR43/R1663* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR43/R1663
PAGE 1 (GT\KP)

To: Judiciary B
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Owen

HOUSE BILL NO. 1143

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 99-3-47, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
AUTHORIZE ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES FOR ANY WARRANT OR DOMESTIC ABUSE 2
PROTECTION ORDERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 4
SECTION 1. Section 99-3-47, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 5
amended as follows: 6
99-3-47. (1) An application for a * * * warrant or domestic 7
abuse protection order or signature utilized by the judicial 8
branch of state government other than an application for a 9
no-knock warrant shall not be denied legal effect or 10
enforceability solely because it is in electronic form. An 11
application, signature or record in electronic form shall have the 12
full effect of law. 13
(2) If a provision of law requires the application for 14
a * * * warrant or domestic abuse protection order to be in 15
writing, an electronic version of the written record shall satisfy 16
such provision of law. 17
H. B. No. 1143 *HR43/R1663* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1663
PAGE 2 (GT\KP)

(3) If a provision of law requires a signature, an 18
electronic signature satisfies such provision of law. 19
(4) An application used to attach a digital signature to 20
* * * warrant * * *, affidavit or domestic abuse protection order 21
must have security procedures in place that ensure the 22
authenticity of the digital signature. The application must also 23
be able to keep an electronic record of the warrant or affidavit, 24
including the time and date of when the signature was attached. 25
The application must also include encryption measures to ensure 26
secure access of the application. 27
(5) Unless otherwise agreed to by a sender of a warrant 28
application and the judge, an electronic record is received when: 29
(a) The record enters an information-processing system 30
that the local court rules have designated and approved for the 31
purpose of receiving electronic applications for warrants and from 32
which the recipient is able to retrieve the electronic record; and 33
(b) It is in a form capable of being processed by the 34
system, and in a form that satisfies the provisions of the 35
Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983. 36
(6) In an instance where an affidavit is submitted to a 37
judge electronically, the electronic signature of the affiant 38
shall satisfy the constitutional requirement that the testimony of 39
the affiant be made under oath, provided that such signature is 40
made under penalty of perjury and in compliance with subsection 41
(4) of this section. If the requirements of subsection (4) of 42
H. B. No. 1143 *HR43/R1663* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1663
PAGE 3 (GT\KP)
ST: Electronic signatures; authorize for any
warrants and domestic abuse protection orders.
this section are met, it shall not be necessary for the oath to be 43
made orally for the affidavit to have legal effect. 44
(7) An application for a * * * warrant, domestic abuse 45
protection order or signature made pursuant to this section shall 46
contain a statement that the application is being made for a * * * 47
criminal investigation. 48
(8) Before an electronic * * * warrant or domestic abuse 49
protection order shall be issued pursuant to this section, the 50
applicant shall be required to meet with a judge. The meeting 51
required by this subsection may be through the use of video or 52
teleconference devices. 53
(9) This section shall not authorize the issuance of 54
no-knock warrants by the use of electronic warrant applications or 55
electronic signatures for the applications. 56
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 57
and after July 1, 2026. 58